Belinda Emmett

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**Belinda Jane Emmett**

Born:	April 12, 1974 Gosford, New South Wales, Australia.
Died:	November 11, 2006 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation:	Actress, Singer
Spouse:	Rove McManus

Belinda 'Belle' Jane Emmett (April 12, 1974 – November 11, 2006) was an Australian actress and singer. She was married to television personality Rove McManus and was known for her roles in the TV drama series Home and Away and All Saints.

1 Early Life
2 Early career
3 Breast cancer diagnosis
4 Music career
5 Marriage
6 Death
7 Tributes
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Early Life

Emmett was born in Gosford to Michael and Laraine Emmett and grew up in Umina Beach, on the Central Coast of New South Wales. She had three siblings named Matthew, Shane and Lesley. Emmett went to school at St John's at Woy Woy, St Joseph's at Gosford and Corpus Christi at Tuggerah.

[edit] Early career

Emmett worked at the local Coast Rock FM radio station and sang lead vocals in the band Big Baby Jam. In 1994 she gained her first major role on Australian television as Tracy Russell in the sitcom Hey Dad..!. In 1996 she joined Home and Away as Rebecca Fisher, where she earned nominations for Silver Logie for Most Popular Actress in 1998 and 1999, as well as a Gold Logie nomination in 1999.

[edit] Breast cancer diagnosis

Emmett was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, aged 24. She took a break from her role as Rebecca Fisher/Nash on Home and Away (during which time the part was played by the late Megan Connolly) and underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumour, followed by six weeks of radiotherapy. She left the cast of Home and Away the following year and went on to appear in nine episodes of All Saints as Jodi Horner between 2000 and 2001.

In September 2001, on the set of the Australian film The Nugget in which she co-starred as Cheryl with Eric Bana, Emmett began to experience intense back pain. Further tests revealed that the cancer had spread to her bones.

In 2002 she told Australian Women's Weekly that "It wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when. The little bastards were going to get me. It was a weird sensation, almost an out-of-body experience. I don't think I'll ever be able to explain it.^[1] In an interview with Charles Wooley on 60 Minutes that same year, she said:

“

"I think people underestimate the power that they have within themselves, I really do, and I think these kinds of challenges, they force you to look that little bit deeper and see what you're really made of. I always knew I was pretty strong. I've always been pretty gutsy and pretty ballsy, but I think I surprised myself this time around."^[2]

”

[edit] Music career

In 1998, Emmett released a cover of Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall". She also recorded a duet with Marcia Hines, a cover of the James Taylor hit "Shower the People" (on which Carly Simon sang backing vocals), which appeared on Hines' 2004 album Hinesight - Songs From The Journey.

[edit] Marriage

On January 29, 2005, Emmett married comedian and TV personality Rove McManus, at the Mary Immaculate Church in Waverley in the eastern part of Sydney. She walked down the aisle to Stevie Wonder's ballad You Are the Sunshine of My Life. The couple had met at the opening of Fox Studios in Sydney in 1999. "We're kindred spirits," Emmett told a newspaper at the time.^[3]. Guests included Marcia Hines, Stephen Curry, Merrick Watts and Peter Helliar.

[edit] Death

On November 11, 2006, just after dawn, Emmett died from cancer at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. She had been there since reportedly suffering "stroke-like symptoms" the previous Monday.^[4]^[5] Emmett was 32 years old.

Prime Minister John Howard said he and Mrs Howard were saddened by Emmett's death. "She fought a very courageous battle against cancer," Howard said. "On behalf of Janette and myself, I extend my deepest sympathies to her husband, Rove McManus, and her family and friends."^[4] Opposition Leader Kim Beazley also passed on his sympathies. "This is truly sad news which I think will affect all Australians," Beazley said. "The tenderness and care in their relationship (Rove and Belinda) through their adversity, I think, has been an inspiration to many, many Australians."^[4]

On 15 November 2006, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that a wrestling website (wrestling.net.au) had broken the story of Emmett's death at 8:53am on the day of her death before any announcement was made by her agent. It was found an online entry was posted on the wrestling site's general forums by someone claiming to have received a text message from a friend working at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital where the Australian entertainer spent her last days with friends and family. The hospital is investigating the matter.^[6]

Emmett's funeral was held at 11am on November 17, 2006 in Sydney's Mary Immaculate Church, the place where she married Rove McManus eighteen months before. She was privately cremated.^[7]

[edit] Tributes

On 13 and 14 November 2006, Channel 7 programs Home and Away and All Saints each dedicated an episode to Emmett. The message in the closing credits read "In memory of our friend, Belinda Emmett 1974 - 2006." It also had information for people to donate money for breast cancer research. On 17 November 2006, Home & Away did a special montage, showing a collection of memorable scenes featuring Emmett in her role as Rebecca Fisher/Nash. It followed by a black screen showing the same message as well as information about donating to The McGrath Foundation. ABC program Spicks & Specks also had a memorial note on an episode's conclusion aired on 15 November 2006.

On 16 November 2006, Belinda Emmett's family released one of her songs, "Less Than Perfect", on Odeo. The song, from a solo album she was working on at the time of her death, was also played at her funeral.^[8]

On 16 December 2006, Shane Emmett (younger brother of Belinda Emmett) performed at the annual Carols in the Domain in tribute to his sister, who regularly appeared at the event between 1995 and 2002.