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{{article | publication = The Sunday Mirror | file = 2005-04-10 Sunday Mirror.jpg | px = 250 | height = | width = | date = 2005-04-10 | author = | pages = | language = English | type = | description = | categories = | moreTitles = | morePublications = | moreDates = | text = Billie Piper has had a rough couple of years — her pop career failed and her personal life went from bad to worse. But it seems there's now light at the end of the tunnel for Ms Piper. The new angel of BBC TV has been chosen to star in a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Following her role as Dr Who's sidekick Rose in the hit new TV series, the 22-year-old will play the role of Hero, a weathergirl, in the classic play, to be set in a television newsroom. Billie, who originally trained as an actor at London's Sylvia Young Theatre School, has had huge small-screen success since starring in The Canterbury Tales last year. The Swindon-born blonde — currently going through a divorce from Chris Evans after a turbulent three-year marriage, and now dating her former record publicity manager, Amadu Sowe — won critical acclaim for her role as the young wife of Dennis Waterman in The Miller's Tale. Most recently, critics hailed her as 'awesome' and 'real' in Dr Who. Meanwhile her ex-hubby, Chris, 39, is struggling to make his mark in TV land after a recent comeback. After presenting stints on the Brit Awards in February (when he was a bag of nerves, evidently) and Comic Relief last month, the one-time nation's favourite is now opting to work his magic on the airwaves and behind the camera. Chris's TV production company, UMW, has been commissioned by Channel 4 to make Eighteen Stone Of Idiot, starring comedian Johnny Vegas, in May. It's just as well Chris is staying behind the scenes, as it seems there's only room for one star on the box at the moment — and that's Billie. She says. 'I'm not in it for fame or money, but because I love it. I've no plans to make any more pop records. My life is acting now. I used to feel the pressure of, you know, maybe I should try this because the last time I did .2 that, they criticised me for x, y and z. You just get to a point where you have to stop 4 caring about that s**t.' Quite right. Caption: Billie is outshining her ex-hubby Chris Evans (above), proving a huge hit in the BBC's new Dr Who, with Christopher Eccleston (right) ---- Billie's Career CV • Billie first came on the scene aged 15 as a bubble-gum pop star in 1998 • She clocked up 1 million copies of her first album, the youngest person ever to achieve such success, but rumours of flings, abortions and drug-taking followed... • Three years ago, aged 19, Billie eloped with Chris Evans to Las Vegas, where they wed • They holidayed endlessly and lived in LA, where Billie took acting lessons • Her first credible role was a cameo in Brit flick The Calcium Kid opposite Orlando Bloom. She then wowed audiences in the BBC's The Canterbury Tales and Bella And The Boys in 2003 • The first episode of Dr Who, in which she stars, pulled in 9.9 million viewers • Much Ado About Nothing will screen later this year }}

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