Carlotta

Carlotta (born 2 September 1943) is the stage name of Carol Byron, also known as Carol Spencer and credited briefly as Carole Lea , a transgender Australian cabaret performer and television personality.

She began her professional career in 1959 as a Bridgette Bardot-like performer, as an original cast member of the long-running Sydney-based male revue Les Girls (pronounced lay-girls) cabaret show, which had an international following, in Sydney's Kings Cross. Carlotta performed spot-numbers as a singer and comedian, and eventually became the show's compere and lead attraction.

Although best known as a cabaret performer, in 1974 she appeared on the television series Number 96 as Miss Robyn Ross, in a comedic story line that saw her coming out as transgender to the surprise of her boyfriend Arnold (Jeff Kevin). Her appearance on the show marked the first time worldwide that a transgender character was portrayed by a transgender actor.As a TV presenter, she was a featured panelist on the talk show Beauty and the Beast, as well as a regular guest on the entertainment program Studio 10.In 2021, she announced that she is retiring from the industry after 62 years. In a statement from the newspaper Sydney Morning Herald, they cited Carlotta as much as an Australian legend in the vein of Don Bradman and Cate Blanchett.