Childs was born in Barking, London, England. Her parents are Billy and Julie Childs. The family moved to Brentwood, Essex when Childs was six years old. She received diplomas from Brentwood Academy in Beauty Specialist Techniques. In 2010 she joined the cast on the structured reality show The Only Way Is Essex, also called TOWIE. She left TOWIE in May 2011. She was a housemate in the 2011 series of Celebrity Big Brother. She finished in fourth place. In December 2011, she started her own reality show, "It’s All About Amy". She opened her own beauty salon called "Amy Childs Salon" in Essex.