On graduation from university, she became a full-time drama lecturer at the Royal Holloway College for at least six years, was presenter of the weekend Breakfast Show on BBC GLR 94.9fm, and a BBC London radio journalist. She started singing in bands part-time, but between sets as a DJ she developed a facility in chatting to the audience. This led a friend to suggest that she could create a Karen Carpenter tribute performance, with singing; this she worked on and took to the Edinburgh Festival in 1995, where she was spotted by a West End producer.