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Kerry Ellis was born 1979 in Haughley, a small village near Stowmarket in Suffolk. At the age of 16, Ellis joined the team of Starmakers at Potters Holiday Village, which she was involved with until 1997 during her college holidays. Following this, Ellis returned to formal stage training at Laine Theatre Arts.

Between 1995 - 1997, as a member of Starmakers, Ellis performed musical numbers such as "Memory" from Cats and "Sun and Moon" from Miss Saigon. Ellis also played Cinderella in a Southend production.

Kerry got her first taste of the West End in 2001, when she joined the cast of Cameron Mackintosh's revival of My Fair Lady. Kerry became the second understudy for the role of Eliza Doolittle, being played by Martine McCutcheon. She starred on numerous occasions opposite Jonathan Pryce during her time with the company.

During the run of My Fair Lady, Kerry was spotted by no less than Brian May and Ben Elton. In 2002 she was cast by the two to star in the then new musical We Will Rock You, in the role of Meat. Kerry, after a successful run, left the show in 2002 to star in the touring version of Miss Saigon. In 2005 there was no stopping Kerry as she joined the cast of Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre, playing the role of factory girl Fantine.

It was in 2006 that Kerry’s life would change forever, when she was given the role of Elphaba in the London production of Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Kerry had to wait three months to claim the role, as Broadway Elphaba Idina Menzel opened the show. For this role, Kerry won "Best Takeover in a Role" at the 2008 Theatregoer's Choice Awards and gained a huge fan following, particularly with school children, who would check to see if she was performing before booking tickets. 

In 2008 Kerry transferred to the Broadway production of Wicked. For her run in the Broadway production Kerry won the Broadway.com Audience Award for "Favorite Breakthrough Performance". After just five months Kerry left Broadway to return to the London show.

In 2010 Kerry succeeded Jodie Prenger as Nancy in the current West End revival of Oliver!

Kerry performed alongside Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal and Josh Groban in a special performance of Chess in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2008.

Ellis performed her rock version of "Defying Gravity" at the Royal Variety Performance in 2008 at the London Palladium in the presence of senior members of the Royal family.

In 2009, Ellis and other West End actors recorded songs for a musical treatment of Terry Pratchett's ‘Only You Can Save Mankind’.