STAR WITH A POP PRINCE BROTHER

CARRIE Hope Fletcher, 28, is an actress, writer and blogger — and the younger sister of McFly star Tom Fletcher. She started in showbiz aged five, in a Honey Nut Cheerios advert. Like Tom, she went to the Sylvia Young Theatre school. At nine, her West End career began when she was cast in Les Misérables, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Mary Poppins. She said: ‘I had a difficult start to secondary school, missing the first month because of Mary Poppins. Everyone knew who I was, who my brother was — McFly were huge by then — and had made their mind up about me. One girl made everyone’s life a misery, picking on insecurities. But that’s just teenagers.’ She didn’t go to drama school or university but wrote a blog and a selfhelp memoir, plus four romantic novels. Fletcher, who lives in London, is providing a ‘tuck shop’ for the cast in her dressing room including fizzy drinks and chocolate bars. Anyone who wants a drink or snack is being asked to write a joke in her Cinderella journal by way of payment. She lives in North-West London with her cat, and is dating actor Oliver Ormson. Fletcher has been outspoken on the issue of the theatre industry’s treatment of women, and body image. During her second stint in Les Misérables — from 2013 to 2016 — she was referred to by a senior member of the creative team as ‘our butch Éponine’, which knocked her confidence. She said: ‘It was my first adult job, and just a throwaway comment. They were like, “Well, we’ve not had anyone as big as you before.” I thought, “OK, will I have to put up with that for the rest of my career now?” Thankfully, producers are opening their eyes and having discussions for the better.’