About Moniqe

Moniqe Fiddes (27) is a former South African pop star who released her first album “Ek kan” in South Africa in 2010.

She currently resides in the UK, with her husband, 3 children and 3 step-children.

Moniqe got married in 2012 to Michael Jackson's former bodyguard, Matt Fiddes. Matt Fiddes is one of the most respected Fitness and Martial Arts Experts in the world. Having been established for 20 years, Matt Fiddes has built a global Fitness Empire with over 700 schools in the UK and worldwide.

Moniqe’s dad, Johny Wooldridge, always had a passion for singing and can be credited for igniting the spark within his daughter at a young age. After realising he had a unique singing talent he went on to try and pursue his dream, but as it was back in the day, many men didn't have a say as to what career path they were allowed to follow, as they generally followed the path in which their parents were involved in and took over family businesses, so he had to give up on his singing dreams and became an electrician after being in the army.

Years later, Moniqe was gifted a guitar by her dad on her 8th birthday as Moniqe always showed an interest in music, even though she didn’t really know how to play a guitar or any musical instrument, but receiving this gift ignited something in her that would go on to become something incredibly special. She was determined enough to learn and the guitar became her "best friend".

After Moniqe watched an incredibly moving true-life story of a woman called Selena, it was then, that she made up her mind; she wanted to become an international singer one day. She was only 9 years old at this stage.

“Music just spoke to me there and then, I felt alive every time I watched it, it inspired me. Like everyone believes in their own ways, which is great, I believed whatever makes you a better person in life is what makes this world a better place - positivity attracts positivity.”

Moniqe always believed in placing letters in her favourite book which was the Bible. The first letter she wrote and placed in her book was to one day become a singer and get signed to a successful record company when she turned 16. 

She said: “If I did get signed I believed that it was meant to be. If I didn’t get signed by a record company, then I said to myself that I will follow a different dream / career path.” Moniqe dedicated her youth to practising her vocals. She credits her parents for being there each and every day, supporting her and pushing her to practice and better her craft daily.

When Moniqe was 14 (2006) she competed in South Africa’s National eisteddfod and won a Gold medal for the best performance. Later that year, she won the "New Voice of Africa" award. All this had kept her motivated to carry on with her passion and pursue a more permanent career in music. At this stage, Moniqe also started modelling soon after she turned 15. She was asked to feature in various music videos.

She featured in a music video for the group M2SO - "Niks Meer", where she was one of the background girls singing. She also featured as a model in Riaan Groblers music video, Anthony Bougas - Foto in a Raam; and did a duet song “My One And Only true love” with Anthony Bougas. She also featured in Andries Hendrik Potgieter’s music video, and did a duet with Ruan de Waal, "Gevaarlik verlief", and did a duet with Christiaan Baartman (Kritzinger) “Ek onthou”.

At this stage she also released a music video in 2013 for her hit single “Tell me Y”. Moniqe Competed in various modelling competitions and won first place in SA Top model; competed in one of South Africa’s biggest modelling competitions Candy Girl / Fashion TV and made it through to the top 10 as it was broadcasted live on Fashion TV channel SA.

Moniqe did some pageant walks, catwalks, freeze modelling in various different local modelling competitions. When Moniqe turned 16 she was chosen to be the front cover girl on the Citizen newspaper SA.

In 2009 at the tender age of 16, Moniqe was asked to leave school as she got signed by Markon Records and was set to focus on her career, releasing her first album in 2010 “Ek kan”. The single made it to number 1 on various radio stations across South Africa and is still up to date and frequently showcased on majority of SA’s music channels today.

Moniqe wrote more than half of her album’s songs with the dedicated help of her mother who also co-wrote a few  songs on her album. Of course Moniqe’s mother felt education was a very important aspect of her daughter's upbringing, so instead of going to school, Moniqe went to University in JHB where she went on to achieve her MC & Performing Arts Diploma and was taught by one of the best actors in SA, Brumilda van Rensburg. 

In addition to that, Moniqe also obtained her TV & Drama diploma which she received an A+ for.  Moniqe has travelled and performed at some of the biggest festivals in South Africa and has been invited to perform on various television and radio shows too, in SA. Moniqe also did several MC Gigs in South Africa for various events, before moving abroad.

“In August 2011 Moniqe wrote her next letter which she’s placed away in a

book expressing a very specific message of what she wanted in her life, and what she would like to become one day.

On 2011/09/21 something very serious happened in Moniqe’s life… Moniqe and her mother found themselves returning to their home in South Africa, after running errands at the bank that morning, and without any knowledge of what would happen next, up to the moment when they had parked and their garage door shut behind them. 

In a flash, her mother was pulled out of the car at gunpoint. The next thing, the same thing happened to Moniqe. With a gun pointed at her head she calmly complied with the orders being shouted at her. The only way to explain this, would be to say that this was the scariest experience and moment of her life. 

“Everything happened so quickly and after going through something like that, I appreciate everything so much more, especially being alive. I promised myself I would always go after my dreams and never give up until I achieved it .”

On 2012/04/24 - “I met the most incredible person, who now is the love of my life, my best friend, my soulmate, my husband, Martial arts celebrity Matt Fiddes. He not only made me a wife, a step mother to three girls, but I became a mother of two little amazing boys, and recently a beautiful little girl.”

In 2013 Moniqe released her new single at the time “Tell me Y” that reached over 230 000 views within a short period. Shortly after releasing the music video, Moniqe found out she was expecting her first little boy, Zack. Moniqe decided to take a break from her music career to focus on raising her little boy. She then fell pregnant with her second child, Hero in 2015 and then fell pregnant with her third baby in 2018.

Moniqe moved over to the UK in 2012 and has been living in the UK with her husband and her three gorgeous little children Zack now 6, Hero now 4 and Mayella 1. Since 2012, Moniqe has become a director of the MF Group - Matt Fiddes Martial arts , MF Dance, MF Pilates, MF Street Education and is busy launching her own sporting clothing range - MF Babe and MF Man which will be announced soon.

Moniqe was crowned Miss Wiltshire 19/2020 and was selected as a Miss GB finalist 2020.

Moniqe has taken a few years off from doing music whilst raising her children, and has found the much needed inspiration whilst working hard behind the scenes on various projects with her husband Matt.

Her new album COLOURFUL launched  in OCTOBER 2020. 

It is available worldwide on most digital platforms.