Did you know that Sophie Ellis-Bextor – of Murder On The Dancefloor and Kitchen Disco fame – has a famous mum? The pop star, 47, is the daughter of Janet Ellis, who you might recognise from her time as a children's TV presenter. Yep, the Janet Ellis who was all over Blue Peter.
Once you know this, it feels obvious. Not just because both have 'Ellis' in their name, but because the mother-daughter duo look so similar – with near-identical smiles and that same fantastic bone structure.
Sophie and Janet reminded us of this at an appearance last night in London. Janet attended an event in support of her daughter, thrown to celebrate the launch of Sophie Ellis-Bextor's collaboration with nightwear brand Their Nibs.
Sophie of course wore a robe from her collection, in the hot pink 'read my lips' print. We know it's intended as a dressing gown, but seeing Sophie wearing it with heels and a red lip does make us think it's a piece that could serve double-duty for a night in or a night out. And you wouldn't even need to change into your pyjamas at the end of the night. Win.
Janet, meanwhile, opted for a rather lovely green dress, comfy trainers, and a deep blue jacket on the top. Plus, a red lip. Like mother, like daughter.
We also couldn't help but notice that both members of the family serve up some excellent bob inspiration. While Sophie Ellis-Bextor gave her long bob a retro feel with soft waves and a deep side part, at 70 Janet's neatly trimmed jaw-length cut, complete with a soft, sideswept fringe, works brilliantly to lift the face. Take this pic to your hairdresser. Both bobs are great.
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Sophie and Janet have previously opened up about their super-strong relationship. When Sophie was growing up, Janet was deep in the Blue Peter world and highly recognisable – something Sophie described as a 'high-value currency'. 'People I’d just met would immediately want to be friends,' she told The Guardian. 'I’d sell Blue Peter badges in the playground: 50p for a badge, and if you had £1 you could get a signed photograph, too.'
The pair remain super close even as Sophie has gone on to have five children of her own. 'My mum and I now live 10 minutes away from each other,' shared the singer. 'She has a great relationship with all her five grandbabies. Our parenting style is virtually identical: Mum has always kept the conversation very open, but within the parameters of what is appropriate for whatever age I am. Which obviously means everything is fair game now. Not everyone is lucky enough to have this kind of relationship with their mum. She’s my go-to for everything.'
Lovely, right?
On Janet's part, the feeling is very much mutual. She told The Guardian that she and her daughter have loads in common: 'Sophie and I definitely share a sense of humour, and we decorate our houses similarly. Neither of us could claim to be minimalists. In Soph, I recognise a kindred spirit. I am categorically not her best friend, but I’m very proud to be her mother. We are always able to catch each other’s eye in a busy room and know exactly what’s going on.'
When Sophie Ellis-Bextor appeared on the cover of Good Housekeeping, she made sure to give her mum a shout-out in the accompanying interview, revealing the advice Janet gave her before she tied the knot with musician Richard Jones. 'When we got married, we’d already had our first baby,' she shared. 'My mum said: "Make sure you always choose each other over anything else, even the kids." She was right. Even though the kids might roll their eyes if they see us hugging or whatever, they’re happy that we’re happy.'
She added: 'We’re very close. [She’s] always been so good at encouraging me and giving me the toolkit I need to get out and do what I do. Raising a family alongside that is a constant thing.'
Also in attendance at the Their Nibs event were Jaime Winstone, Louise Boyce, and more pals of Sophie. The collection, which is made up of nightwear pieces in two prints called read my lips and murder on the forest floor, is available through the My Nibs website now, and will land in John Lewis from 21st September.
