Carrie's adult debut as Eponine is probably when she was at her most likeable and genuine. She came across as humble and hard-working, and seemed to honestly enjoy being able to share her experiences with her fans. It has been rumoured that when she was playing Eponine she advised her fans to ask for a refund if she were not performing on the night - a sign of trouble to come? Carrie later returned to the show as Fantine, and played Fantine again in the concert version of Les Mis staged in 2020.
War of the Worlds / Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Clips of Carrie's performances in these shows can be found on YouTube along with all the vlogs that she made about them. At the time, she still seemed fairly normal and down to earth, and didn't promote the shows quite as aggressively as she has with her more recent work. Her poor work ethic showed through in one of her Chitty vlogs where she showed up to a dance rehearsal with only Doc Martens and neglected to buy proper dance shoes, despite having said she found dance very difficult even for Truly which is a largely non-dancing role.
The Addams Family
Whilst starring in the tour, Carrie met and fell in love with Oliver. Their then-current relationships ended, and she and Oliver got together after months of Carrie openly lusting over him on camera. Backstage drama aside, the show contained a scene rendered very awkward by her obvious lack of professional dance training. This is also around the time that Carrie's ego became much more apparent from her vlogs and social media.
Heathers
Carrie's stunt casting in Heathers was evident both by the fact she did not fit the usual "look" for Veronica (compare most professional productions; Veronica is typically cast to look like Winona Ryder in the movie.) And by the score having to be transposed down because she could not consistently hit some of the notes - it was returned to its usual pitch for the 2021 West End revival and national tour. Carrie's vocal problems were exacerbated, and damage caused to her voice because she was under pressure to continue performing when she had tonsillitis.
She appeared to be unhappy that Jodie Steele (Heather Chandler) and Olivia Moore (understudy Veronica, who played several performances whilst Carrie was ill) were both receiving very positive reviews. This comes across in her vlogs and interactions with them. In particular they were praised for their singing, while Carrie's lack of training was painfully apparent in addition to her already damaged voice. Carrie repeated her act of being all over Jamie Muscato (JD) on camera just like she did with Oliver in The Addams Family. You can see from some of her vlogs and photos that Jamie was uncomfortable with it.
Carrie was upset by comments on social media that she was too large for the role of Veronica. She hugely over-acted in the song "Dead Girl Walking" (a raunchy musical number containing a sex scene) and stated that she felt it was a way of getting back at people who had commented on her size. While it's understandable that such personal remarks upset her, this was still an unprofessional thing to do.
Cinderella
In 2019 Carrie took part in the workshop for Andrew Lloyd Webber's new Cinderella show. In early 2020, Carrie was announced as the lead in the West End production of the show.
The show was delayed for over a year due to the pandemic before opening in June 2021. Carrie was due to leave at the cast change in July 2022 but the show abruptly announced its closure in May 2022 before closing in June 2022.
Following the disappointment of Cinderella, Carrie started doing one-off concert versions of shows in 2022 and early 2023.
Witches of Eastwick
Tattlers started to speculate that Carrie would be cast in the show when she tweeted this:
Then it was announced and she was joining the cast as Sookie and she performed at the Sondheim Theatre on 20th June 2022.
Treason
During her time in Cinderella, Carrie was workshopping other shows during the day and tweeted this in April 2022. When the composer retweeted her it was revealed the song was from the new musical Treason.
Carrie (and other performers) started posting this picture to their social media:
Then it was announced there would be special concert versions of Chess, Kinky Boots and Treason. Carrie played Martha Percy, wife to the failed Gunpowder Plotter Thomas Percy in the concert in August 2022.
The show is due to go on a short, fully staged tour in autumn 2023. Carrie took part in a read-through but announced that she would not be reprising her role as Martha in the tour.
Once in Concert
In March 2023, Carrie reunited with her former Heathers co-star Jamie Muscato for Once in Concert….but twice because they added an extra matinee performance after the evening show sold out.
Girl plays piano in Once so Carrie was asked if she would be playing it for the concert.
Girl also has a Czech accent was Carrie was asked if she would be doing on during the concert:
The concert was announced 6 months before it took place but they only had one week of rehearsal. Carrie seemed to rush her piano practice and learning the accent until the last minute which frustrated a lot of Tattlers as it was another sign of Carrie refusing to invest and grow her talents. On the last day of rehearsals, Carrie posted some ramblings stories saying how they should all be proud of themselves for staging a show in such a short amount of time. She then posted about how she'd "never been this nervous for a performance" on her way to the theatre.
People started commenting on Carrie's accent during the matinee show
This isn't the first time Carrie's accents haven't been great. She narrated the audiobook of The Secret Garden and these were some of the reviews:
There was a show-stop during the evening performance so they ended up performing Falling Slowly twice. Mark Shenton enjoyed the show but was praising Jamie as the stand-out more than Carrie.
There was a lot of discussion on Tattle about her wardrobe when pictures started appearing online. Some wondered if she was wearing her own clothes.
An Open Book Tour
In February 2022, Carrie announced she would be doing a UK tour called "An Open Book". Tattle questioned what more she could "share" that she hasn't already. She uploaded a picture of her celebrating the tour announcement as part of her "New Year's Eve 2022 Year Review" on her instagram stories.
There was confusion with some of her fans as the tour was announced more than a year in advance so they got the dates wrong.
In October 2022 she announced 7 new dates added to her tour due to "phenomenal demand". Joel was actually the one to post about this first
Tattlers started discussing the so-called phenomenal demand as most venues weren't even half sold.
In March 2023 she announced Trinity would be joining her as her support act for the tour. They're an Irish Classical Crossover group so Tattlers wondered why they were the ones chosen to support her.
Pantomime
Sleeping Beauty
On 22nd July 2022, it was announced Carrie would be making her panto debut in Sleeping Beauty at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury.
Tattlers started talking about whether this was a sign of Carrie’s career taking a hit following the flop of Cinderella, as a panto, especially outside of London, isn’t usually something a top West End performer does. Carrie has also made a few digs at panto performers in her books in the past.
It was also noticeable how her former castmates from both Heathers and Cinderella were booking more prestigious jobs than Carrie. She answered a Q&A saying the reason she was able to do the panto this year was because she was busy in previous years. This Q&A happened after multiple days of discussion on Tattle about where her career was going now.
There was also a lot of discussion around whether Carrie would be able to complete the full panto run as she had repeatedly missed Cinderella performances. Tattlers also discussed what her response to fans would be if she didn’t perform, especially after they altered her character’s name to include her own name as part of it.
Carrie didn’t get the best reviews when the panto opened as they said she was quite lacklustre and not over-the-top enough in an exaggerated way like a panto usually is. Comments on the panto’s social media didn’t favour Carrie either.
Promo pictures and videos were released showing Carrie’s limited acting and quite cheap looking costumes.
Carrie buys perfume and a ring to represent each role she plays. For her role as ‘Carriebosse’ she bought herself a rose thorn ring. Following their engagement, Joel bought Carrie a replacement engagement ring, costing over £200 before the sale, for her to wear whilst performing.
Tattlers started noticing a weird dynamic between Carrie and the rest of the cast. Reels and TikToks were uploaded by various cast members and Carrie was either not involved, on the side lines or seemed to be the butt of their jokes. Carrie rarely reposted these to her social media and when she did it was only with laughing emojis. There was also a TikTok uploaded that supposedly showed Carrie ‘in on the joke’ but people in the comments were speculating if that was actually the case. Carrie later posted about it on her stories, in typical Carrie fashion.
Plays
Chalk Circle
Carrie appeared in her first straight play in October 2022, as Grusha Vashnadze in The Caucasian Chalk Circle.
She teased the new role on her instagram quite a lot but nobody was able to guess what she was doing next.
Her casting in the play was discussed on here and theatreboad. They also questioned her acting ability.
Carrie posted her step count during rehearsals which sparked debate on here because yet again she's showing she doesn't know what it's like to work long hours in a regular job.
The Stage then included her in promotion for an article about 100 stage actors. Tattlers found it laughable seeing her picture next to great actors like Sir Ian McKellen and Jodie Comer.
The Crown Jewels
On 31st March 2023, Carrie announced that she will be starring in The Crown Jewels at the Garrick Theatre. The star-studded play is a comedy about the historical attempted theft of the Crown Jewels of England by Colonel Thomas Blood. The play is in London for a 10-week limited run.
Books
Despite having no English qualifications past GCSEs, Carrie is a published author and has released a number of books including a memoir, adult romance, and children’s books. This is how she described herself:
Tattlers have often discussed her having a ghost writer, especially with the amount of books she publishes. This was her reply to somebody asking in a comment on her instagram:
Many reviewers talk about her strange character names (such as Evie Snow, Vincent Winter, Colin Autumn, August Summer, Grayson Pear and Sonny Shine, all from the same book). Multiple reviews also multiple mention how similar her books are to other stories like Groundhog Day, Pushing Daisies and Chocolat.
One of her books was spotted in a clearance sale by a fellow Tattler which gave all of us a bit of a laugh that day:
Here’s a list of all the books she’s published and when:
2015 - All I Know Now
2016 - On the Other Side
2017 - All That She Can See
2017 - Winters' Snow (novella to On the Other Side)
2018 - When the Curtain Falls
2019 - In the Time We Lost
2020 - Into the Spotlight (kids' book inspired by much-loved classic Ballet Shoes)
2022 - With This Kiss
2022 - The Double Trouble Society (kids' book)
2023 - The Double Trouble Society and the Worst Curse (kids' book)
All I Know Now
Carrie started publishing books in 2015 with her memoir, All I Know Now: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing Up Gracefully. She had been writing blogposts when she was approached to turn it into a memoir. She explains it more here in an old reddit post:
This is the book where she talks about being bullied for her hair and eye colour.
She had an “Getting to Know Me” quiz, completed by her friend Celinde, boyfriend Pete and her brother Tom, that she included in the book.
The premise is about protagonist Evie Snow going on a journey in the afterlife to find three secrets that are preventing her from passing on.
This is an in-depth review and comments below the review:
This is an excerpt from the book.
All That She Can See
This book has been compared to the likes of Pushing Daisies and Chocolat and randomly X-Men.
Her protagonist, Cherry, has a hidden talent and can see other’s emotions. She’s able to bake good emotions into her cakes so she goes from town to town opening bakeries and selling her cakes to help people.
When the Curtain Falls
This is the Oliver fanfic! It's been compared to Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera. It also includes a horribly written rape scene that serves no purpose to the plot.
It follows to sets of lovers over different timeframes. One set in 1952 and another nearly 70 years later, they're connected with the theatre show they're performing. Here are some reviews:
Here's an excerpt from the book (trigger warning it mentions rape)
In The Time We Lost
This book has been compared to Groundhog Day. There’s a freak July snowstorm and Luna Lark gets snowed in at a remote little town.
With This Kiss
This book follows Lorelai who can see how somebody is going to die when she kisses them on the lips. It has been compared to The Raven Boys.
This is the one with the plane crash (how she sees Grayson dying) so she flies to New York to save him then gets a cruise ship back to the UK to avoid the crash, sod the other passengers on his plane right?
With This Kiss also included a ham-fisted attempt at being LGBT+ inclusive. The screenshot from her stories may be a little hard to read so this is what it says:
‘Ladies and gentlemen implies that those are the only two options,’ Love explained gently. ‘Although our personal pronouns are he/him and she/her, there are those who don’t identify as either and so prefer they/them. So terms like ladies and gentlemen reinforce the idea that gender is binary, which it isn’t.’ It was a perfect, well-rehearsed response. Lorelai wondered how many times Love had had to say those words, not only to those who didn’t understand, but also to those who refused to.
As well as the now infamous mermaid pictures with Oliver, Carrie has done other shoots with Linda Blacker over the years; including fairy themes, the princess and the pea and lingerie shoots.
Joanie Clothing Collection
In Sept 2021 Carrie announced a Carrie Hope Fletcher x Joanie clothing collection. It included jumpsuits, dresses, t-shirts and jumpers. They had prints like bats, butterflies, arrows and flowers as well as an Edgar 'Meowsical Cat' t-shirt and 'Complicated' and 'Born Weird' jumpers. The dresses and jumpsuits cost £48, the jumpers cost £38 and the t-shirts £25. They didn't appear to be a sell out as they ended up being heavily discounted
The Cardinals
She was briefly in a vocal group called "The Cardinals" with Celinde Schoenmaker, Ramin Karimloo, and Ben Forster. They didn't last long but were given a slot at West End Live (where Carrie eagerly performed despite now saying she hates it so much.)
Podcast
Carrie made two short-lived attempts at running a podcast: "Prattle and Pages" where she talked about books, and "Wonder Women" in which she and Celinde Schoenmaker discussed women's issues and famous women. Neither lasted long.
Papyrus Patron
Carrie is a patron of the charity Papyrus, which works to prevent youth suicide. She appeared in its "Bedtime Stories" campaign against online bullying. While this is a good cause for her to support, Carrie doesn't always set an example of being kind to others online.
Extras
Glossary/In-jokes
Tattler nicknames for Carrie include:
Carrie Fletcher = because all Hope is gone
Care Bear/Overshare Bear = "Care Bear" was a nickname she herself has used. Overshare Bear is more accurate
Many variations of her name: Granny Mope Fletcher, Cringey Nope Fletcher, Beggy Hope Fletcher etc.
Carrie Grope Fletcher = from her habit of inappropriate behaviour around male co-stars
Scammie = because of her overpriced "acting" workshops and other moneygrubbing
Kermit = what her attempt at an American accent in Heathers sounded like
Gilderoy = Carrie has many similarities to Gilderoy Lockhart from the Harry Potter books
Carousel Carrie = due to her being stuck in a constant cycle of repeating past roles and dredging up old stories
Carrie Corden/Corden of the West End = she's the theatrical equivalent of James Corden; they're both known as a "go-to" for being cast in musicals despite questionable talent
Freebie = cuz she never turns a freebie down
Carrotty = due to her unflattering shade of ginger hair dye
Karen = on account of her tendency to throw tantrums and try to get others in trouble when things don't go her way.
Tattler nicknames for her HUSBAND, Joel Montague include:
Shrek/No Neck Shrek/NNS - Joel has no neck and bears a resemblance to Shrek, who he played in an amateur production by his family's theatre company.
Joel Goldberg = refers to the book and TV series You, in which a serial killer named Joe Goldberg becomes obsessed with various women and lovebombs them. Sound familiar?
Joel Hope Fletcher = due to Joel losing all semblance of his own interests and personality since getting together with Carrie
Jojo's Bizarre Hairline = Joel has an "unfortunate"-looking hairline which we suspect is due to a poorly done hair transplant.
Collectively, Carrie and Joel are referred to as:
Crabbie and Goyle
Shrek and Fiona
The Montaguewws = Piss take of her and Joel's Montague surname because they creep us out so much
Asscrack Twins = When Carrie and Joel went to Croatia together and happily shared photos from their visit to a nudist beach, where much naked bottom cleavage was on display.
Other in-jokes associated with Carrie include:
BITCHES!!! = Joel opened a (now private) Facebook rant with "OK BITCHES!!!" to much amusement of us here on Tattle.
Budgie Smugglers = Very tight swimming trunks that Joel likes, and frequently poses in whenever he and Carrie are on holiday somewhere warm. His preferred brand is even called "Budgy Smugglers."
Captial = Typo for "capital" made by Joel when he and Carrie had to stay in Paris after their flight was cancelled, see above.
GuruGossip/GG = Another gossip site that used to have a very active thread about Carrie, most of those posting on the Carrie thread have moved over to Tattle. She joined GG to try and defend herself by posing as one of her own fans.
Hetero-Flexible = Carrie's term to mean she wants cookies for being an LGBT ally because she has kissed female friends when she was drunk.
Hopefuls = Carrie's fanbase. Also known as Hatefuls (because they descend on anyone that has even the most constructive or politely-worded criticism of her) or Mopefuls.
Larrie = Lauren and Carrie, i.e. Lauren Byrne, first cover Cinderella. Lauren was Carrie's closest pal in the show and has demonstrated similar behaviour as her - publicly criticising ALW and snapping at fans for asking when Carrie would be performing. The friendship may have soured somewhat since Cinderella ended and Lauren instantly landed one of Carrie's dream roles (as Miss Honey in Matilda), while Carrie herself was doing panto and one-off concerts.
Smiffys Wig = Extremely cheap, synthetic black wig worn by Carrie as Cinderella; which looks like something you'd expect to see in a pound shop and not a West End production. Even professional pantomimes have better wigs!
Sonder Society aka Chunder Club = Carrie's name for her paid Insta subscribers who receive private extra content.
Tom's Sister = cuz that's still how most people think of her
FAQs
Why did Carrie and Oliver break up?
We don't know, since neither of them has said anything publicly - apart from Carrie mentioning that he walked out on her unexpectedly. Oliver got together with his current girlfriend Alessia very shortly afterwards, leading to speculation about "overlap" with Carrie. We were briefly joined by a poster claiming to be an acquaintance of Carrie, who used to be added on her finsta. They alleged she and Oliver had an argument that was seemingly trivial, but ended in him announcing he was leaving. We can't verify this, however, the details fit with what little Carrie has disclosed.
Did Carrie audition for Olaf in Frozen?
This is another one heard on the grapevine. Again, we don't know - although it doesn't sound like the kind of role she'd typically go for (or that they'd cast her in for name recognition.) It's an amusing in-joke though.
Why are you fat-shaming Carrie?
Some posters comment on her weight, others find it disrespectful. We try to be tolerant of each other's opinions and not to make blatantly abusive comments or name-call (which would be against site rules anyway.) Most of us agree that Carrie appears less self-confident and comfortable with herself since she put on weight.
Is Carrie really Joel's first and only girlfriend?
No - at least one ex features on his social media. Carrie might be his first serious relationship though.
