Blue Peter legend Janet Ellis denies daughter Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a ‘nepo baby’: ‘It works the other way’

‘Oh my goodness, the tables have turned,’ Ellis said

Legendary Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis has denied that her daughter Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a “nepo baby”.

Ellis, who hosted the kids’ TV show from 1979 to 1987, has three children, one of whom is the “Murder on the Dancefloor” singer.

Asked about discussions about the children of famous people being the recipients of nepotism (known as nepo babies) in a new interview, Ellis said that “the tables have turned” for her and her daughter

Appearing on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Wednesday (22 March), Ellie told host Steph McGovern: “It works the other way for me. I’m Sophie’s mum.

“Certainly in Sophie’s case it didn’t apply because what she’s doing is so different. When she first started as a singer, she was only 18, and people said to me, ‘Oh, that’s great, she’s doing something you can understand,’ I thought, ‘I don’t know the music industry at all.’”

She continued: “There was probably a bit initially where she was [known as] my daughter, but oh my goodness, the tables have turned.”

Asked if she felt that her daughter had had to work harder to prove herself due to her famous parent, Ellis said that their differing careers meant it felt unlikely.

“If you go into the same business, I’m sure you do,” she said. “I think it’s a curse and a blessing, isn’t it?”

Janet Ellis and daughter Sophie Ellis-Bextor in 2016 (Getty Images)

At a time when Hollywood and the creative industries are dominated by celebrity offspring, social media sleuths have worked in recent months to track down any familial connections between the stars of today and their potentially famous relatives.

Last month, The Last of Us star Nico Parker, who is the daughter of actor Thandiwe Newton and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker became the latest celebrity to join in the conversation.

Parker said that, while she sympathised with people who felt the nepotism argument “minimises” their achievements, it was “incredibly important to recognise that with your parents being prevalent in the industry, it’s way easier to get in the room.

“It’s so important to know how many people would dream of being in that room, and how lucky you are to be there,” the 18-year-old said.

“Especially when you start, your parents know people, and you’ve known people since you were small, and they want to give you a chance because they like you. That is a reflection of your parents.”