'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."

Cape Town, South Africa is a far cry from rural Northern Ireland, but it is where Sophie will spend the next four months preparing for filming.

Her day begins at seven in the morning and the next 12 hours are packed with choreography rehearsals, studio recordings, script work, costume fittings and guitar lessons.

But she is "loving every minute".

"We've already had a table read, loads of cast dinners and the hair and makeup trials were my favourite.

"Every morning I wake up thinking, 'Oh my goodness, this is so insane'."

The original 2003 film followed four teenage girls from New York who formed a girl group and went on to become stars. Its success led to two sequels, released in 2006 and 2008.

More than two decades later, the franchise returns with The Cheetah Girls: Next Gen, with Lennon starring as Brooklyn alongside fellow young leads Leah Sava Jeffries, Carmen Sanchez and Kaileen Chang.

The teenagers travel to Africa to volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary, where they find their voices and take to the stage as the new Cheetah Girls.

Sophie plays Brooklyn, an ambitious teenager from a musical family who dreams of making it big, a character she said she "immediately connected" with.

"She's determined and she never gives up.

"She's all about supporting her girls. I feel like we're really similar."

As if landing a Disney film role wasn't enough, Sophie has already received four record deal offers from major labels.

Those conversations are on hold while filming continues, but music remains a huge part of her future.

"Now I've realised everything is possible.

"If you want something badly enough, if you work hard enough, and if you never give up, you really can get there."