Hear'Say star Suzanne Shaw says joining Emmerdale was a mistake in furious row with agent

Singer has said that starring in was a mistake and revealed she had a furious row with her agent over trying to break Hollywood instead.

The 43-year-old found fame in 2000 when Their debut single, Pure and Simple, became the fastest selling non-charity record ever in the UK. After the band split in 2002, Suzanne pursued acting. In 2010, , the granddaughter of longstanding character Edna Birch. Despite being a popular member of the cast, Suzanne surprised fans by quitting the following year.

"After my big break in and spending time in the entertainment industry, I found it harder and harder to believe in my goals the way I used to,' explains Suzanne. 'It was strange really, the more successful I became, the more my self-doubt grew.

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'It was crazy - the more experience I gained, the less I felt supported. Or maybe I had just started giving too much weight to the opinions of those who claimed to know best. Before fame, I never used to take on the doubters… “Darling, you’ll never be a popstar” and “Darling, you must have a plan B”.'

Reflecting on her past career choices in a new online post on Substack this week, the mum of two adds: "I’ll never forget sitting in a restaurant with one of the biggest agents in the industry, who was my agent at the time (no names needed).

"He shouted at me - actually shouted loud enough for those dining in the restaurant to hear. Calling me ungrateful for the opportunities they had lined up and saying, "Why do artists not just settle for what is handed to them." Perhaps he was right?

'The truth is, I wasn’t ungrateful. I just had a big plan, a dream. I was young, and I wanted to take my shot. I wanted to give pilot season [in ] a go instead of going into Emmerdale. That’s what the disagreement was about.

"Don’t get me wrong, I know landing a role in a soap is a huge deal and I learned so much during my time in Emmerdale which I am so grateful for. However, something inside me was pulling me in a different direction and I wanted to at least try.

"But I didn’t. Not because I changed my mind but because I thought it was best to settle for the opportunity before me - plus I was too anxious to not go along with the advice so strongly given. From that moment on, I stopped daring to dream big. I stopped asking for what I really wanted, in case I was seen as ungrateful again, too much and too ambitious.

"I started to lower my expectations, shirk my ambitions and settle for less. I started listening to what others thought was best for my life and career.

'I get it - everyone has an opinion, and it takes time to prove people wrong. But my biggest mistake since the restaurant incident was putting more trust in the opinions of others, over my own.'

Since quitting Emmerdale in 2011, , has kept a relatively low profile. Last year she revealed she'd ditched stardom for a new job as an alcohol-free coach after s.

Suzanne lives in Berkshire with her fiance, sports businessman Sam Greenfield, and her two sons Corey, ten, and Rafferty, nine.