Martine McCutcheon reveals she rejects most job offers in order to spend time son Rafferty

She struggled to have children and suffered several miscarriages due to Lyme disease, which left her body too weak to carry a child.

And now Martine McCutcheon, 46, has revealed that she is turning down most job openings to spend time with her husband Jack McManus, 38, and their son Rafferty, seven.

The former EastEnders actress explained how she won’t have another child to share precious childhood moments with.

Martine explained to: the mirror: ‘When filming, you have to be available 24/7 and it is normally 17-hour days. So that’s why I took a step back for movies and TV dramas.”

“We only have one child and I don’t want to miss anything. I’m not going to get another one to relive those moments. When jobs come in for myself and Jack, we say, “Family first to us.”

“Rafferty is so precious… we’re so lucky to have him. And what’s the point if we’re never around to pick up or drop off the school?

“We have to say, ‘OK, take that job and leave the other three.’ It is difficult. You want to be able to do them all, but you just can’t.’

Precious: The former EastEnders actress explained how she won’t have another child to share precious childhood moments with

Balance: “When jobs come in for myself and Jack, we say, ‘Family first for us,'” adding: “Rafferty is so precious… we are so lucky to have him”

In 2017, Martine revealed she had both LYME and ME ziekte

ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) is a long-term, fluctuating, neurological disorder that affects the nervous system and immune system.

And Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is transmitted to humans by infected ticks, with varying results.

In 2011, Martine was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome after being in a wheelchair, sinking into depression and staying home for a month because she didn’t want to see anyone.

The star, who rose to fame at the age of 18 playing Tiffany Mitchell in the BBC soap, shared how she collapsed and gained weight 20 times while doctors were baffled by her condition.

Talented: After her soap opera days, Martine won a Laurence Olivier Award for her West End performance of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (pictured in 2021)

Martine played barmaid Tiff in EastEnders for four years until the character was hit by a car on New Year’s Eve 1998.

She told The Mirror she’s not interested in a return, explaining: “If I went back now, it just wouldn’t be the same. I had the time I needed.’

After her soap opera days, Martine had a No. 1 single in 1999 with the song My Perfect Moment and won a Laurence Olivier Award for her West End performance of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.

In 2002, she won hearts when she played the humble love interest of Hugh Grant’s Prime Minister in Love Actually.

Most recently, Martine stunned the nation when she was revealed as Swan on the hit TV show The Masked Singer.

Iconic: She won hearts in 2002 when she played the humble love interest of Hugh Grant’s Prime Minister in Love Actually (pictured)