In little more than a year, the attractive blonde from Ilford in Essex made a big name as a recording artist, with two hit records – Dance On and Secret Love – selling almost a million copies.
She was rewarded with her own BBC television programme, The Kathy Kirby Show, on Sunday 3 May 1964.
The show was an instant success and the next day she signed a contract with the BBC for a regular series, which began on Friday 16 October that same year.
The show was produced by Ernest Maxim and televised live from the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherds Bush, London.
The show moved to Saturday nights the following year and Kathy proved herself to be not just a top-notch singer, but also an accomplished dancer and comedienne.
Regulars on the show included an orchestra conducted by Eric Robinson, choreographer and dancer Peter Gordeno, and The George Mitchell Singers.
Kathy’s guests during the two-year run included Bernard Bresslaw, Richard Wattis, Pat Coombs, Val Doonican, Adam Faith, Jamaica’s Own Vagabonds (a West Indian dance band), American comedian Stubby Kaye, Billy Fury, pianist Peter Nero (pictured above left), Buddy Greco, Mexican pianist Pepe Jaramillo, Lonnie Donegan, The Beverley Sisters, Tom Jones, Roy Castle, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, Nina and Frederick and Dave Allen.
In the show on Friday 29 January 1965, Kathy sang six songs written as contenders for Britain’s entry in the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest with viewers at home voting for their favourite.
Kathy then sang the winning song – I Belong written by Peter Lee Sterling and Phil Peters (pictured below with Kathy) – at the contest in Naples on 20 March and came in second place, losing to Luxembourg’s Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son.
