Television viewers of a certain age will remember Rock Follies with affection... but not Oxford graduate Annabel Leventon.

Most people were enamoured of the story of three girl singers and their bid for stardom in the fictional group Little Ladies.

Airing first in 1976, Rock Follies won three BAFTAs, while the accompanying album went to number one in the charts.

Meanwhile, actress Annabel had to stop herself from shouting when enthusiasts talked about the Thames Television series.

“True to life? I want to yell. Of course it’s true to life. It is life. Our life. They stole it, for Chrissakes,” she writes in her memoir The Real Rock Follies: The Great Girl Band Rip-off of 1976, published yesterday.

In it she tells the story behind the scenes – how she and fellow actresses GB (Gaye Brown), and Di-Di (Diane Langton) formed a three-woman rock band called Rock Bottom, with her boyfriend Donald Fraser writing music for them.

Excitingly, there was discussion about making a television show with them playing themselves and based on their experiences.

But then it all fell apart. Record contracts were lost, relationships floundered and friendships were betrayed.

Above all, other actresses – Julie Covington, Rula Lenska and Charlotte Cornwell – were cast in their places.

The girls lost their dream but tenacious and determined Annabel – and her friends – fought back.

It took years but they finally got their case all the way to the High Court.

The book tells of the rollercoaster journey – the highs and lows – and the fallout from the court case.

Annabel, an actress, singer, and writer, who studied English at St Anne’s, presents a fascinating glimpse of the seedier, backstabbing side of showbiz.

The Real Rock Follies: The Great Girl Band Rip-off of 1976 by Annabel Leventon, published by NW1 Books, paperback, £9.99