
How do you feel now that you've left the show?
"I'm really optimistic about what's to come. I'm out on my own now to pursue other things I want to do in the arts right now."
Andrew said some very nice things about you, he thought you would be at home on the West End.
"That was so, so encouraging, actually. At a time like that when you're being kicked off the show, for him to say something like that - it goes to show that there's a place for you where you really want to be. It's not what you hoped for by getting the role of Nancy but there's still a role for me to play and be in the West End. I do look forward to any of those opportunities coming up."
Is that part of your plans now - to go and audition for musicals?
"I do plan to see what opportunities are out there - I'm going to make a few calls! I've got my album which I do want to complete. I'm a singer/songwriter so it's something that I want to pursue as well, y'know, release an album."
What's a typical day like in the Nancy house?
"We're training a lot, really. Out training, finishing late, coming back to have dinner. If we get a chance we do interviews and stuff like that, then we go to bed and wake up and it's the same thing. We don't have a lot of time before the live show to work on our songs so we put so much into the training and have to learn about five songs."
You went out to meet some rats last week, how was that?
"Oh that was really scary. I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe this was actually happening, I thought, 'No, this can't be right!' and then I thought, 'The worst thing that can happen is we have to hold them'. I was eased by the end of it and I ended up holding a rat. I still say to myself 'I held a rat!' I've never seen one before, I've seen a mouse but a rat is a different thing. These were okay because they'd been handled before and they were clean. If they were street rats I would definitely not have gone anywhere near them because they're a bit more aggressive."
What did you think when you were given Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good' to perform?
"I was really interested as to how it was going to come out. I was excited because I know the song and it's the style of song that I love. Y'know jazz, I love the blues. It's a really good song lyrically so it wasn't a problem. I knew it was another side I had to do."
John said he didn't think you made a connection with the words, would you agree with that?
"I'm not too sure. My instruction was to sing from the heart and I felt that I definitely gave a passionate performance. It can be very different from how someone sees you in their opinion to how it feels to you. I was very happy with the performance. There's always things you can do better, progress every time you perform something. I felt like I was connected to the song because it felt right to me. I was very passionate about it, I got into the song."
You studied dance at the Brit school, has it been inspiring seeing so many former pupils go on to big things?
"Yeah, most definitely. It's been a place where a lot of people have done things, whether it's been highlighted in the media or not. Seeing Adele, Kate Nash and Leona Lewis all from the same place - it's a really good thing to know that the people from the Brit school are so serious about their art and go onto pursue it."
Which of the Nancys has impressed you the most?
"All the Nancys are great people, they've got great qualities that I so adore. All of them could play Nancy in some shape or form because the role is so diverse. I've liked different qualities in some. I really like Rachel, she's a great actress, a really great performer. She's a strong contender as well. I see maturity in Samantha, she's really good. Jodie has a great energy and she's full of life. They're all different elements that Nancy has as well. Who knows who will go through to the end?"
I'd Do Anything continues Saturday at 7.35pm on BBC One.



