Martine McCutcheon

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Martine McCutcheon

Profession: Actress and Singer
Place/Date of Birth: London, 14 May 2020

Born as Martine Kimberley Sherri Ponting on May 14 1976, Martine McCutcheon changed her surname to that of her stepfather when she was just ten. Martine may have had a hard start to life - her mother gave birth to her aged just nineteen and her father was an abusive drug addict - but she was determined to be a performer from an early age and persuaded the Church of England to sponsor her at the Italia Conti stage school.

Her first break came as part of ill fated girl band Milan although she had numerous bit parts duringher early teens. Martine might have thought she had had her fifteen minutes after quitting Milan but the best was yet to come. In 1995 she was offered the part of Tiffany Raymond in Eastenders, quickly becoming one of the soap’s most popular characters. Despite a taste of the seedier side of fame - both her father and an ex boyfriend sold stories to the press - she chose to follow a path further in to the limelight, quitting ’Enders for a pop career. She was killed off in 1998 amidst controversy as she claimed that she had wanted her part to be left open.

Martine scored a number one single the very next year with Perfect Moment, which was followed up with two more successful singles and an album, You, Me and Us. In 2000 she made another attack on the UK charts but was less triumphant. Wishing reached just number 25 in the charts and Virgin cancelled her contract. Another attempt at chart stardom was made in 2002 with Musicality which was another flop and she was once again dropped, this time by EMI.

But 2002 wasn’t a complete washout for Martine. She was awarded the Laurence Olivier award for Best Actress in A Musical that same year. Her part as Eliza Doolittle may have been a tabloid dream thanks to reports of ill health but it was nonetheless a critical success which perhaps reminded Richard Curtis of her appeal. The king of British romcom hired Martine for the part of tea lady Natalie in his hit movie Love Actually, which made her name across the pond. However, attempts at a Hollywood career faltered. She has since made a handful of British TV appearances. She is also set to appear as a judge on celebrity talent show Soapstar Superstar.
updated January 2007

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