"I don't think I can remember a time when I wasn't passionate about performing, but the person who deserves the credit for nurturing and providing me with a platform to turn my passion into a career is my Mum. She was the one who took me to 4 or 5 dance lessons a week (and paid for them when funds were painfully low), and ferried me from chamber choir to rehearsals for the school play. I was never pushed - in fact, often the threat of cancelling a ballet class would gently encourage me to do my homework! My dance teacher saw potential in me and tutored me privately and helped me audition for the Royal Ballet School and Urdang Academy Associates. Some of my schoolteachers were very generous, I had free singing lessons with my music teacher in my lunch hours and stayed after school to go through monologues with my English teacher. I was also lucky that my sister and other family and friends gave me such a huge network of support."

"I was always quite academic and had pressure from my father and some teachers to choose a different path. I understood they were trying to protect me from potential disappointment and hardship, but was disappointed they didn't see my determination and potential. I was told in no uncertain terms that I should pick a different career and with my potential GCSE results should definitely be looking at A-levels and university and not a vocational college. This was devastating for me. However, I was undeterred! With hindsight it's clear they were trying to point out what they believed was a safer route, but failed to communicate this to me at the time. At least by overcoming these obstacles I proved to myself that I wanted this career more than ever."

"After my GCSEs I went to the London Studio Centre to train for three years in musical theatre. Dance was probably my strongest area when I started. I hadn't had as much exposure to singing and acting training, but over the duration of the course this is where I most excelled. For the best chance of becoming employable, I think it's important to get the best all-round training you can and to focus on weaker areas and not just the things you enjoy doing the most. I've never quite managed to master the art of tap-dancing though…some things never change!"

"At the end of the three years we performed in a showcase and a musical, to which we could invite agents and casting directors. This was a crucial part of the course as it played a big part in the success of our future careers. I met with all the agents that showed interest and took my time to decide who was the best fit for me. My college also helped to advise me which agents had the best reputation - the best advice I was given was to choose the agent I had the best rapport with. My agent started putting me forward for auditions straight away, so my career was in safe hands and well managed from the day I left college."

"Not having a 'typical day' is what I enjoy most about working in this industry - things happen very spontaneously and unexpectedly. My day has to be planned in reverse, everything revolving around my show in the evening. I usually get to the theatre about 1½ hours before the show so I can warm up, take notes from my director and do my make-up and costume for the opening number. I have help with wigs and costumes at 'the half', which is 35 minutes before the start of the show, and have to be ready by 'beginners', which is 5 minutes before curtain up. By the time I've taken everything off again at the end of the show and made my way home it's usually between 11pm and midnight. During the day, if I don't have a matinee or rehearsals for the show, I could have an audition, a meeting with my agent or a casting director, a costume fitting, singing lesson or dance class. I'm often doing other concerts that need to be rehearsed during the day and I've recently recorded an album which has involved hours of rehearsal time and attending recording sessions in the studio."

"I think the media portrays a very glamorous image of this career and the truth is there are some very glamorous and truly rewarding moments, but most of these come from hard work and dedication. You have to face rejection often, constantly battle to improve yourself and never feel settled or have the stability of knowing where your next job will come from. But the highs are very high and the reward for pursuing and eventually realising a dream career is incredible."

"Don't do it if you have an element of doubt, if you think it's going to be the easy option or are unsure about your levels of talent, capability and commitment. But if you love it, and you have determination and perseverance ingrained in you, then get informed and go for it. Most importantly, make sure you give yourself the best chance by signing with a good agent. I'm very fortunate to be represented by Cole Kitchenn Personal Management and they've done an exceptional job of carving out a career path for me while giving me total dedication and support."