Martine McCutcheon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martine McCutcheon
McCutcheon in 2010
Born	Martine Kimberley Sherrie Ponting (1976-05-14) 14 May 1976 (age 49) Hackney, London, England
Education	Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Jack McManus ​ ​ (m. 2012; separated 2024)​
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Pop
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Innocent, Virgin, Liberty, BMG

Martine McCutcheon is a famous English actress and singer. She started acting in TV commercials when she was very young. She made her first TV appearance in the children's show Bluebirds in 1989.

In the early 1990s, she was part of a pop group called Milan. But she became truly famous for her role as Tiffany Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She also starred in the 2003 romantic comedy movie Love Actually. For EastEnders, she won a National Television Award. For Love Actually, she won an Empire Award and an MTV Movie Award. After leaving EastEnders in 1998, she began a successful solo singing career.

Martine's Early Life and School

Martine Kimberley Sherrie Ponting was born on May 14, 1976, in Hackney, London. Her mother was Jenny Ponting. When Martine was nine, her surname was changed to McCutcheon, which was her stepfather's name.

Martine went to nursery school in Colchester, Essex. She later attended Shacklewell Infants' School in Hackney. There, she performed in her first play, Away in a Manger. She then went to Shacklewell Juniors' School at age six. She appeared in more plays there, including Noah's Ark.

When she was five, Martine started taking extra dance classes. She later joined a dance school in Stoke Newington. Just before her tenth birthday, she successfully auditioned for the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. This is a famous performing arts school. She finished school with nine GCSEs.

Martine's Career Journey

Starting Out in Entertainment

At 12 years old, Martine got her first acting job. She was paid £350 to appear in an American TV commercial for Kool-Aid. After this, she did some modeling and had small parts in TV shows.

She played Mandy in the TV series Bluebirds in 1989. She also performed in a play called Stop the World – I Want to Get Off in London's West End. She made two guest appearances on the ITV police drama The Bill in 1991 and 1992. Martine also appeared in the music video for "Caribbean Blue" by singer Enya.

By the time she was 15, she was in an all-girl group called Milan. They signed a record deal and toured as the warm-up act for the boyband East 17. Milan had some success with three songs that charted in the top ten of the dance charts. However, they weren't successful enough to continue, so the group broke up.

Becoming a Star on EastEnders

In 1994, Martine was offered a small role on the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. She played Tiffany Raymond. Her role grew, and Martine became very popular.

About 22 million viewers watched her final scenes in EastEnders in 1998. Her character was killed off in a special episode on New Year's Eve. Martine had decided to leave the show to start a pop music career. She had hoped to return to the show one day, so her character's death was a surprise.

For her role as Tiffany, she won the 1997 National Television Award for Most Popular Actress. She also won the 1998 TV Quick Award for Best Actress.

Martine's Pop Music Career

Martine's first appearance on the music charts was in 1995. She sang on a dance song called "Are You Man Enough" with Uno Clio.

In 1999, she started her solo pop career with Virgin Records. She had a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart with the ballad "Perfect Moment". Her first album, You Me & Us, came out that September. It reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. The album also had two more top 10 songs: "I've Got You" and "Talking in Your Sleep". The song "Love Me" was also released to raise money for the Children in Need charity. She was nominated for a Brit Award for Best Pop Act in 2000.

In 2000, Martine released her second album, Wishing. This album was not as successful, reaching number 25 in the UK. However, it still produced two top 10 singles: "I'm Over You" and a cover of the Donna Summer song "On the Radio".

Her third album, Musicality, came out in 2002. It was a cover album with songs from Broadway shows. It reached number 55 in the UK. Due to lower sales, her record contract ended, and her pop career slowed down. A "best-of" album called The Collection was released in 2012.

Martine returned to music in 2017 with her fourth album, Lost and Found. It was released in August by BMG. The album reached number 17 in the UK. This was Martine's highest-charting album since You Me & Us.

Acting in Films, Stage, and Television

Martine often appears in pantomimes, which are fun stage shows. She was in the ITV show The Knock and the British film Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) in 2000.

She then played Eliza Doolittle in the musical My Fair Lady at the National Theatre in London. Even though she missed some performances due to health issues, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2002. This is a very important award for theatre.

In 2003, Martine had her most famous film role. She played Natalie, a tea-lady, in the romantic comedy Love Actually. In the movie, the British Prime Minister, played by Hugh Grant, falls in love with her character. The film was very popular and successful. For her performance, Martine won the MTV Movie Award for Best Trans-Atlantic Breakthrough Performer. She also won the Empire Award for Best Newcomer.

In September 2005, she appeared in two episodes of the BBC drama series Spooks. In December 2005, she was in The English Harem on ITV1. In 2007, Martine was in two independent films, Withdrawal and Jump!. She also appeared in an episode of the TV series Agatha Christie's Marple.

In January 2008, she was in the ITV soap Echo Beach. In September 2016, Martine became a panelist on the ITV daytime show Loose Women. In 2021, she competed on The Masked Singer UK as Swan. She was the third contestant to be unmasked.

Other Projects

Martine released her autobiography, Who Does She Think She Is?, in 2000. In 2003, Martine McCutcheon: Behind the Scenes – A Personal Diary was published.

Martine was part of a promotional film in 2004 for London's successful bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. A fitness DVD called Martine McCutcheon: Dance Body was released in December 2005.

In 2006, the supermarket chain Tesco used Martine in a series of adverts. These ads promoted a new green scheme for recycling plastic bags. In 2009, her first novel, The Mistress, was published. From 2010 to 2011, she was the face of Danone's UK advertising campaign for its Activia yogurt.

Awards and Honours

In July 2014, Martine was given an honorary degree by the University of Bolton. This was to recognize her contributions to entertainment.

Martine's Personal Life

Martine McCutcheon was engaged to DJ Gareth Cooke in 1996, but they broke up. She later had a relationship with Jonathan Barnham.

Martine married singer Jack McManus in September 2012. They had been dating since 2009. On February 4, 2015, she gave birth to their son, Rafferty Jack McManus. In August 2024, Martine announced that she and her husband had separated.

In 2011, Martine was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Six years later, she was also diagnosed with Lyme disease. She often shares her experiences with fibromyalgia on social media. This condition can cause widespread pain and tiredness.

Filmography

Discography

Studio Albums

Extended Plays

Compilation Albums

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Other Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Martine McCutcheon para niños