I picked up Martine McCutcheon?s biography at one of those cheap bookshop places, at the discount village outlets at Gretna Green, about two weeks ago. I had always liked her character in Eastenders, and I recall when the book was first released, that she had had quite a tough upbringing.

I got my copy of the book for £4.99, in hardback, so quite the bargain. I am not sure if that has been the effect of poor sales or what! According to the inside cover, the book retails at £16.99, although I am sure if you look around, you can pick it up for less than that.

The book is 314 pages in length and charts Martine?s life from the time she was born, until about the turn of the millennium, i.e. past the time she was in Eastenders, and up to the show she took part in, in London, when she was reported as being quite sick.

Martine was born on 14 May 1976, in a Salvation Army Hospital in Clapton, in the East end of London. Happy Birthday Martine, still only 26! She was about three weeks overdue into this world. Her Mother, Jenny, was also born in London, within the sound of the Bow Bells, in 1956, and so she was quite young herself. Her Mum worked for Alfred Marks recruitment bureau, and she had initially met Martine?s dad when she was 13, and again when she was about 17 years of age.

Martine?s started off in not very grandiose environment, and became quite sick as a baby, due to the accommodation that they were living in at the time. Following her hospital stay, she got her first acting break, at a very tender age, on the Labour Campaign! By the time she was a few months old, they had managed to get a flat which did not even have running water. Friends and relatives donated furniture and baby goods.

Her father was a possessive individual and violent and Martine and her mother had to flee from him first to Devon, and then to Colchester, moving back to Hackney in 1981.

Martine as close to her Mum, as she shares w
ith the reader throughout the book; and despite their hard times, they were able to do fun things during her childhood. Singing and acting were important even back then.

Martine?s stepfather John McCutcheon came on the scene around the time she was eight or nine years old. He married her Mother and there was a custody battle, however the judge ruled that Martine did not have to see her real dad again.

Martine won a scholarship to Italia Conti School where she completed her entire secondary school education. She got plenty of acting parts during this time, including a part in the Bill by the time she was fifteen. She was receiving more parts than she could legally take part in, due to the nature of the laws protecting children. By the time she was sixteen and seventeen, she was part of the band Milan, however their success was short-lived. This was an exhausting schedule, playing in backstreet pubs and clubs, for very little money.

The book is full of glossy colour photographs of Martine throughout her childhood and in her early twenties. She also talks about her first love, who she was engaged too. Unfortunately after they split up due to pressure of her job (Eastenders) he betrayed her to the media. Martine presents herself as a shy individual, who got into boys quite late on, and she also rarely drank a great deal. She found this betrayal very difficult to deal with, and went through a period of depression as a result.

She landed her part in Eastenders in 1995, and the book describes how her career launched from an unknown actress with a small part, to an actress who grabbed much of the country?s attention, following her relationship with Grant Mitchell.

She goes on to describe her friendships with other celebrities, including Mick Hucknall and Bros. She also had a stalker, who was calling the BBC hundreds of times a day!

Despite her earnings from Eastenders, Martine had an unfortunate incident with
her agent, which ultimately resulted in a prosecution. He had been siphoning off large amounts of her earnings, until she dropped him. Martine learned a lesson here the hard way.

Her punishing schedule was starting to take its toll on her, and she became sick with pneumonia, which meant she had to take some time off. Despite this, she won an award at the Soap Awards that year, and was well enough to collect it, with the blessing of the show.

When Martine was eventually killed off, this again proved to be a challenging time for her. She first heard about it on the radio, and felt that this had not been appropriately handled. She describes events that appeared to be quite political; however she put this behind her to embark on her singing career, for the second time effectively, and became a massive hit in New York and the USA.

Her book ends as we approach the Year 2000. Events have moved on for her dramatically in a short space of time. She had a new love in her life, as did her Mother, who by now had divorced her Stepfather and remarried. Following an eventful act in Chelsea, Martine was spotted by the individual who was to offer her the part in My Fair Lady. Her focus from this point on is on her health, her relationship with her partner, and very much her career too.

All in all, I found this an enjoyable book to read, and one that you could read in a couple of days or so. I don?t think it is a real best seller or a classic, given that Martine is still so young, but it is an encouraging story of beating the odds by a young and feisty lady. Well done Martine!