Toni Pearen
Encyclopedia
Toni Pearen is an Australian actress, singer, songwriter and TV presenter born in Cronulla, Sydney on 5 June 1972. She initially became recognisable through her role on soap opera E Street
E Street
E Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...

 from 1989 until 1992. She had a pop music career in the early 1990s which included the release of an album and a number of ARIA
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

 certified gold singles. She was host of Australia's Funniest Home Video Show
Australia's Funniest Home Video Show
Australia's Funniest Home Videos is an Australian television show on the Nine Network that presents home videos sent in by viewers.The show is similar in content to You've Been Framed and America's Funniest Home Videos,...

 from 2003 to 2008, and competed on the eighth season of Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...

.

Film and television career

Pearen came to be known in 1989 when she landed the role of Toni Windsor on the Australian soap opera E Street
E Street
E Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...

. She played the role until 1992 when she left to pursue her music career. In 1994 she briefly returned to TV, this time playing Beth Armstrong on Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...

.

Pearen also appeared in a number of films including All Men Are Liars, Colin Fitz Lives! and On the Dead Side, all released in 1995. From 1995 until 2002 Pearen lived and worked in the United States, guest starring in multiple television shows such as JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...

.

Upon returning to Australia in 2002, Pearen landed the role as host of Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...

's Australia's Funniest Home Video Show
Australia's Funniest Home Video Show
Australia's Funniest Home Videos is an Australian television show on the Nine Network that presents home videos sent in by viewers.The show is similar in content to You've Been Framed and America's Funniest Home Videos,...

 beginning February 2003. In an interview with ninemsn
NineMSN
ninemsn is an Australian 50/50 joint venture between Microsoft and Nine Entertainment Co.. It effectively acts as the website for both the Nine Network and MSN, and is one of Australia's most popular websites...

, she said the show was a perfect fit for her, and it "reminds us that strange things happen every day, and you need to laugh."

After Australia's Funniest Home Video Show
Australia's Funniest Home Video Show
Australia's Funniest Home Videos is an Australian television show on the Nine Network that presents home videos sent in by viewers.The show is similar in content to You've Been Framed and America's Funniest Home Videos,...

 Pearen took on a guest starring role with the soap Out Of The Blue
Out of the Blue (2008 TV series)
Out of the Blue is an Australian serial drama commissioned by the BBC, produced by Australia's Southern Star Entertainment. It began screening on BBC One on weekday afternoons on 28 April 2008. The programme attracted lower than desired ratings figures, prompting the broadcaster to shift it to its...

 for five episodes, and in 2010 had a small part in the World War II miniseries The Pacific
The Pacific (miniseries)
The Pacific is a 2010 television series produced by HBO, Seven Network Australia, Sky Movies, Playtone and DreamWorks that premiered in the United States on March 14, 2010....

, produced by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...

 – the follow-up to Band of Brothers.

Pearen began appearing on the eighth season of the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...

's Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...

.

Music career

After leaving E Street
E Street
E Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...

, Pearen became a success in the Australian Dance Pop
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...

 scene in 1992 and 1993, scoring two consecutive top 10 ARIA
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

 Gold certified hits with "In Your Room
In Your Room (Toni Pearen song)
In Your Room is the debut single from Australian actress/singer Toni Pearen. The song was released in late 1992 where it peaked at number ten on the Australian Singles Chart and was certified gold....

" and "I Want You
I Want You (Toni Pearen song)
I Want You is a pop song performed by Australian actress/singer Toni Pearen, released as the second single from her debut album Intimate in 1993...

". A year later, between 1994 and 1995 two less successful singles were released and missed the top 30, "Walkaway Lover
Walkaway Lover
"Walkaway Lover" is a pop song performed by Australian actress/singer Toni Pearen, released as the third single from her debut album Intimate in October 1994....

" and "Joy
Joy (Toni Pearen song)
"Joy" is a pop/dance song performed by Australian actress/singer Toni Pearen. It was released in 1995 as the fourth and final single from her debut album Intimate. It did not chart well however, only peaking at number seventy-one on the ARIA Singles Chart. "Joy" was released at a time when Pearen's...

". Pearen's 1994 album Intimate
Intimate (Toni Pearen album)
Intimate is the debut album by Australian actress and singer Toni Pearen. Recorded throughout 1992 to 1993 and released in 1994, the album spawned two top ten singles and a third top forty single...

 was well received by critics, but charted outside the top fifty in Australia.

From 1995 to 2002, Pearen lived in Los Angeles, working as an actor, singer and songwriter. In 2002, she moved back to Australia, taking residence on Scotland Island, New South Wales. In early 2003 during an appearance on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Pearen revealed she could be aiming to revive her music career in the near future. It was later revealed that part of the reason for her hiatus in the United States was to find the time to write new music. Although she has made musical performances at Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight is an Australian Christmas tradition that originated in southeastern Australia in the 19th century and was popularised in Melbourne in the 1930s. The tradition has since spread around the world. It involves people gathering, usually outdoors in a park, to sing carols by...

 in 2003 and ABBA Mania
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...

 in 2006, very little of any plans to return to music did not happen until August 2008 when a new untitled demo track appeared on Pearen's Official MySpace page. Later in September 2008 another new untitled demo was added. On 21 October 2008 The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...

 reported on plans that Pearen is considering to start work on her long awaited follow up album to 1994's Intimate, with achieving Top 5 on Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...

 as her inspiration.

Dancing with the Stars Performances

In late 2008, Toni Pearen joined the cast of the eighth season of Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...

. Pearen's partner is Henry Byalikov from the first season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia
So You Think You Can Dance Australia
So You Think You Can Dance Australia was an Australian version of the American reality dance-off series So You Think You Can Dance. The show is hosted by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, with Jason Coleman, Matt Lee and Bonnie Lythgoe acting as the judges....

.

She was eliminated on 19 October 2008.
Week # Dance/Song Judges' score Result
Todd Helen Mark
1 Cha-cha-cha
Cha-cha-cha (dance)
The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953...

 / "Mercy"
9 9 9 Safe
2 Tango
Tango (dance)
Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after....

 / "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...

"
8 7 8 Safe
3 Samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...

 / "Work
Work (Kelly Rowland song)
"Work" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Kelly Rowland. It was written by Rowland, Scott Storch and "Work" is a song recorded by [[United States|American]] singer-songwriter [[Kelly Rowland]]. It was written by Rowland, [[Scott Storch]] and "Work" is a song recorded by [[United...

"
7 8 8 Safe
4 Quickstep
Quickstep
The quickstep is a light-hearted member of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal and informal events...

 / "Let's Go Crazy
Let's Go Crazy
"Let's Go Crazy" is a 1984 song by Prince and The Revolution, from the album, Purple Rain. It was the opening track on both the album, and the film Purple Rain. "Let's Go Crazy" is one of Prince's most popular songs, and is almost always a staple for concert performances, often segueing into other...

"
9 9 10 Safe
5 Salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...

 / "American Boy
American Boy
"American Boy" is the second single from the album Shine by British R&B singer Estelle and features American rapper Kanye West. The song is her first international single...

"
8 8 8 Safe
6 Rumba
Rumba (dance)
Rumba is a dance term with two quite different meanings.In some contexts, "rumba" is used as shorthand for Afro-Cuban rumba, a group of dances related to the rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. The most common Afro-Cuban rumba is the guaguancó...

 / "No Air
No Air
"No Air" is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks featuring American R&B singer Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Michael Scala, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell...

"
8 8 8 Safe
7 Jive
Jive (dance)
In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance...

 / "Maniac
Maniac (song)
"Maniac" is a synthpop song performed by Michael Sembello. The song was used in the 1983 film Flashdance and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac.The film Maniac was about a serial killer who stalks his victims in New York City...

"
Foxtrot / "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is a popular song written by Eric Idle that was originally featured in the 1979 film Monty Python's Life of Brian and has gone on to become a common singalong at public events such as football matches as well as funerals.-History:Whilst trying to come up...

"
9
5
8
7
8
6
Eliminated

Personal life

Toni began her singing/acting studies at Lynda Keane Studios Sydney with Lynda Keane and Greg Anderson.

In late 2006, Pearen was engaged to longtime boyfriend and Darling Harbour restaurant co-owner Aaron Drew. They have jointly acquired property, and now reside together on Scotland Island
Scotland Island, New South Wales
Scotland Island is an island in the north of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Church Point, Scotland Island's major mainland service locality, is located 32 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Pittwater Council.- Geography and...

. Pearen married Osmond in the north western New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 town of Moree
Morée
Morée is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loir-et-Cher department...

 on 17 November 2007. Pearen's Los Angeles-based actor friend Kym Wilson
Kym Wilson
Kym Wilson is an Australian actress.Wilson was born in Brisbane, Australia. She completed her secondary education at Stella Maris College, Manly. Her first major role was in the television mini-series Brides of Christ and she remains best known for playing Darcy Hudson in A Country Practice...

 was her bridesmaid and Osmond's older brother Simon was best man. They were married in the garden of the Osmond family home.

Toni gave birth to her son Lucky in 2009.

Television and Film roles

Year Title Role Notes
1988 A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...

 
Patty Morrison First acting role
1989–1992 E Street
E Street
E Street is an Australian television soap opera created by Forrest Redlich and produced by the Ten Network from 1989 to 1993.Whereas Neighbours is set in a middle-class suburb, Home and Away in a seaside town, and Richmond Hill a semi-rural ordinary community, E Street was set in a tough inner-city...

 
Toni Windsor
1993 Video Smash Hits
Video Smash Hits
Video Smash Hits was an Australian music television show which was broadcast on the Seven Network in the early- to mid-1990s. It is not to be confused with Video Hits, Network Ten's long running music video show which aired opposite Video Smash Hits on Saturday mornings...

 
Presenter First presenting role
1993 Coca Cola Take 40 Australia Presenter
1994 Home And Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...

 
Beth Armstrong
1994 Red Music Television Presenter
1995 All Men Are Liars
All Men Are Liars
All Men Are Liars is a 1995 Australian comedy film written and directed by Gerard Lee, starring Toni Pearen and David Price.-Plot:Barry decides to sell the family piano that belongs to his wife Irene. This results in Irene leaving him and their son Mick. Mick desperately wants his mother to return...

 
Angela Feature film, Leading role
1995 On The Dead Side Feature film
1997 Colin Fitz Lives!
Colin Fitz Lives!
Colin Fitz Lives!, also known simply as Colin Fitz is a 1997 Independent film directed by Robert Bella. Though it received many film festival awards, it was never released to theatres. In August 2010, IFC Films released a newly remastered version of the film as part of its Video On Demand...

 
Pandemonium Fan Feature film
1997 Carols By Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight is an Australian Christmas tradition that originated in southeastern Australia in the 19th century and was popularised in Melbourne in the 1930s. The tradition has since spread around the world. It involves people gathering, usually outdoors in a park, to sing carols by...

 
Performer
2000 JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...

 
Jenny Appeared in episodes Boomerang, Part 1 and Boomerang, Part 2
2002 The Best of Aussie Drama Herself First appearance on Australian television in almost five years
2003 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Australian game show)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was an Australian television game show which would offer a maximum cash prize of $1,000,000 for answering 15 successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty as a team...

 
Celebrity Contestant
2003 Carols By Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight
Carols by Candlelight is an Australian Christmas tradition that originated in southeastern Australia in the 19th century and was popularised in Melbourne in the 1930s. The tradition has since spread around the world. It involves people gathering, usually outdoors in a park, to sing carols by...

 
Performer First appearance at Carols By Candlelight in six years
2003–2008 Australia's Funniest Home Videos  Host Longest serving host of the show to date
2005 Celebrity Circus
Celebrity Circus (Australian TV series)
Celebrity Circus was an Australian reality television series which aired in 2005 on the Nine Network.The show took celebrities and, with the help of Silver's Circus, trained them into circus acts...

 
Herself
2005 The Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...

 
Herself
2006 Bert's Family Feud
Bert's Family Feud
Bert's Family Feud was the third Australian version of the game show Family Feud. The series was produced by Grundy Television in conjunction with FremantleMedia. It was broadcast on the Nine Network and hosted by Bert Newton...

 
Contestant Took part in the Celebrity Showdown week from 3–7 April
2006 ABBA Mania
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...

 
Performer
2006–2007 20 to 1
20 to 1
20 to 1 is an Australian television series, currently hosted by Bert Newton that counts down an undefined "top 20" of elements or events of popular culture, such as films, songs, sporting scandals. Previously the show was hosted by Charles "Bud" Tingwell and narrated by David Reyne...

 
Herself
2007 The Rock Eisteddfod Challenge Host
2008 Out Of The Blue
Out of the Blue (2008 TV series)
Out of the Blue is an Australian serial drama commissioned by the BBC, produced by Australia's Southern Star Entertainment. It began screening on BBC One on weekday afternoons on 28 April 2008. The programme attracted lower than desired ratings figures, prompting the broadcaster to shift it to its...

 
Justine Appeared in five episodes – First acting role in eight years
2008 The One
The One (TV program)
The One is an Australian television program broadcast by the Seven Network, hosted by Andrew Daddo. The program pits several psychics against one another, participating in trials which challenge their purported abilities in activities such as clairvoyance, telepathy and mediumship to determine who...

 
Herself Was read by a Psychic on the second last episode in July
2008 Deal Or No Deal
Deal or No Deal (Australian game show)
Deal or No Deal is an Australian game show airing on the Seven Network and in New Zealand on Prime . It was the first international version of the game show, after the original Dutch version. It was the first of the versions to use the Deal or No Deal name...

 
Contestant Appeared on special 25 August episode Dancing With The Deal
2008 Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...

 
Contestant
2010 The Pacific
The Pacific (miniseries)
The Pacific is a 2010 television series produced by HBO, Seven Network Australia, Sky Movies, Playtone and DreamWorks that premiered in the United States on March 14, 2010....

 
The sequel to Band Of Brothers, appeared in one episode
2011 The Morning Show
The Morning Show (TV program)
The Morning Show is an Australian morning talk show that premiered on the Seven Network on 18 June 2007. The show airs between 9am and 11:30am weekdays and follows Seven's breakfast news program Sunrise, with both programs closely interlinked....

 
Presenter Dettol informercials
2011 Tough Nuts Matilda 'Tilly' Devine Foxtel
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....


Albums

Year Album Australia
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...


1994 Intimate
Intimate (Toni Pearen album)
Intimate is the debut album by Australian actress and singer Toni Pearen. Recorded throughout 1992 to 1993 and released in 1994, the album spawned two top ten singles and a third top forty single...

56

Singles

Year Single Australia
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...


Certification Album
1992 "In Your Room
In Your Room (Toni Pearen song)
In Your Room is the debut single from Australian actress/singer Toni Pearen. The song was released in late 1992 where it peaked at number ten on the Australian Singles Chart and was certified gold....

"
10
ARIA
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

: Gold
Intimate
1993 "I Want You
I Want You (Toni Pearen song)
I Want You is a pop song performed by Australian actress/singer Toni Pearen, released as the second single from her debut album Intimate in 1993...

"
10
ARIA
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

: Gold
1994 "Walkaway Lover
Walkaway Lover
"Walkaway Lover" is a pop song performed by Australian actress/singer Toni Pearen, released as the third single from her debut album Intimate in October 1994....

"
35
1995 "Joy
Joy (Toni Pearen song)
"Joy" is a pop/dance song performed by Australian actress/singer Toni Pearen. It was released in 1995 as the fourth and final single from her debut album Intimate. It did not chart well however, only peaking at number seventy-one on the ARIA Singles Chart. "Joy" was released at a time when Pearen's...

"
71

External links

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