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Kylie Minogue turns 50: From Neighbours to pop stardom

PA Kylie Minogue performing onstage during her "Showgirl" world tour in Glasgow on 19 March 2005PA
Kylie Minogue has spent more than 30 years on the screen, stage and red carpet. But she first found fame playing one half of Australia's most popular couple in the long-running soap opera Neighbours.
PA Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan pictured in December 1988PA
The wedding of Scott and Charlene (Kylie and co-star Jason Donovan) was watched by more than 20 million viewers in the UK when it was screened in November 1988. The soap had already gained a huge following. Both actors - who were briefly a real-life item - left the show several years later to pursue UK-based pop music careers.
Getty Images Singer Kylie Minogue at the 1989 Aria Awards in SydneyGetty Images
8Minogue's first single, a cover of Little Eva's The Loco-Motion, shot straight to number one in Australia in 1987 and went on to sell more than 68m records around the world.
Getty Images Kylie Minogue performs during the opening of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games at Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney Australia.Getty Images
Donovan, whose career took him to the stage as a musical star, talked openly about his struggles with drug addiction in the mid-90s. Meanwhile, Kylie - who had become one of the few celebrities to be known only by their first name - went on to score hit after hit.
Getty Images Winner of best Dance Recording Musical Artist Kylie Minogue poses backstage in the Pressroom at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards held on 8 February 2004 at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California.Getty Images
By the mid-90s, Minogue had successfully managed to shed her innocent tomboy Charlene image. Her 2001 hit Can't Get You Out Of My Head went on to become the most played tune of the decade. Kylie has won numerous awards for her music, including a Grammy in 2004.
PA Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan perform during the Hit Factory Live Christmas Cracker concert, at the O2 arena in London on 21 December 2012PA
Away from the TV screens, Kylie teamed up again with Jason Donovan for their popular 1988 duet Especially For You - which they sang in a one-off appearance at a Christmas concert in London in 2012.
PA The Prince of Wales and Kylie Minogue during the "Its Fashion" charity gala dinner at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire, on 11 June 2001PA
The singer, known as the "princess of pop", has performed at numerous events with royalty present, including Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II.
Getty Images A poster promoting Australian singer Kylie Minogue's forthcoming tour is labelled with a postponed banner at Sydney Superdome on 19 May 2005 in Sydney Australia.Getty Images
In 2005, Kylie had to postpone her Showgirl Greatest Hits Tour after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36. She later recalled going through some "really rotten dark moments" in the months that followed her diagnosis.
Kylie Minogue Kylie Minogue with short hair - date unknownKylie Minogue
In a message marking her 50th birthday on Twitter, the singer thanked her family, friends and medical staff who helped her go through her battle with breast cancer more than 10 years ago.
Getty Images Singer Kylie Minogue performs on stage for the opening night of her Showgirl Homecoming Tour at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 11 November 2006 in Sydney, Australia.Getty Images
The singer made a full recovery, and was soon seen again on her Showgirl tour, pictured here in Sydney in 2006.
Getty Images Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue (C) poses for photographs with Beefeaters after receiving her Order of the British Empire (OBE) from the Prince of Wales for services to music, at Buckingham Palace, in London, on 3 July 2008.Getty Images
Kylie has performed at some landmark events, including the Sydney Olympics in 2000. She's even launched her own lingerie and range of bed linen. The singer was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her services in music at Buckingham Palace 10 years ago.
Getty Images Singers Kylie Minogue (L) and sister Dannii Minogue pose on the grid at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix at the Albert Park Circuit on 18 March 2007 in Melbourne, AustraliaGetty Images
Kylie was not the only Minogue to make it big - her sister, Dannii, is also a familiar face across Australian and British TV screens. She made a name for herself in Neighbours' rival soap opera, Home and Away, and like her sister, went on to pursue a pop career.
Getty Images Kylie Minogue opens her world tour 'Les Folies Tour' at Herning MCH Multi Arena on 19 February 2011 in Herning, DenmarkGetty Images
Kylie's high-energy and glitzy performances have garnered her a strong LGBT following, and she is often seen attending Sydney's annual gay and lesbian Mardi Gras parade.
Getty Images Kylie Minogue and Joshua Sasse pose in the ARIA awards room during the 30th Annual ARIA Awards 2016 at The Star on 23 November 2016 in Sydney, Australia.Getty Images
In 2016, she and then-fiance British actor Joshua Sasse were pictured wearing "Say 'I do'" t-shirts in support of same-sex marriage at Australia's top music awards. Australians voted overwhelmingly in favour of legalising gay marriage a year later.
Kylie Minogue Kylie Minogue sits naked behind a decorated guitar. Date unknownKylie Minogue
In a tweet alongside this image, Kylie said: "And so a new decade begins. How thankful I am for the opportunities life has afforded me. 50..... Let's go!" The singer shows no signs of slowing down, with her latest album, Golden - making number one in both Australia and the UK this year.