From Albert Square… to nowhere? As EastEnders star Shona McGarty launches an ambitious pop career, a look back at soap’s conveyor belt of questionable singers

There was a definite air of déjà vu about it, a sense of foreboding sparked by the undeniable knowledge that we’ve been here, many, many times before. 

Indeed, when EastEnders star Shona McGarty announced ambitious plans to break away from acting and embark on a new career in the fickle world of pop, one couldn’t help but wonder if she’d done her research. 

‘My happy place!’ she trilled after posting a photo of herself in the recording studio with veteran music producer Steve Anderson, her collaborator on recently released debut single Unapologetically Me. 

It represents a new path for the actress, albeit one well trodden by so many of her predecessors, and comes some two years after she confirmed plans to leave EastEnders, where she became a household name as troubled Whitney Dean. 

‘I have decided to spread my wings and will be leaving EastEnders,’ McGarty announced at the time. 

‘I have loved my years in the show. I have been trusted with some incredible storylines and have made amazing friendships – and family – which will endure.’

Of course, she isn’t the first to leave Walford in search of chart success, but for many of her predecessors, those coveted long-term recording careers were about as elusive as a free pint in the Queen Vic. 

But EastEnders isn’t the only soap with a rather dubious history of failed pop endeavors. 

 From Manchester to Melbourne and beyond, musically enamored stars have gamely tried to burst the pop bubble… with decidedly mixed results. 

1. NICK BERRY 

Blessed with boyish good looks and piercing blue eyes, it was only a matter of time before Cockney heartthrob Nick Berry broke away from the confines of Albert Square and spread his wings. 

But few expected his next move to be a pop career, brought about by one of his storylines as musically minded barman Simon ‘Wicksy’ Wicks in EastEnders. 

Originally played by Wicks unaccompanied on the Queen Vic piano, catchy ballad Every Loser Wins soon became a real life hit for Berry and its three songwriters,  Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James. 

Indeed, the song would climb to number one on the UK Top 40 following its release in 1986, subsequently earning its composers a coveted Ivor Novello Award. 

But for its singer, mainstream pop success would be short-lived, with awkwardly titled follow up single It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time failing to chart. 

Berry’s self-titled debut LP would also fare badly, with its lowly resting place at number 99 on the UK album chart proving to be the writing on the proverbial wall for his pop career. 

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Berry. The actor would still enjoy TV success long after his departure from EastEnders in 1990, notably through a long-running role on ITV police drama Heartbeat. 

The sixties based show even gave him an opportunity to temporarily revive his music career, with Berry scoring a number two hit after releasing the Heartbeat theme tune – originally recorded by the late Buddy Holly – as a single in 1992. 

2. ANITA DOBSON

If Berry’s foray into mainstream pop was short-lived, then spare a thought for Anita Dobson. 

Months before her co-star breached the Top 40 with his earworm ballad, the actress better known as alcoholic Queen Vic landlady Angie Watts had scored a hit of her own. 

A somewhat unexpected achievement, Dobson climbed to number four with Anyone Can Fall In Love – a lyrical reinterpretation of the EastEnders theme tune. 

Released in August 1986, the annoyingly catchy song would find the then 37-year old Dobson performing on Top Of The Pops as it rocketed up the UK Singles Chart. 

But while it would be her only hit, there was an air of serendipity about its development, with legendary Queen guitarist Brian May credited as the song’s producer. 

May and Dobson would later marry in 2000.

3. LETITIA DEAN AND PAUL J.  MEDFORD

1986 would prove to be a productive year for EastEnders inspired side projects, with the show serving up another unpalatable slice of pop in the form of Something Outa Nothing – a hit single for show regulars Letitia Dean and Paul J. Medford. 

Derived from the same storyline as Berry’s Every Loser Wins and composed by the same songwriting trio, the upbeat number was originally performed on the BBC soap by fictional group The Banned. 

Buoyed by the popularity of Berry’s debut single, it was released as a single that  October and enjoyed moderate chart success, climbing to number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. 

Somewhat predictably, it would be the duo’s only release, with Medford ending his two-year spell as Kelvin Carpenter on EastEnders soon after. 

A show icon as feisty Sharon Watts, Dean remains an Albert Square resident to this day. 

4. MICHELLE GAYLE

At the opposite end of the musical spectrum, Michelle Gayle enjoyed a greater degree of chart success after adding pop star to her CV in 1993. 

Already a TV regular thanks to her breakout role as Hattie Tavernier in EastEnders, Gayle successfully reinvented herself as a singer with the release of her debut single, Looking Up. 

A number 11 hit for the star, it would serve as the precursor for a moderately successful pop career, with  Gayle’s second and arguably best known single, Sweetness, climbing to number two the following year. 

Gayle would release two albums over a three year period, but her departure from RCA Records and subsequent issues with new label EMI coincided with a dramatic decline in popularity as the ’90s drew to a close. 

Indeed, a compilation of her greatest hits – named after her debut single – failed to chart following its release in 2000. 

She would reemerge in 2003 as a celebrity contestant on short-lived reality show Reborn In The USA – devised to give ten fading pop stars the opportunity to relaunch their careers in the United States. 

Featuring alongside the likes of Spandau Ballet star Tony Hadley and Go West singer Peter Cox, Gayle reached the quarter final stage before being voted off. 

In 2008 she vied to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest, appearing in the competition’s pre-selection stage with her co-written track Woo (U Make Me). 

But the endeavor would ultimately end in disappointment, with the singer finishing in second place behind former X Factor contestant Andy Abraham. 

While the music career appears to be at a crossroads, Gayle – who left EastEnders in 1997 – has subsequently appeared on a range of mainstream shows, among them Strictly Come Dancing and Loose Women. 

5. JOHN ALTMAN 

‘Alright ma!’ 

You’d be hard pressed to find an EastEnders fan who didn’t instantly recognise ‘Nasty’ Nick Cotton’s legendary catchphrase. 

Shame then, that its enduring popularity didn’t extend to the reception afforded John Altman’s music career. 

An Albert Square icon as the wayward, drug addled son of God fearing Dot Cotton, Altman gamely attempted to crack the charts with his self written track Looking For The Love of My Life in 2000. 

The actor, whose lengthy CV also includes various musical  theatre and pantomime roles, accompanied its release with a low budget music video featuring dramatic,  snow covered landscapes and Altman performing directly to camera.  

Sadly, it failed to chart, and, to date, has been viewed just 7,500 times on streaming platform YouTube.

6. MARTINE MCCUTCHEON 

Twenty two million viewers tuned in to watch EastEnders regular Tiffany Mitchell’s tragic demise during a New Year’s Eve special  in 1999. 

Fatally struck by Frank Butcher’s car, the popular character signed off with a literal bang as the actress responsible for playing her embarked on a new career in mainstream pop. 

And the omens were good, despite McCutcheon admitting she was furious with BBC producers for denying her the opportunity to return to EastEnders should her singing career go off the rails. 

The actress had already scored a number one hit with debut single Perfect Moment eight months earlier, while second release I’ve Got You climbed to an impressive number six that August. 

But with the EastEnders safety net snatched away, McCutcheon was left to gamble on her music career, with decidedly mixed results. 

While debut LP You, Me & Us reached number two on the UK Album Chart following its release in September 1999, her subsequent two offerings would fail to make a similar impact, climbing to numbers 25 and 55 respectively. 

The singles chart would offer a greater degree of success, with McCutcheon climbing into the top ten with her first five singles before dropping off the radar in 2001. 

In 2017 she returned to music with the release of her fourth album, Lost And Found, produced by her former husband Jack McManus.

7. ADAM RICKETT 

There was an inevitability about Adam Rickett’s decision to launch a pop career after finding fame as heartthrob Nick Tilsley in Coronation Street. 

With an army of largely young, female fans already in place, Rickett had dreams of swapping Weatherfield for Wembley Arena after signing with Polydor Records. 

And there was justifiable cause for optimism, with debut single I Breath Again – bolstered by a raunchy music video in which a partially clothed Rickett flexes his chiselled abs – landing at number five on the UK Chart. 

But it would be a false dawn for the actor, whose one and only album, Good Times, limped to a disappointing number 41. 

Mirroring its commercial failure, subsequent singles Everything My Heart Desires and The Best Thing would fail to strike a chord with fans before Rickett found himself returning to what he knows best. 

In 2014 he was back on the music scene, at least in a manner of speaking, after joining pop supergroup 5th Story for an appearance on pop comeback reality show The Big Reunion.

8. TRACY SHAW

As Maxine Peacock, she would meet a grisly end at the hands of Coronation Street serial killer Richard Hillman. 

But it wouldn’t be the first death knell for actress Tracy Shaw, whose past life as a singer was cut short with the same ruthless efficiency. 

Best known for her eight-year run as Maxine before a behind-the-scenes pay dispute resulted in producers hastily killing her off, Shaw had previously attempted to crack the charts with debut single Happenin’ All Over Again. 

A cover of the much loved Lonnie Gordon classic, the song was tentatively released by independent label Love This Records in 1997. 

But unlike Gordon’s top ten hit, Shaw’s version struggled to make a commercial impact and stalled at number 46 on the UK Singles Chart. 

Forgettable second single Ridin’ High, released the following year, shattered any lingering hopes of pop success by limping to 78 before disappearing without a trace. 

It would be Shaw’s final release before she turned to acting. 

9. HOLLY VALANCE 

The sultry Australian actress had only starred on Melbourne based soap opera Neighbours for three years before leaving in search of pop stardom. 

Valance, whose role as Felicity ‘Flick’ Scully had turned her into a household name, enjoyed moderate chart success in her home country after signing to London Records. 

But much like her Aussie predecessors, she would find a more receptive audience in the UK, where her debut LP Footprints climbed to number nine on the Album Chart  – a slight improvement on its number 15 placement in her home country. 

Lead single Kiss Kiss, already a number one hit for Valance in the UK and Australia, would earn her further recognition in the United States, where it reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Sadly her run of success would not last, with second and ultimately final album State Of Mind labouring to number 60 in the UK, selling just 8,000 copies in its first week of release.

10 STEFAN DENNIS

Long before revealing his ballroom abilities on Strictly Come Dancing, Stefan Dennis was impressing fans with his vocal skills after launching an unexpected pop career. 

The Australian actor had already endeared himself to millions as businessman Paul Robinson in Neighbours – but the sober suit was soon ditched in favour of a George Michael inspired leather jacket and stonewash jeans. 

Looking very much like a man in the throes of a mid-life crisis, the 31-year old Dennis made a game attempt at emulating the success of younger co-stars Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan with the release of his debut single, Don’t It Make You Feel Good, in 1989. 

A number 16 finish on the UK Singles Chart hinted at better things to come, but sadly for Dennis it would be his greatest achievement as a singer. 

Follow up single This Love Affair, his final release, struggled to number 67 before the star turned his back on music.

11. DANNII MINOGUE

These days Dannii Minogue is better known for her reality TV work on a string of high profile shows, notably The X Factor UK, Australia’s Got Talent, The Masked Singer Australia and I Kissed A Girl. 

But forty years ago she was emerging from older sister Kylie’s tall shadow to establish an acting career in her own right, starting with a breakout role on Australian soap opera Home And Away. 

Playing teenage tomboy Emma Jackson, Minogue would earn two Australian Logie Award nominations before quitting the soap in 1990, little more than a year after joining the cast. 

Keen to follow in her sister’s footsteps, the star signed her first recording contract with Mushroom Records in 1989, with self titled debut album Dannii released the following year. 

The LP would produce a string of moderately successful singles in her home country, among them Love And Kisses, Success and I Don’t Wanna Take This Pain.  

It would be re-released in the United Kingdom as Love And Kisses, with a modified track listing, in 1991, climbing to a respectable number eight on the UK Album Chart. 

Minogue  would release a further five albums, to varying degrees of success, across the next three decades. 

Her final album to date, the nightlife inspired Club Disco, was released in 2017.  

12. KYLIE MINOGUE AND JASON DONOVAN 

Perhaps the best of the rest, both Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan enjoyed hugely successful careers after parting ways with Neighbours and their respective roles as married lovebirds Charlene and Scott Robinson in 1988. 

Arguably the benchmark to which all musically minded soap stars aspire, Minogue has become a pop icon since earning her first UK number one with I Should Be So Lucky. 

Having enjoyed consistent mainstream success, the singer is the highest-selling Australian female artist of all time, with record sales in excess of 80 million worldwide.

With 17 studio albums to her name, she is the currently the only female artist in to score top ten singles in the UK across in five consecutive decades.

While Donovan’s pop career never quite scaled the heights achieved by his screen wife, he still enjoyed enormous success with debut album Ten Good Reasons – a number one in the UK in 1989 – and its long run of singles, among them the chart-topping Too Many Broken Hearts. 

He would also claim the UK number one with Especially For You, his legendary pop duet with Minogue, in 1988. 

Initially a product of the Stock, Aitken and Waterman conveyor belt of pop stars, the Australian star’s second album, Between The Lines, would be his last mainstream success.