Lolly
Also recorded as Anna Shantha Kumble
Lolly
- Born
- 1977 · Sutton Coldfield.
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Occupation
- musician · actress · television presenter · singer
- Fields
- bubblegum music
- Education
- London Studio Centre
- Languages
- English
In this article
Key facts
• Name — Lolly • Birth Name — Anna Shantha Kumble • Alias — Lolly • Born — 1977 6 27 • Birthplace — Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England • Instrument — Vocals • Occupation — Musician, TV presenter • Years Active — 1998–2000, 2005, 2018–present (musician, actress, TV presenter) • Label — Polydor Lolly (born Anna Shantha Kumble (pronounced KUUM-blay, Kŭmblā); 27 June 1977, Sutton Coldfield) is a British singer, dancer and TV presenter.
Early life
Kumble was born to Jaiker Kumble (who emigrated from India) and Barbara in Sutton Coldfield. She has a brother Paul, and a sister Jodie. Kumble attended The Shrubbery School, Highclare School and Plantsbrook School in Sutton Coldfield. She is a graduate of the London Studio Centre.
Career
Kumble worked as a model before going into a pop career. Lolly arrived on the British pop music scene in 1999 with the release of her first single, "Viva La Radio". She released five top 20 singles and two albums over her two-year career in music. Her real name was released one letter at a time in Smash Hits magazine. After quitting her record label Polydor, Lolly reverted to her real name and began TV presenting, working for the BBC on programmes such as Xchange. She also works for Nickelodeon. Kumble also acted as a stand-in for presenter Anna Williamson some Saturday and Sunday mornings on now-axed kids show Toonattik on CITV. She has had roles in West End productions of Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and played Priscilla Presley in Elvis at the Prince of Wales Theatre. In July 2018, her first two albums My First Album and Pick 'n' Mix were released digitally. In October 2018, she released a new single, "Stay Young and Beautiful", her first in 18 years. In 2020, Lolly's follow-up single was titled "Paper Rain".
Pantomime
Kumble has starred in a number of pantomimes, typically billed as "Anna Kumble (Lolly)". In 2002, she played Tinker Bell in Peter Pan at the Theatre Royal, Brighton. In 2004, she played the title role in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Derby Assembly Rooms. In 2006, Kumble starred as Alice Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington at The Playhouse in Weston-super-Mare. In 2009, Kumble again starred in Dick Whittington as Fairy Bowbells, this time at the Stag theatre, Kent. In 2010, Kumble returned to Peter Pan, this time playing the role of Tiger Lily at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre. In December 2012, she appeared in Jack and the Beanstalk in Weymouth. In December 2018, she appeared in Cinderella as the Fairy Godmother in Telford. She returned to Telford in December 2022, where she appeared in Snow White as the Evil Queen.
Personal life
Kumble has two children, a son Charlie and a daughter Belle.
Albums
• Year — Title — Chart positions • UK • 1999 — My First Album — 21 • 2000 — Pick 'n' Mix — 80
Singles
• Year — Single — Chart peak positions — Album • UK — AUS • 1999 — "Viva La Radio" — 7 — — — My First Album / Pick 'n' Mix • "Mickey" — 4 — 66 • "Big Boys Don't Cry" / "Rockin' Robin" — 10 — — • 2000 — "Per Sempre Amore" — 11 — — — Pick 'n' Mix • "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" — 14 — — • 2018 — "Stay Young and Beautiful" — — — — — Non-album singles • 2020 — "Paper Rain" — — — —
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Lolly (singer), revision 1371031190 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Mtv.co.uk. Lolly.
- 2.Former Birmingham pop star in fight to become face of chocolate bar. Birmingham Mail.
- 3.London Studio Centre. Graduate Update.
- 4.Femalefirst.co.uk. Whatever happened to. Lolly?. 9 October 2008.
- 5.Arts-archive.com. Peter Pan (Theatre Royal, Brighton) on Arts Archive.
- 6.Currinn, Jonathan. Lolly Goes Digital With "My First Album" From 1999 and "Pick 'n' Mix" From 2000 And Confirms New Music. CelebMix. 2018-07-13.
- 7.Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Paul Holman Associates.
- 8.Thisiskent.co.uk. Dick still pulls in a crowd.
- 9.Behindthearras.com. Peter Pan.
- 10.Magicbeansproductions.com. Weymouth Panto 2012/13.
- 11.Cinderella. The Place Telford.
- 12.Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. www.telfordtheatre.com.
- 13.YouTube. Weymouth Panto 2012 Meet The Cast. 18 June 2012.
- 14.Roberts, David. British Hit Singles & Albums. Guinness World Records Limited. 326. 2006. 1-904994-10-5.
- 15.170.
- 16.ITunes gb/album/stay-young-and-beautiful-single/1436652368 Stay Young and Beautiful - Single
- 17.ITunes gb/album/paper-rain-single/1511742590 Paper Rain - Single
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 31 August 2026.
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