EastEnders legend very nearly turned down soap role – but she was broke
Imagine a world or, more specifically, an EastEnders without Martine McCutcheon’s sweetheart character, Tiffany Mitchell?
Well, if Martine’s recent interview with iNews is anything to go by, that world was very nearly a reality if not for one fact: her agent gave her a harsh reality check over the state of her bank account!
‘When I was offered EastEnders I really didn’t want to do it – not because it wasn’t a great job, it just wasn’t the right job for me,’ Martine said.
‘It was based in reality and it was everything that I was trying to get away from.
‘My agent said to me, ‘Look, you’re broke, you’re working in a shop earning hardly anything, go for it and then if you get it, you get it, and if you don’t, then don’t worry about it. It’ll be a great experience.’ They were right.’
They totally were! Through Tiffany, Martine became the nation’s sweetheart, with her ‘Enders role propelling her into the stratosphere. It also, however, brought her an intense amount of fame:
‘The scariest kind of fame I’ve experienced was definitely being a soap star,’ Martine said.
‘Even though I’ve done things since that are seen to be bigger or more credible, nothing prepared me for the attention and press I received when I was in EastEnders.
‘Tiffany was so relatable to people that they felt like they could just come up and hug you in the street. They felt like they knew you.’
Who was Tiffany Mitchell?
Beloved Tiff’ was introduced as a school friend of Walford royalty Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), though she did step out of her flame-haired friends shadow and became an integral character on her own merit.
Tiffany was mostly known for her fractious and abusive relationship with Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp). After a one night stand, Tiffany discovered she was pregnant, not knowing if Grant was the daddy or her boyfriend, Tony Hills (Mark Homer).
The same boyfriend who was happened to be sleeping with her brother, Simon Raymond (Andrew Lynford).
Tiff and Grant married and her daughter, Courtney, was revealed to be his, though his abusive tendencies worsened, with their marriage devolving into a toxic, volatile mess. It reached a crescendo when she learned that Grant was sleeping with her mum.
For those keeping track, that’s two of her fellas that slept with members of her immediate family. Couldn’t write it, could you?
After an attempt to frame Grant for pushing her down stairs, Tiffany’s good heart won out and she tried to end the scheme, while fleeing Walford with Courtney.
Grant’s release, however, changed everything, and he gave chase to Tiffany, who, desperate to escape, ran into the path of Frank Butcher’s (Mike Reid) car, which ultimately killed her.
Would Martine return to EastEnders?
We know! Tiffany’s dead.
But that didn’t stop Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), Kathy and Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins and Gillian Wright) from turning back up in Walford, did it?
But the question is, would Martine be up for it?
In an exclusive interview with Metro entertainment reporter, Emily Bashforth, Martine said: ‘I’ve never even really had a chance to think about it because I’ve been so busy with the opportunities it gave me in the first place to keep going and keep evolving.’
‘Honestly, if they approached me and the time was right and the storyline was something believable and really amazing, I think it would have to be amazing for me to justify it, because if it wasn’t, so many people would be disappointed.’
Martine elaborated further: ‘It would be a big pressure because Tiffany was such an icon, and it would be so easy to do her a disservice. But I would definitely do it if it was right, because I just loved playing her so much.
‘She just had no rules. She was fearless and feisty and an amazing character to play. For that reason alone, for selfish reasons, I’d love to do it, but it would have to be right.’
We reckon it’s right. How about you?