Sylvia Young, who has died aged 85, nurtured the childhood talents of some of British show business’s biggest names, from singers such as Amy Winehouse, Rita Ora and the Spice Girl Emma Bunton to the actors Keeley Hawes and Billie Piper.
She opened the Sylvia Young theatre school in central London in 1981 and, during its first decade, provided the newly launched BBC soap EastEnders with stars including Adam Woodyatt, Letitia Dean, Nick Berry and Danniella Westbrook. She also trained young performers who went straight into featured roles on the West End stage, such as Denise van Outen in Les Miserables and Nicola Stapleton (later of EastEnders) in Aspects of Love.
