Although many of us might know Martine McCutcheon as Tiffany from Eastenders, she did have a small crack at a music career back in the day… and although we have to be honest, she was no Madonna, we implore her for trying.
Early Life
Martine McCutcheon came into this world at the Salvation Army Mothers Hospital in Hackney, London. And like many a celebrity, she had to endure a turbulent early childhood due to the abusive and irrational behaviour of her drug addict father, Thomas Hemmings - however, thankfully he scampered when Martine was 2.
Even though she‘d been through hell growing up, she always set her sights high and wanted to be a performer from a young age but, as her family couldn't afford the fees for a drama school, she had to find an alternative method to learn her trade.
Proving her determination, McCutcheon met a woman at a local dance class who had been to the Italia Conti stage school, and after a Martine penned a persuasive letter to the Church of England, a trust agreed to sponsor her training at the school.
Acting Career
Martine was only 12 years old when she broke into acting, getting paid £350 to appear in an American television commercial for the drink, Kool-Aid. Little did she know though, that a couple of years down the line, she‘d be watched by millions as she swanned around Albert Square.
In fact, 22 million people tuned in to see her final scenes in Eastenders in 1998 when her character was killed in a special episode screened on New Years Eve. However, the truth behind her death was far more sinister, well, not really, she’d just decided to do a Kylie and have a bash at a pop career.
Music Career
Although she is primarily known for her acting career, when she was 15 she had formed an all-girl band, 'Milan', with two fellow students and landed a record contract and a gig touring as the 'warm up' group for the British Boyband, East 17.
Then, in 1999, her dream finally came true, as she joined with Virgin Records to take on the music industry, with the ballad, Perfect Moment. The song proved the perfect choice for Martine, as it grabbed the number one spot in the UK, as well as Israel, Italy, Switzerland and Ireland.
But the success didn’t’ stop there, as she bagged herself two more top 10’s that year, with I've Got You and Talking in Your Sleep. But as they say, what goes up, must come down, and in 2000, Martine started the slippery downward slope.
Her second album, Wishing, didn’t reap the same rewards for her and only made it to number 25 in the album charts. Although did bag a number two hit with I’m Over You and then another hit On The Radio.
It was the complete bomb that was her third album, Musicality, that led to her pop career being stalled and her recording contract cut short. I guess there’s not much call for musical-inspired albums these days.
Where is she now?
Since giving up on her pop career, Martine has ventured onto the stage and into films with a huge role in Love Actually landing her right back in our hearts.
2007 saw Martine still clinging onto her love for music as she appeared as a judge in the second series of ITV1's Soapstar Superstar, yet it didn’t go down too well with the general public, she thought she was a hate figure for the contestants, who were said to have found her comments relentlessly critical and at times patronising. Oh dear.
Last year was a bit better for her though, as she starred alongside actor Jason Donovan, in the new ITV show Echo Beach, but since then, we haven’t really heard much from the pop princess other than that she had split from songwriter Jack McManus, eight years her junior, who she had been dating for eleven months.
So I guess all that’s left to say, is she’s single and looking for work, so give her a bell and get her back into the limelight!
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison
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