Martine McCutcheon’s birth on May 14^th 1976, was the beginning of a traumatic childhood when her mother was forced to give birth to her in the Salvation Army Mother’s home in Hackney, London. Her mother, Jenny was just nineteen years old and was involved with a drug addict, Thomas Hemmings.Martine’s formative years were spent running and hiding with her mother to escape the father who would eventually have an injunction brought against him that restricted him having any contact with Martine until she was eighteen years old.

Despite the traumatic start to her life, Martine knew from a young age that she wanted to be a performer of some description. But even this dream had to financed initially by a church charity, when it sponsored Martine to train at the Italia Conti stage school, Britain's oldest theatre arts training school, which has also launched the careers of other notable celebrities such as Noel Coward, Naomi Campbell and Emma Bunton. Martine worked hard to learn her trade every day after school and at weekends, tap dancing, ballet and jazz where high on her list of subjects.Martine's first paid work came in the form of an American drink’s company advert when she was just twelve years old. Following which, she made several appearances in British TV soaps.

During a down period, Martine was working in a store in London when she was contacted and offered the part of the wayward, Tiffany Raymond in the British TV soap, ‘Eastenders’. This saw the greatest development in Martine’s career when she starred alongside Wendy Richard and Mike Reid. Her character was killed off in 1998 when Martine made the decision to follow a singing career and more than 22 million viewers tuned in to see the episode on New Years Eve 1998 that saw Tiffany killed by a car driven by a drunk driver.

The late 1990's also saw Maritne becoming a men's magazine favourite when she made several appearences on the pages of Maxim and FHM UK. It was in December 1996 that Martine went on to make the cover of FHM UK.

Martine was quickly signed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Record label and so began her solo singing career in 1999. Her first single, ‘Perfect Moment’ went straight to number one in the UK pop charts and also in Israel, Italy, Switzerland and Ireland. Her second album didn’t reach the same dizzy heights and the first only spawning 2 singles and her third album only reached 55 in the album charts. However, not being deterred Martine is said to be working on another album which is due for release in 2007.

Even before her move to Hollywood Martine had obviously gained the attention of several celebrities notably Liza Minnelli who requested that Martine be a bridesmaid to at her wedding to David Gest in 2002. Through all the ups and downs of her career, although Martine has remained single, she has on occasions become the focal point of celebrity gossip. The men in her life have included snooker star Ronnie OSullivan, her Eastenders co star Paul Nicholls and lead singer of the British band ‘Simply Red’, Mick Hucknell.

ABB