Her big break came when she performed Pie Jesu on the television show Talking Telephone Numbers in 1997, closely followed by a show-stealing appearance on The Big, Big Talent Show. This led to concerts at Cardiff Arms Park, the Royal Albert Hall and an opening spot for Shirley Bassey in Antwerp.

Charlotte was introduced to Cardiff-based impresario Jonathan Shalit, who became her manager. He negotiated a record deal with Sony, and her debut album, Voice Of An Angel, was released on 9 November 1998.

It went on to sell 600,000 copies in the UK, and made Charlotte the youngest artist ever to top the classical chart. Transatlantic success followed soon after. Clearly, grannies of the world simply couldn't get enough of the teen sensation.

Sony were quick to capitalise on her success, rushing out her second eponymous album in time for Christmas 1999. By this time, Charlotte was reportedly becoming unhappy with her musical direction - yearning for a pop direction, and citing The Corrs, Puff Daddy and Gloria Estefan as her preferred listening.

All wasn't so rosy, though. The partnership with Jonathan Shalit ended acrimoniously after he was sacked and replaced by Charlotte's mother, Maria. He threatened to sue before reaching a £2 million out-of-court settlement. At the time, her record company worried that the negative publicity would be damaging, but it didn't do much long-term harm. And the financial outlay wasn't much of a loss either: she's now a firm fixture in the Sunday Times rich list.

Taking two personal tutors with her on tour, the starlet found time not only to conquer the world, but also to study for her GCSEs and to write her autobiography. Well, in fact it was ghosted, but how many 16-year-olds have done enough to warrant a book being written about them?

But clearly the money machine wasn't about to grind to a halt, and her third album, Dream A Dream, was released to the usual international success in November 2000. And in October 2001 Enchantment was became her fourth album success.

Charlotte caused some controversy in the wake of the 11 September attacks, when she told the Sunday Times, "People tend to overdramatise and lose perspective". Though she later retracted the words, she was rounded on by press and public alike.

But give a teenager a microphone for too long and they're bound to hit a bum note at some stage. Charlotte hit the news again at the end of 2002, when she reportedly sacked her mother as manager, and refused to board a plane to do an American tour. But Charlotte Church has confounded her critics time and again, and proved herself a talent that will endure and grow over time.

She had a top five hit with Jurgen Vries in January 2003, and branched into acting in the same year's I'll Be There. But it was in summer 2005, with the release of her first pop single Crazy Chick and the album Tissues And Issues, that she truly proved the naysayers wrong.

As the second series of her Channel 4 chat show began, on 1 March 2007 it was announced that Charlotte was pregnant. A message from her management appeared on her official website, saying: "Charlotte has asked us to bring you the news that she is pregnant. For reasons of privacy, Charlotte has chosen not to comment on this matter, other than to confirm that she and her boyfriend, Gavin Henson, are delighted.

"In an ideal world, we would not have made this announcement so early in the pregnancy. However, due to recent speculation and persistent questions from the media about this most private of matters, Charlotte felt she had no choice other than to go public."

Her musical career is still on hiatus as she concentrates on motherhood.