Martine McCutcheon reveals she feels sexier at 44 than she did in her 20s
Earlier this year, she made an unexpected appearance as one of the celebrity contestants on The Masked Singer.
Now, Martine McCutcheon is keeping up the youthful energy as she approaches her 45th birthday on 14 May – insisting that she feels sexier now than she did when in her 20s.
Speaking to The Sun, the singer and actress said: "I’m feeling so much more fulfilled, confident and sexy than I ever did in my 20s.
“What’s amazing is looking at people like Jennifer Lopez and Helen Mirren, who are ageing and yet their careers are still going strong. They’ve got this inner glow.
“People always thought I was really confident, but it was a good act. Genuine confidence took time for me.”
McCutcheon became a household name playing barmaid Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders in the 1990s, before going on to appear in 2003 film Love Actually opposite Hugh Grant.
In recent years, the star – who lives with her musician husband Jack McManus and their seven-year-old son Rafferty in Surrey – has struggled with the conditions Lyme disease, fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
She said: "I have to take extra-special care of myself. I look at it as a friend rather than a foe.
"I know now that my body starts changing when I push myself too hard and beyond my limits."
Symptoms of the conditions include extreme fatigue, muscle pain, migraines and problems with memory.
It comes after US actress Katie Holmes, 42, revealed that she was also relishing getting older.
Last month, she told People magazine: "I embrace my age with gratitude and I don't worry about not having make up on. My joy comes from within."
Of how she retains a youthful glow, Holmes added: "I drink a lot of water and try to eat a lot of vegetables to keep my skin as healthy as possible.
"I take care of my skin by cleaning it every morning and evening, (and) wearing a lot of hyaluronic (acid) serum and moisturiser."
