Summer Strallen's Biography

It transpired that Summer Strallen was a plant in Hollyoaks and had actually been selected in real life at a West End audition months previously to take over from Connie Fisher in the role of Maria in The Sound of Music.

Since October 2007, viewers of Hollyoaks had been watching as Summer Shaw, played by Summer Strallen, pursued her dream of West End stardom. The cast of Hollyoaks like the television audience had been in the dark that Andrew Lloyd Webber had already cast the real Summer.

On 3 March 2008, Summer Strallen made her debut in The Sound of Music and received a standing ovation.

Summer Strallen grew up in Richmond just outside London and when not working elsewhere has often lived in nearby Twickenham with her grandmother.

Summer Strallen comes from a family of actors and dancers. Her parents Cherida Langford and Sandy Strallen were dancers and her aunties Petrina and Bonnie Langford achieved fame as dancers and actresses. Summer's grandmother Babette Langford ran a dance school.

Summer Strallen's godfather is I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here winner Christopher Biggins.

In some ways, Summer Strallen's career mirrored her sister Scarlett. She understudied Scarlett in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Additionally, Summer followed Scarlett in performing at Regent's Park.

After leaving school, Summer Strallen went to Laine Theatre Arts, and, at 16, appeared in Cats in the West End.

Her credits on stage have included Guys And Dolls, Cats, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Boyfriend.

Summer Strallen has Chihuahua dogs. In 2009 she appeared with her dog Bam Bam in the PDSA Pet Pawtraits calendar.

In 2012, Summer Strallen and Tom Chambers were cast in the lead roles of Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont in Top Hat in London's West End.

Subsequent credits included playing Maud Marshmorton in A Damsel in Distress and Inga in the stage production of Young Frankenstein.