Martine McCutcheon

At the age of 12, McCutcheon obtained her first acting role and was paid £350 to appear in an American television commercial for the drink Kool-Aid, which was followed by modelling assignments and bit parts in television shows.[20] She was given the part of Mandy in the television series Bluebirds (1989) alongside Barbara Windsor and played Susan, Jane's sister (played by Denise van Outen), in the Anthony Newley-directed production of Stop the World – I Want to Get Off, at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley, London, which was later transferred to the West End Lyric Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue.[21] This was followed by two guest appearances on the ITV police drama The Bill in 1991 and 1992. McCutcheon also appeared in the music video for the song "Caribbean Blue" by Irish singer Enya. By the time she was 15, she was part of an all-girl group, Milan, with two fellow pupils, and landed a record contract with Polydor and a gig touring as the warm-up act for the British boyband, East 17. Milan were reasonably successful. Three of their singles: "Is It Love You're After", "Affectionately Mine" and "Lead Me On", charted in the top ten of the dance charts, with the latter also making it to the top 100 of the UK Singles Chart.[22] However, they were not successful enough to make a living and disbanded.[23][20]

In 1994, McCutcheon was offered the small part of Tiffany Raymond on the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. The role of Tiffany grew as did McCutcheon's popularity and 22 million viewers tuned in to see her final scenes in Albert Square in 1998 when her character was killed off in a special episode screened on New Year's Eve.[24] In reality, 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.[25] Since leaving the show, McCutcheon has publicly slammed the BBC's "Controller of Continuing Drama Series", Mal Young, who made the decision to kill her character. She accused him of treating her unfairly and bringing her role in the soap to an end so irrevocably, merely as punishment for leaving.[20] In turn, Young has hit back at 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.[20]

For her portrayal of the character, she received the 1997 National Television Award for Most Popular Actress,[26] and the 1998 TV Quick Award for Best Actress.[27]

McCutcheon's first appearance on the charts occurred in 1995 on a minor dance song "Are You Man Enough" with the dance producers Uno Clio. A promotional video was also produced. In 1999, she debuted as a solo pop artist with Virgin Records and scored a number one on the UK Singles Chart with the ballad "Perfect Moment" (originally recorded by Edyta Górniak in 1997). Her debut album, You Me & Us, was released that September. It peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The album spawned two more top 10 entries, reaching number six with two singles: "I've Got You" and later with "Talking in Your Sleep", which featured the double A-side "Love Me", an album track that was re-recorded for the Children in Need appeal with all proceeds being donated to that cause. She was nominated for the Brit Award for Best Pop Act in 2000.[28]

In 2000, McCutcheon released her second album, Wishing, which was less successful, charting at number 25 in the UK. The album spawned two singles – the number two hit "I'm Over You" and the follow-up song, a cover of the Donna Summer classic "On the Radio" which peaked at number seven. Despite peaking at only number 25, the album still managed to sell around 250,000 copies, and received a gold certification from BPI. McCutcheon released her third album, Musicality, a Broadway-influenced cover album, in 2002. It reached number 55 in the UK and was certified silver by BPI. Due to poor sales, her recording contract was cancelled and her pop career stalled.[20] Her two-CD best-of-album called The Collection was released in September 2012.[29]

McCutcheon returned to music in 2017 with her fourth studio album, Lost and Found, released in August by BMG. Its lead single, "Say I'm Not Alone" was released on 30 May 2017.[30] The album peaked at number 17 in the UK, becoming McCutcheon's highest-charting record since You Me & Us.[31]

McCutcheon regularly appears in pantomimes.[32] She appeared in ITV's The Knock as well as the British film Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) in 2000. She went on to play Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady at the National Theatre in London. Despite missing many performances (citing health problems) and withdrawing nearly five months early from the production's transfer to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane,[33] she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the 2002 ceremony.

In 2002, McCutcheon presented the National Music Awards for ITV1 and in 2003 she featured in her only major film role. She 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. The film received positive reviews and was a box office success. McCutcheon went to America in the wake of the film's success, but a Hollywood career did not materialise. This is most likely because at a public event, someone stood on her dress and she started to shout at them. It turned out this person was a top Hollywood producer and made sure McCutcheon would never walk down the Hollywood walk of fame again. Nevertheless, she won the MTV Movie Award for Best Trans-Atlantic Breakthrough Performer and the Empire Award for Best Newcomer at the 9th Empire Awards for her performance.

In September 2005, she appeared in two episodes of BBC drama series Spooks. Screened on the UK television network ITV1 in December 2005, McCutcheon appeared in The English Harem, playing a woman in love with a Muslim man (Art Malik), who marries him, despite knowing he already has two wives. That same year, she presented and performed on ITV's entertainment programme, Moviemusic Mania. In 2007, McCutcheon was seen in two independent films, Withdrawal and Jump!, as well as the Agatha Christie's Marple television series episode "At Bertram's Hotel". She was also a judge for the second series of ITV1's Soapstar Superstar. Her appearance on the show drew criticism, with reports alleging that she was becoming a hate figure for the contestants, who were said to have found her comments relentlessly critical and at times patronising.[34] On 8 March 2007, she performed in an Art Plus fundraising event at the Whitechapel Art Gallery opposite Natalie Press, Samantha Morton and Rhys Ifans, and in January 2008, she featured in the ITV soap Echo Beach as the character Susan Penwarden.[35]

In September 2016, 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.[36]

In 2021, she competed on the second series of The Masked Singer as Swan, and was the third contestant to be unmasked.[37]

McCutcheon released her autobiography, Who Does She Think She Is? in 2000, and in 2003 Martine McCutcheon: Behind the Scenes – A Personal Diary, was published by HarperCollins. McCutcheon was one of many celebrities who featured in a 2004 promotional film for London's successful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. A fitness DVD, Martine McCutcheon: Dance Body, was released in December 2005.

In 2006, the supermarket chain Tesco announced that they would be using McCutcheon in a series of adverts to promote a new green scheme for recycling used plastic carrier bags.[38] In 2009, her first novel, The Mistress, was published by Pan MacMillan.[39] From 2010 to 2011, she was the face on Danone's UK advertising campaign for its Activia yogurt brand.[40]

• McCutcheon, Martine (2001). Who Does She Think She Is?: My Autobiography. Martine McCutcheon with Matthew Wright. Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0-09-956918-3.