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DO YOU THINK OF MARTINE MCCUTCHEON AS THE GIRL-NEXT-DOOR TYPE? THINK AGAIN, AS SHE TALKS SEX AND LIPO

By Louise Gannon

Martine McCutcheon would like you to know that, contrary to popular opinion, she’s something of a maneater.

The world might see her as a poor young thing who’s taken more than her share of knocks when it comes to love – but 31-year-old Martine’s done a fair bit of heartbreaking herself. 

“Everyone thinks I’m this sweet, innocent girl who falls in love with men and then gets all cut up if it goes wrong – but that’s not always the case,” she says.

“I’m very much like a man about relationships at times – happy just to be in it for the physical side of things."

This self-assurance that oozes from Martine comes from her being happy with herself and how she looks these days.

"Now I’m in my 30s, I feel so much more confident. I’ll never be skinny but I’m a size 10, I weigh around 9st, and that suits me,” she says.

“I sometimes look at my stomach and think: ‘Liposuction!’, but so far I’ve done nothing except have my teeth fixed.

"Maybe I’ll think about Botox, but not yet. I’m not that vain – at the moment.”

However, Martine does work hard to keep in shape.

“I work out three times a week at the gym and I’m careful about what I eat, but I’m never going to be much thinner.

"I’ve learnt to understand my body.

"I have a tendency to get bigger when I’m premenstrual – I can put on half a stone in a week then lose it afterwards. 

“I don’t tend to parade around naked.

"I hate a man to see my naked bum wobbling when I’m on my way to the loo in the morning.”

She laughs, adding: “But I’ve not had any complaints!"

The fact that Martine's past relationships - from actor Paul Nicholls to would-be film producer Jonathon Barnham to property developer James Tanner - have all failed has not put her off men.

Instead, she says, “I’ve had a couple of relationships which were based entirely on sexual attraction, and when the relationships ended I walked away pretty unscathed.

"Sex is a lot less complicated than love.”

She’s currently dating musician Jack McManus who, at 23, is eight years her junior.

Is he marriage material? Probably not, but as she says: “He’s lovely, and we’re having a great time.”

Recently though, Ex-EastEnder Martine’s return to soaps – in Echo Beach – left her feeling unhappy and frumpy.

"I have to admit I didn’t read the reviews,” she says (the show was slammed by critics).

“I felt depressed because I was playing a character who’d let herself go, and that state of mind affected me.

"I could feel myself getting down.

“One night, I decided to go out clubbing with the crew.

"Jason (Donovan) and I were the oldest there and I put on my skinny jeans, jewellery and make-up.

"When I came downstairs, everyone was saying how great I looked, how young I looked.

"I was like: ‘Well, I am still young!’”

Post-Echo Beach, Martine’s been given the chance to glam up in a new show, The Truth About Beauty.

“I talk to gorgeous women about their beauty secrets and I’ve learnt so much,” she explains.

“Real sexiness and real beauty comes from within, which is why so many super-skinny girls aren’t as sexy as they could be – because they don’t look happy with themselves. I am."

The Truth About Beauty starts May 12, 10pm, UKTV Style

 

'I love my eyes and loath my eyebrows'

 

MARTINE TAKES A LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND TELLS US WHAT SHE SEES…

I like the softness in my face, and that it’s heart-shaped.

I also like my eyes, because they’re big and upturned, and my skin.

I take a lot of care of it these days but I didn’t as much in the past. I never used to realise how important it was.

I hate my eyebrows because the hairs never stay in one place.

When I look in the mirror, I always have a couple of eyebrow hairs sticking out and that really bugs me.

I’ve finally realised my hair colour has been too dark.

My natural colour is mid-brown, and I’m trying to get back to that.

As you get older, a lighter colour is kinder on your face.

I’ve coloured my hair so often, I can now see a lot of red in it, which is the result of over-dyeing.

I hate that washed-out, beetroot-red look – it’s so ’80s.

The best thing about this picture is that you can’t see my arms.

I’d love skinny arms, but I have big, chunky ones.

I also like that you can’t see my body: I’ve always been fine with my face in photos, it’s my body I’ve had issues with over the years.

I’ve been fat and thin – now I’m just trying to be the weight that’s right for me.

 

Photography: Harry Johnson, Goffinf.com, Matrix, UKTV Style Hair: Sarah O’Brien Make-up: Gary Cockerill Styling: Shelina Gallagher

 

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