Ever since I can remember. I know I was very young. I was in a school production. About six of us had to do a dance routine to Summer Holiday. We all had the same little costume son and danced a little routine. When the audience applauded it just felt great. Maybe I just liked being the centre of attention! I also went to ballet classes from the age of two, so was performing at quite an early age. Off stage I was quite shy but on, I could pretend to be someone else. People used to say how amazed they were that this quiet little child could transform into such a confident outgoing little girl under the spotlight.

With such a theatrical background why didn’t you attend stage school fulltime as a child?

I’m very lucky to have such a supportive family. They have always taught me to keep my feet on the ground and not take anything for granted. All the actors in my family attended normal school in addition to stage school; it’s how it’s always been for us.

In my case, stage school was held all day on a Saturday and I would recommend it for all children. We were taught all kinds of dance; ballet, tap, modern and jazz as well as drama and singing. Apart from anything else, it promotes confidence, helps to use up surplus energy and gives you a sense of purpose. Plus it’s good fun. Every summer would culminate in an end of year show and everyone would say they were as good as any professional performance.

The Sylvia Young Agency was responsible for several auditions. It was through them I got the part in hope and Glory.

It is no secret that you are closely related to Vicki and Ann Michelle, Vicki of course known worldwide for her portrayal as Yvette in the hit comedy series Allo Allo and Ann with a string of starring roles in Hollywood to her credit. Are there any disadvantages to having other famous people in the family?

Yes because any jobs you get, people think you didn’t get them for your own talent. They think it’s because of the other famous person or people and that simply isn’t true.

Obviously a great deal. They would take me through my lines, routines etc. Every summer I would spend with Vicki when she was doing summer season so I spent a great deal of time meeting celebrities like Les Dennis, Su Pollard, Lionel Blair and many more. I would watch backstage and often in the audience too, until I knew everyone’s lines. I also used to watch Vicki do her makeup so I could learn.

Yes, again when at stage school they would push me to give a good performance. Ann would coach the dramatic side and Vicki, the comic timing. They made a good team!

Not yet but I’d like to one day. Maybe a TV drama or sitcom. A pantomime could be fun!

The competition was immense. I had to do two contrasting acting pieces, one of which had to be Shakespeare ( not my strongest point ),two dance routines and one song. Vicki and Ann both helped me with my acting pieces and Sue Hodge (Mimi La Bonk from Allo Allo ) also gave me some support with the Shakespeare playing Helena in Midsummer’s Night Dream. She took me through it in layman’s terms saying things like ‘This girl loves this guy right and this guy thinks he loves another girl, the cow………’ She made it so much fun and easy to understand.

The song I chose was ‘As if we never said goodbye’ from Sunset Boulevard, Vicki Ann and Sue all had an input on that! For my dance routines I was coached by Elaine Mills, the head of Performing Arts at Havering College. It must have paid off because I won the scholarship!

I enjoy all of it but if you are going to push me I’d have to say TV and film because I feel it is more true to life. Stage performances have to be somewhat over the top. A lot of my friends would say theatre for the buzz they get on hearing the audience applaud but for me it’s definitely the big screen or TV.

Without doubt the role of Verity in Find Me. I had to play her from a child up to the age of eighteen where she was still mentally a child. It was an unusual play but a great part

That’s a difficult because as I get older, I can obviously put more into my performances so the I’d have to say the latest ones are the best. Show wise, playing Marti in Grease was pretty memorable for me and great fun. Film wise, my role in SW9 definitely rates high on the list. I had to play a fourteen-year-old teenage drug addict and prostitute who was on the streets because she had run away from home where she had been sexually abused. There was one scene in a drug house where I had to look completely desolate with tears streaming down my face and where a lifetime’s hurt and emotion had to come just through my eyes. That role really brought home to me how someone in that situation must feel, going from one bad experience to another. Some of the scenes were edited but none the less it was a great experience.

That’s another hard one. I’m a bit of a film buff and there are so many roles I’ve seen that I’d like to play. On balance, I think it would have to be a role of a ‘baddie’ because they are usually the best acting parts. The female lead in Cruel Intentions really appeals. She was sexy, manipulative, a real bitch and around my age!

It’s a very hard business and there is a lot of competition but I believe if your heart is really in it, then you should go for it and you’ll get there in the end.

I have quite a few! Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman are great, Kate Beckinsale is beautiful as well as talented and our lovely Julie Walters is a brilliant actress. As for the men, Tom Hanks and John Travolta are way high on my list, also Denzel Washington and Matt Damon.

I love the theatre and the different dimensions they explore. I loved the dancing in Chicago, Lion King for the amazing costumes and how the dancers brought the animals to life, Billy Elliot because it still retained the feet on the ground approach, but the magic of Billy’s dancing gave it that extra edge, Guys and Dolls which just makes you smile it is so much fun, I could go on and on…..