Michelle Behennah was born January 7, 1977, in Singapore. Michelle's parents are divorced (her biological father is a former Hong Kong school principal), but her mother Rosemary got remarried, and her mom and stepdad presently run a B&B in France. The youngest of 3 siblings, Michelle relocated with her family to Sheffield, England, where Michelle was raised.

Always a bookworm, Michelle originally wanted to go to medical school and become a plastic surgeon, but her mother saw Michelle's modeling potential. She went to London at the age of 14, where her mother entered her in a contest sponsored by a shampoo company.