After battling depressing and ME, Martine McCutcheon speaks to Closer Magazine about finding love, having her first baby and how she's feeling better than ever. Here's a preview...
She became a household name in the 90s playing Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders, and went on to conquer the pop charts and later the box office with hit film Love Actually.
But Martine McCutcheon’s world came crashing down in 2011, when she developed the neurological condition ME [also known a chronic fatigue syndrome], which left her confined to a wheelchair and unable to work.
WATCH: Tiffany and Bianca get ready for a double date in this AMAZING throwback EastEnders clip!
Life-altering battles with depression, Lyme Disease, bankruptcy and a stalling career followed, but now Martine’s back with a new album – and says having the love of her husband Jack McManus and their two-year-old son Rafferty has pulled her through the darkest of times.
“Six years ago I’d lost my health to the point where I couldn’t stand up some days,” reveals Martine, 41, who married singer-songwriter Jack in 2012.
“And over a period of time, the jobs and money stopped coming in, and I literally hit rock bottom.
Martine recently revealed she suffered multiple miscarriages before having her son Rafferty, and that she would still like to have another child.
She says that becoing a mum and turning 40 has proved a milestone for her - rather than worrying about getting older, it's allower her to feel more secure, as well as live in the moment.
"There's always pressure to be perfect and to be all these things," she told us. "But the world's not going to end; it's going to be fine. Just enjoy yourself along the way."
Martine McCutcheon’s new album 'Lost and Found' is released August 11th on BMG. Her UK starts November 8th - get your tickets here
You can read the full interview in this week's Closer Magazine - on sale NOW!
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Martine McCutcheon explains what it was like to be wheelchair bound during her ME battle