EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS
Shiny and new (from left to right): Musical theatre actor and winner of Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream Tobias Turley, actress Ameerah Falzon, actor and news presenter Ruben Reuter, comedian Tatty Macleod, singer-songwriter Pritt, netball ace Berri Neil and explorer Lucy Shepherd
As we ring in 2024, hello! is proud to present our pick of the best new talent around. From the winner of a TV show who’s poised to take on his first leading role in the West End, to an indomitable explorer and documentar y-maker helping transform our view of the natural world, these budding stars are already blazing a trail in their industries. hello! certainly has a knack for spotting the cream of the crop – our previous Rising Stars include Paralympic champion Dame Sarah Storey and Strictly Come Dancing finalist Molly Rainford. Here, we introduce you to this year’s ones to watch…
When she was in primary school, Berri Neil would tell her peers that she played netball for England. Fast-forward over a decade, and the now 20-year-old has achieved her dream, playing for her country as well as top UK club London Pulse.
The 6ft Bury-born athlete gained her first senior England cap during the New Zealand series last autumn. “I must have manifested it,” she says with a smile. “I still get goosebumps when I think about it.
“I’ve supported England since I was ten, so being able to play alongside my biggest role models was amazing.”
Berri’s passion for netball was ignited at the age of nine, when she and her fellow pupils were offered a free netball session.
“I think I was the worst one there, but I loved it. I’d always been sporty, but I knew straight away that netball was my favourite and I wanted to stick with that,” she says.
Berri’s unwavering commitment saw her rise quickly through the ranks. “You have to really enjoy it, because you have to sacrifice so much,” she says. “I didn’t get to go to my Year 11 prom, but it’s all worth it.”
She started out with a loc
