Anne-Marie: the only way isn’t Essex – this was like a school drama lesson

• Pop stardom wasn’t always on the cards for Anne-Marie. The 32-year-old singer spent most of her adolescence kicking and punching – literally – as a karate world champion. Her decision to swap martial arts for catchy musings on dating, mental health and female empowerment seems to have paid off: she’s landed a number one single (with British electronica trio Clean Bandit on Rockabye), been nominated for 10 Brit awards, played Glastonbury, and joined the judging panel on The Voice UK back in 2021.