Danielle Jane Minogue is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She first gained recognition for her appearances on the television talent show Young Talent Time (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on the soap opera Home and Away (1989–1990). Minogue began her music career in the early 1990s, achieving early success with her debut studio album, Love and Kisses (1991), which was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and included the hit singles "Love and Kisses", "Jump to the Beat" and "Success". Following the release of her second studio album, Get into You (1993), Minogue's popularity as a singer had declined, leading her to make a name for herself with award-winning performances in theatre productions.
Dannii Minogue was born on 20 October 1971 and brought up in Surrey Hills, Melbourne. She attended Camberwell Primary School and later Camberwell High School. She is the younger daughter of Carol Ann Jones, a dancer from Maesteg, Wales, and accountant Ronald Charles Minogue. She is the youngest of three children; her older sister is singer Kylie Minogue, while her brother Brendan is a news cameraman in Australia.
Minogue began her career as a child on Australian television. From the age of 7, she appeared in several soap operas, including Skyways and The Sullivans. In 1982, she joined the weekly music programme Young Talent Time. Minogue recorded her first solo recordings for the programme, including a cover version of Madonna's hit single "Material Girl"; during this time, she also performed live at several sold-out nationwide concert tours. In 1988, Minogue departed from Young Talent Time to continue her acting career, appearing as the rebellious tomboyish teenager Emma Jackson on the soap opera Home and Away in 1989. Minogue remained on the programme for only a year. She proved to be popular among Australian audiences when she was nominated for a Silver Logie as the Most Popular Actress on Australian television.
In September 1988, Minogue released her own fashion range, Dannii. She became interested in fashion design while appearing on Young Talent Time. Minogue had designed the clothing she had worn on the show, and the positive response from the audience resulted in her releasing her own line. Minogue's debut line Dannii sold out across Australia in ten days and was followed by three additional summer lines in 1989.