SHE was the little girl with the big voice who shot to fame on Britain's first talent show, Pop Idol, in 2001.
Durham-born Zoe Birkett was just 16 when she took part in the competition that launched the career of Will Jong, Wow Simon Cowell and his fellow judges with her soaring vocals.
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Now, 23 years after the talent show, the baby face of a sweet 16-year-old is gone, while the star has grown into a seasoned performer, soon to be seen starring as Tina Turner in London's West End.
The singer will perform the title role in Tina the Musical at the Aldwych Theater in London from June.
Writing on her social media, the mother-of-one seemed thrilled to be putting her idol in the spotlight.
She said: “I'm going to see Tina Turner, the musical where I not only play my dream role, but also my idol, Tina Turner.
“This is more than just a show for me, this goes back to my childhood, my mother, her love for Tina, the connection she felt with Tina that helped my mother through some very difficult times.”
Due to the demand for the role, Zoe will perform five of the eight shows in the week, sharing the role with another actress who will cover the three nights off.
But she promised her followers that she would keep them informed.
She said: “With the high demands of this role I will be given a maximum of five shows a week. Every month will be different and I will post my days on my socials so you can book accordingly.”
The singer took part in Pop Idol-Simon Cowell's pre-X Factor talent vehicle and finished in fourth place.
Hosted by fresh faces Ant and Dec, Zoe starred alongside competition-winning Gareth Gates, pop star Will Young and the unfortunately Darius Danesh passed away in 2022.
Despite coming fourth, she released a single called Treat Me Like a Lady before embarking on a long career in the West End.
She played wide Alexandra Burke at The Bodyguard in the West End. She has also enjoyed roles in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Moulin Rouge the Musical.
In 2014, she appeared in the non-celebrity version of Big Brother after the show switched from Channel 4 to Channel 5 in the series won by Helen Wood.
Last year she appeared on stage at The National Theater in a new musical based on Roald Dahl's The Witches.
The performer shares a six-year-old daughter with her partner of ten years.
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