Connie Fisher
Connie Fisher was 23 and worked in telesales when she entered the BBC's How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
Connie Fisher went on to win the BBC series and now acts the part made famous by Julie Andrews, in London's West End!
Connie, who was born in Belfast, moved to Pembrokeshire when she was six and has been a member of Haverfordwest Operatic Society.
Connie was a member of the National Youth Music Theatre of Great Britain (1999-2002) and studied at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London.
According to the Dunvant choir website: Connie has made numerous television appearances including Jane McDonald’s Star for a Night, Owen Money's Just Up Your Street, BBC Children in Need, and Can I Cymru.
In an interview with pembrokeshiretv.com about How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, Connie Fisher said: "The whole experience is wonderful, brilliant. I am loving it."
Connie Fisher continued to enjoy herself after she had won the TV contest and was rehearsing her role of Maria in The Sound of Music.
Connie told The London Theatre Guide: "I was expecting some people to worry about the way it was cast but they weren't, they welcomed me with open arms, nobody's been less than 100% supportive and welcoming. It's much better than telesales!"
Connie Fisher's debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber's revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music at the London Palladium received excellent reviews from the critics.
Connie Fisher was nominated for best actress and best London newcomer of the year at the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, for her role in The Sound of Music.
In January 2007 Connie Fisher, jointly with Andrew Garfield, was awarded a best newcomer prize by the London Critics' Circle.
In March 2007, Connie Fisher took a break from the The Sound of Music for a couple of weeks after straining a vocal cord.
Soon after she returned, Connie Fisher reduced her workload slightly with fellow 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria' contestant, Aoife Mulholland taking her part on Monday nights and Wednesday afternoons.
In November 2007, it was reported that ITV had lined up Connie Fisher to star in Caught in a Trap as a woman obsessed with Elvis Presley.
When it was announced that Summer Strallen was taking over from Connie Fisher in The Sound of Music, Andrew Lloyd Webber told The Daily Mail:
"Connie has been a triumph. It is now time for her to move on to do something else, however, or she risks being typecast."