A singer who made her debut on stage in Norfolk theatres is now hoping for success with her girl band as they release their first single.

Georgie Ryan, 23, from North Walsham, is a founding member of Pretty Fierce, a four-piece pop and R'n'B group, who launch their song 'Ready for Me' on Friday.

The band was formed after an audition in Sheffield in 2017, when Ms Ryan met Katrina Howson, 24, from Preston.

They stayed in touch and later won free time at a recording studio, where they were encouraged to continue working together and find more members.

The summer of 2019 saw the arrival of Macey Pick, 22, from Melton Mowbray, and Ayanda Mtethwa, 24, from London.

Over the following months they wrote songs and rehearsed, getting an idea of their sound, before entering a competition for free studio time with Mark Morrison, a musician most famous for his 1996 number one single 'Return of the Mack'.

Ms Ryan said: "Mark liked us. He gave us the free session and asked us to stay for a few days. That's where the single was born. He gave us that song.

"We had some good momentum going. But when the pandemic happened, that slowed us down a lot. That made life as a band quite difficult."

Lockdown didn't stop them entirely. They wrote songs in their bedrooms and rehearsed them over Zoom.

And in 2021, after restrictions were lifted, they moved in together in a house in Leicester.

Since then they have been rehearsing and recording.

Ms Ryan, who grew up listening to Girls Aloud, is hoping that Pretty Fierce can fill a gap in the girl band world now that Little Mix have gone their separate ways.

"I think there's a demand for a new girl group," she said.

She went to Antingham and Southrepps Primary School, St Nicholas School and North Walsham High School.

She also attended Marlene's School of Dancing in Cromer and performed at Cromer Pier as part of the Seaside Special shows and in Sheringham Little Theatre's pantos.

"We hope that people love the single. We just want it to get a good reception," she said.

'Ready For Me' is out on May 20 via MackLife Records and will be available on all streaming platforms.