In pictures: Kylie Minogue at 40

Pop star Kylie Minogue's singing career began with I Should Be So Lucky, recorded in 1987 and a number one hit the year after.

It was while playing Charlene Mitchell on TV soap Neighbours that she met co-star Jason Donovan. They topped the charts with their duet Especially For You.

Kylie notched up 19 hits with production team Stock, Aitken and Waterman before parting in 1992. But a change in image and record company failed to make much of an impact on the charts.

After another change of record company in 1999, Kylie scored her first UK number one in 10 years with Spinning Around - with a video featuring a now-famous pair of gold hotpants.

In 2001 Kylie encouraged fans to dance like robots as Can't Get You Out of My Head topped the UK chart and revived her popularity in the US.

The song helped her win two Brit Awards in 2002, including best international female. The following year she performed a cheeky duet with Justin Timberlake at the ceremony.

As well as singing and acting, Kylie has also turned her hand to the fashion market with her own Love Kylie underwear range and Darling perfume.

After releasing a greatest hits album, Kylie began her Showgirl tour in 2005, but it was cut short two months in, when the singer was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Nearly a year later, Kylie used her website to post the first pictures of herself following chemotherapy.

The star has had many high-profile relationships, including one with late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. Most recently, she split from French actor Olivier Martinez (pictured) in 2007 after four years.

Following her recovery, Kylie resumed her Showgirl tour in Australia in November 2006. Now having released her 10th studio album, X, she is currently in the middle of a European tour.