 Originally known as Mandy Mealing, her first professional performance was in a Julie Andrews special on BBC television at the age of six.She then started Saturday classes at the Italia Conti Academy, before enrolling full-time at the age of nine.Parts in "Just William", "The Morecambe & Wise Show" and "Premiere" followed, before she was cast as comprehensive-school pupil Tracy Edwards in Phil Redmond's long-running BBC One children's drama series "Grange Hill."