Actress and singer Martine McCutcheon has been declared bankrupt after filing for insolvency at a London court. The 36-year-old, best known for playing Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders, petitioned under her given name, Martine Kimberley Sherri Ponting.
Bankruptcy trustees KPMG confirmed that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is the star's largest creditor. McCutcheon, who lives in Esher, Surrey, will be discharged from bankruptcy on 2 January 2014.
After leaving EastEnders, McCutcheon enjoyed a brief singing career, scoring a number one in five countries with Perfect Moment in 1999. She later won a Laurence Olivier Award for best actress in a musical for her role in My Fair Lady in 2002, and appeared in the film Love, Actually alongside Hugh Grant in 2003.
KPMG's David Standish, joint trustee in bankruptcy, said: 'Ms McCutcheon petitioned for her own bankruptcy at Kingston-Upon-Thames County Court. We are now responsible for administering her estate and are in the process of establishing the individual's assets and liabilities; the largest creditor being Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.'
McCutcheon's management declined to comment. Insolvency practitioner Ed Thomas of Mazars noted that celebrities often fail to manage their financial affairs properly, adding that HMRC gives warnings before taking action.
