Charlie Brooks

Not only was Charlie's most famous character - Janine Butcher in EastEnders - her first major role, but it also allowed the Barmouth-born star to prove her acting abilities with a variety of testing storylines. Since discovering she had landed the part on her 18th birthday, Charlie played it so convincingly over the years that she picked up a number of awards, including Villain of the Year at the British Soap Awards. In May 2004, Charlie decided to leave the show to broaden her acting experience, although she has made subsequent returns as the malicious Janine. Aged just 22, she made her stage debut in Office Games, and has featured in a number of small-screen dramas, including The Golden Hour, Bleak House, Love Soup and Wired. She also received critical acclaim for her portrayal of killer Beverly Allitt in Angel Of Death. In 2004, Charlie became pregnant with her first child with fiancé Tony Truman, though the pair sadly split two years later. The star whose Before & After Workout DVD went on to become the UK's best-selling fitness release lives in Thames Ditton with her daughter Kiki.