Have you heard of Maria Whittaker? If you were a guy in the UK back in the day, then she likely needs no introduction, having one of the most recognisable faces in the UK in the late 80s and early 90s. But if you’ve never heard of this lovely, no worries, because we’re gonna help you out.
Maria Whittaker is an English former glamour model, hailing from Hounslow, Middlesex. In 1985, she made her modelling debut as a Page 3 Girl in the British tabloid newspaper The Sun. Maria, a quiet schoolgirl, was barely sixteen when she was propelled into the limelight after appearing topless in the newspaper. Whittaker did, however, appear as a dancer in two episodes of The Benny Hill Show in 1983 before moving on to modelling.
Maria Whittaker was an instant fan favourite thanks to her stunning looks (she sported an incredible 36-24-33 figure), and she went on to become one of the most celebrated glamour models of the 1980s, alongside Samantha Fox and Linda Lusardi.
Whittaker’s Page 3 spread was featured in the 1986 music video for Genesis‘ ‘Anything She Does‘. She also appeared in the video, which reunited her with Benny Hill, who played a security guard. Whittaker also made a cameo appearance in the 1986 film ‘Whoops Apocalypse,’ alongside fellow Page 3 Girl Karen Kelly.
Whittaker and Michael Van Wijk (also known as Wolf) from the television show Gladiators were featured on the cover of Palace Software’s computer game, ‘Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior,’ in 1987. They made another appearance on the cover of ‘Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax‘ in 1988. She was also named Page 3 Girl Of The Year in 1989.
Whittaker briefly retired from modelling, and formed the band Rhythm Zone in 1990, with her as lead vocalist. Whittaker went back to modelling after the band disbanded and a solo single, ‘Stop Right Now,’ bombed, doing photo shoots for Mayfair and other men’s magazines.
Maria Whittaker now goes by her married name, Maria Tafari, and is a nutritionist who promotes juicing. She lives in Kent with her family, which includes her husband, musician and producer Mikail Tafari (better known as Rebel MC), and their three children, Lydia, Trinity, and Yosief.
If you want to keep up with Maria Whittak– Tafari, you can follow her on Instagram at @mariatafari, and on Facebook at facebook.com/maria.tafari.
