Inside Martine McCutcheon’s secret life – from real name and huge weight loss to her famous husband...

ACTRESS Martine McCutcheon may be best known for her roles in EastEnders and Love Actually - but away from the cameras she has a very private life.

The 45-year-old star, who was born Martine Kimberley Sherrie Ponting - but goes by Martine McCutcheon, is married to singer-songwriter James McManus.

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James went to the famous BRIT School, which was also attended by Adele and Jessie J.

He has toured with huge acts like John Mayer, Scouting for Girls, Amy MacDonald, and Sam Sparro.

He also co-wrote a song on Boyzone's 2010 no.1 comeback album, Separate Cars.

Jack's first album Either Side of Midnight went to no. 22 on the UK albums chart while the lead single Bang on the Piano reached no. 45, just outside of the Top 40.

Jack and Martine McCutcheon met in late December 2006, with Martine describing the early days of their romance as: "We laid eyes on each other and that was it."

They have been dating since 2007 and married in September 2012 at Lake Como in Italy.

Their son Rafferty Jack McManus was born on February 4, 2015.

Though their relationship hasn't been all smooth sailing - Martine has admitted that friends have helped "save" her marriage to Jack.

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She told the Loose Women panel friends had talked her off the ledge during huge arguments with her man and reminded her that it was worth making the relationship work.

The pair featured on 2020's series of Celebrity Gogglebox.

The actress recently shared a string of stunning photos as showed off her weight loss.

The former EastEnders star looked incredible in a stylish black bikini on her family holiday in the Middle East earlier this month.

Martine posted a clip of her playing table tennis with her son Rafferty, seven, in the sunshine.

Last month, Martine revealed the secret that helped her to lose weight.

As a testament to her stunning transformation, Martine has since been signed by the prestigious Elite, one of the world's leading model management companies.

The modelling faction has even represented supermodels such as Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell.

Over the past decade, Martine has suffered a number of hidden illnesses that have been tough to deal with, including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and Lyme disease.

But she has found ways to manage her health, which has given her the energy to chase both her dreams.

"I think it takes a long time to work out what your own recipe is," she told Love Sunday magazine.

"It’s taken me such a long time to look through all the stuff that’s out there and just do what works for me.

"So it’s not as simple as just going on a crazy diet. I just feel like it’s really important to encourage women to just be the best version of themselves."

Martine said she doesn't follow a particular diet to stay healthy, but has a "simple trick" to stay in shape as she revealed: "The 80/20 rule is what works for me."

"For 80 per cent of my week, I will have mainly just healthy proteins, vegetables and fruit, organic and veggie juices and Flora ProActiv spread.

"And then I’ll have treats 20 per cent of the time - I’ll have that slice of pizza, chocolate or a G&T to celebrate a friend’s birthday."

Martine shot to fame playing Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders, before playing the iconic role of the Prime Minister's tea lady Natalie in Love Actually in 2002.

She also enjoyed chart success with her 1999 hit This Is My Moment. The TV darling has built a huge fanbase thanks to her varied career and relatable attitude, and has an impressive Instagram followers – many of whom closely follow her interiors.

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