'I saw off 300,000 competitors to become a Cheetah Girl'

Things are about to get a lot more Cheetahlicious.

For millions of Disney fans, that phrase instantly conjures up memories of one of the biggest musical franchises of the 2000s.

Now, more than 20 years after The Cheetah Girls first burst onto screens, the much-loved musical film is making a comeback with a new generation getting ready to strut like they mean it.

Among the fresh cast is a teenager whose biggest worry just a few weeks ago, was sitting her GCSE exams.

Sophie Lennon, from Mayobridge, County Down said her "life has changed overnight" since receiving the news she "always dreamed of".

But landing the role wasn't easy.

She managed to see off 300,000 other teenagers who auditioned during a global casting search, to secure just one of the four coveted roles.

Her self-tape had to showcase all three of her talents – singing, dancing and acting.

Luckily the 16-year-old is no stranger to the spotlight, having appeared on both Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent, performed on the West End, and represented Ireland at the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

But coming from Northern Ireland, Sophie knew she was an unexpected choice for a role so closely linked with American performers.

"I genuinely thought I had no chance," she said.

"So when I got the callback about a week later, I was completely shocked."

The franchise had initially considered a Northern Irish accent for her character Brooklyn, but later she was written as Irish-American.

Sophie has been working with a dialect coach to perfect the accent, but admitted it was "easy to pick up".

"I've always been quite good at accents and voices.

"It comes from watching a lot of American shows growing up, where I would copy the the things they said and did."

The life-changing phone call came just a few days before her GCSE exams began.

"I don't think I've ever cried so hard in my whole life. I actually lost my voice for a week.

"I was jumping for joy. I just couldn't believe it."

The biggest challenge? Keeping it a secret.

A non-disclosure agreement meant she couldn't tell even her closest friends while preparing for one of the biggest moments of her life.

"I just thought, there's no way this is happening because I'm just a typical Irish girl, and then suddenly I'm flying to LA for a screen test in a Disney movie", she said.

"I go to school, I hang out with my friends and my life has just completely changed overnight."