Billie Piper

In my early teens I was already at a theatre school in London, Sylvia Young, with the intention of becoming an actor. I became the face of the Smash Hits relaunch in the mid-90s, and I had a series of commercials running in tandem. Hugh Goldsmith [managing director of Innocent Records, who launched his Virgin-affiliate label with Billie’s Because We Want To], asked me to make a demo, which went well because I loved singing. I didn’t think I was a great singer but I could definitely hold a tune. Then, I don’t know how long after that – it felt like overnight, I have no concept of timeframe around those years of my life – he signed me. And I started just doing live shows.

I was in a hotel in Maida Vale at first, then I got together with this guy who had a flat in Kilburn,