32 Facts About Martine McCutcheon

Martine Kimberley Sherrie McCutcheon is an English actress and singer.

Martine McCutcheon began appearing in television commercials at an early age and made her television debut in the children's television drama Bluebirds in 1989.

Martine McCutcheon was written out of EastEnders at the end of 1998 and then embarked on a pop career, this time as a solo artist.

Martine McCutcheon returned to music in 2017 with the album Lost and Found.

Outside of music, Martine McCutcheon has appeared in television programmes, films and stage productions; in My Fair Lady her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle won her a Laurence Olivier Award in 2002.

Martine McCutcheon Kimberley Sherrie Ponting was born on 14 May 1976 at the Salvation Army Mothers' Hospital in the London Borough of Hackney to Jenny Ponting and Thomas "Keith" Hemmings.

When Martine McCutcheon was nine, Keith contacted Jenny and asked for access to her.

Martine McCutcheon eventually lost the case, was denied any access to Martine until she was 18 and told that he could not apply for it again due to his past behaviour.

When Martine McCutcheon was sixteen, her mother gave birth to her half-brother, Laurence "LJ".

Martine McCutcheon attended a nursery school in Colchester, Essex, and later the Shacklewell Infants' School in Hackney, where she performed in her first play Away in a Manger before progressing to the Shacklewell Juniors' School at the age of six, where she appeared in more plays, including Noah's Ark.

Martine McCutcheon appeared in the music video for the song "Caribbean Blue" by Irish singer Enya.

In 1994, Martine McCutcheon was offered the small part of Tiffany Raymond on the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders.

In reality, Martine McCutcheon had decided to leave the soap in order to embark on a pop career and the death of her character was not viewed favourably by the actress as she had intended to return.

Since leaving the show, Martine McCutcheon has publicly slammed the BBC's "Controller of Continuing Drama Series", Mal Young, who made the decision to kill her character.

Martine McCutcheon accused him of treating her unfairly and bringing her role in the soap to an end so irrevocably, merely as punishment for leaving.

In turn, Young has hit back at Martine McCutcheon, saying her anger only arose because she wanted him to keep her role in EastEnders open as a "safety net", in case her pop career failed, and he was not prepared to do this.

Martine McCutcheon was nominated for the Brit Award for Best Pop Act in 2000.

In 2000, Martine McCutcheon released her second album, Wishing, which was less successful, charting at number 25 in the UK.

Martine McCutcheon released her third album, Musicality, a Broadway-influenced cover album, in 2002.

Martine McCutcheon returned to music in 2017 with her fourth studio album, Lost and Found, released in August by BMG.

Martine McCutcheon appeared in ITV's The Knock as well as the British film Kiss Kiss in 2000.

Martine McCutcheon went on to play Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady at the National Theatre in London.

In 2002, Martine McCutcheon presented the National Music Awards for ITV1 and in 2003 she featured in her only major film role.

Martine McCutcheon appeared as tea-lady Natalie in the Richard Curtis romantic comedy Love Actually, where the British Prime Minister played by Hugh Grant, falls in love with McCutcheon's character.

Martine McCutcheon went to America in the wake of the film's success, but a Hollywood career did not materialise.

Martine McCutcheon was a judge for the second series of ITV1's Soapstar Superstar.

In September 2016, Martine McCutcheon was announced as a panelist on the ITV daytime show Loose Women, after making a few guest appearances on the show earlier in the year.

Martine McCutcheon was one of many celebrities who featured in a 2004 promotional film for London's successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Martine McCutcheon was engaged to DJ Gareth Cooke, but broke off the relationship in 1996.

Martine McCutcheon was later in a relationship with Jonathan Barnham, with whom she became pregnant in 1999, but suffered a miscarriage in the second month.

Martine McCutcheon married singer Jack McManus at Lake Como in September 2012; the couple had been dating since 2009.

In 2011, Martine McCutcheon was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, and six years later with Lyme disease.