SINGER and budding actress Sally Cooper was today in the land of make believe after being plucked from obscurity to become one of the two girl singers in the re-formed pop band Bucks Fizz.

Bubbly blonde Lancashire lass Sally, 20, beat off competition from 3,000 other girls after she answered an advertisement in the showbiz paper The Stage.

Bucks Fizz had a string of hits in the early 80s, including their 1981 Eurovision winner Making Your Mind Up, Piece of the Action and The Land of Make Believe.

Now the band has been re-formed to go on tour and Sally will be one of the two new female singers, along with original member Mike Nolan and singer David Van Day, formerly with another successful Eighties band Dollar.

"I'm absolutely delighted. It's a fabulous opportunity," said Sally, a former pupil at St John's Primary and Walton High School, Nelson.

"They've given me a six month contract and if they like me they will keep me on for longer."

Sally's mum and dad Jack and Linda live in Burnley and her sister Susannah is well known in local amateur dramatic circles. Sally, who adopted her father's Christian name to become Sally Jacks on stage, was only a youngster when Bucks Fizz enjoyed their first success.

"I would only have been about four when they were 'big' but I remember singing and dancing to their songs in the playground at school!"

Now she hopes Bucks Fizz can be just as successful the second time round. Their comeback tour will be launched with a series of shows at London's Cafe Royale next month.

But Sally sees her new starring role as only temporary. Her ambition is to take up the place she has been offered on a three-year Musical Theatre course at the Mountview Conservatoire for the Performing Arts in London.

She has been looking for sponsorship to help fund her studies but has so far been unsuccessful.

Now she will save her earnings to help pay for her course next year, as well as continuing to look for sponsors.

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