Jodie Prenger
Jodie Prenger, 39, landed the role of nancy in Cameron Mackintosh’s revival production of oliver! after winning BBC’s i’d do Anything in 2008. She has appeared in Spamalot and a one-woman UK tour of Shirley Valentine. She lives on a farm in Lancashire with her fiance, Simon.
YOUR IMPERFECTIONS MAKE YOU UNIQUE
As A teenager, I had huge glasses and a tight perm. I looked like the love child of Deirdre Barlow and Russell Grant.
I went to an all-girls school where it was the pretty ones who were popular. My way of dealing with it was to be the joker, to make everyone laugh about the way I looked before anyone else did. It was a coping mechanism. You have your down days, but you turn them around. You gain resilience. And I knew I wanted to be someone: I wanted to perform.
People thought I was mad — that it was never going to happen to a girl like me. But I’m stubborn. And I have a very loving family.
When I started performing at working men’s clubs age 17, it was tough. I went on stage and said: ‘Does anyone like songs from musicals?’ They all shouted: ‘No!’ And I went: ‘Here we go.’ I’ve always had that fire in me.
I joke that my weight has gone up and down like a bride’s nightie all my life. But I believe it’s your imperfections that make you the person you are. I am no Cindy Crawford, but you should never judge a person by the way they look.
I’ve grown up around strong, vibrant women and I love celebrating that. The more we support each other, the more amazing things can happen.
It bothers me that young girls think they have to be a certain way. It’s easy to put a filter on a snapchat or an Instagram photo and make yourself into something you’re not.
The things that were hardest during my childhood have kept me strong during my adulthood. I go towards real, genuine, honest people. My nan always says: ‘It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice.’
People will never believe it but, like many performers, I can be quite shy. stepping out of your comfort zone can be quite exciting. It’s OK to fail, it’s OK to fall flat on your face, because you learn from the experience. Jodie Prenger is starring in the UK tour of Abigail’s Party (atgtickets.com).