'I'VE GOT MY SPARK BACK'

MARTINE MCCUTCHE ON OPENS UP TO OK! ABOUT THEM ASKED SINGER MOTHERHOOD AND HOW SHE’S BECOME MORE CONFIDENT AS SHE’S GOT OLDER

- RIANNE ISON

When we catch up with Martine McCutcheon, she’s still buzzing about her five-year-old son Rafferty’s reaction to her being unmasked as the singing swan on ITV’s The Masked Singer.

“He could not believe that his mummy was on his favourite show. Everything was worth it for that,” she tells us over Zoom.

Martine, 44, is certainly no stranger to starring on our screens. Having worked in the entertainment industry since she was just 10, the star made her name as EastEnders’ Tiffany, before taking the pop world by storm. She’s also won an Olivier Award for her role in West End musical My Fair Lady, and starred in global hit film Love Actually.

However, in recent years, Martine has been enjoying family life with her husband of eight years, singer-songwriter Jack McManus, and their son Rafferty.

But after losing herself in the magic of The Masked Singer studio, Martine’s relishing every second of being back in the spotlight and already has some exciting plans for the future.

Here, she tells us about taking part in the show everyone’s talking about, why Rafferty’s already showing signs of following in his parents’ musical footsteps, and the beautiful legacy her good friend Barbara Windsor left behind...

So the secret’s out of the bag, Martine...

It’s a relief! My loved ones kept asking what I’d been up to and I had to keep saying, “I’m just filming a quiz show today.” They kept saying, “another one?!” It’s one of the hardest things I’ve had to keep secret.

Did any of your celebrity friends get in touch?