Chelsea Halfpenny | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 26 September 1991 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Television | Emmerdale Casualty |
| Partner | James Baxter (2018–present) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Jill Halfpenny (aunt) |
Chelsea Halfpenny (born 26 September 1991) is an English actress, known for her roles as Amy Wyatt in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale and Alicia Munroe in the BBC drama Casualty . She played Jenna Hunterson in the 2022 UK Tour of Waitress.
Halfpenny attended St Augustine's Primary School in Leam Lane, Gateshead [2] and then went on to attend St Edmund Campion Catholic School in Wrekenton, [3] both of which her aunt, Jill Halfpenny, attended. Chelsea then attended Sixth Form at Heworth Grange School in Gateshead to complete A level studies. She also attended Saturday fame school classes at the Reavley Theatre School, Gateshead. [4] Halfpenny lived on the Leam Lane Estate, in Gateshead. [5]
Halfpenny's professional acting career began in 2004 when she appeared in the Casualty episode "What Parents Do", playing an eleven-year-old girl called Karine. [6] In the same year, she was cast the role of Lucy Summerbee in popular children's television series Byker Grove . [7] Halfpenny secured the role after answering an advertisement in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle. [5] after leaving Byker Grove in 2006, Halfpenny continued to work in the North East. She featured in an independent short film for Sham Films, called Cherry Pop. [8]
Halfpenny featured in the 2010 short film Compulsion, directed by Andy McVicar. She Played the female lead Kelly, in a story of young adolescent love. [9] The film was funded by Northern Film and Media's Digital Nation Initiative Fund. Made for £20,000, Compulsion won the British Council Azz xx ward for "Best New Short Film'" at the London Film Festival. [10] On 8 October 2010, Halfpenny made her first appearance on Yorkshire-based soap opera Emmerdale as runaway teenager Amy Wyatt, who became a regular character. [11] On 11 October 2013, Halfpenny confirmed that she was to leave Emmerdale. Her last episode was shown on 14 November 2013. Later in 2013, Halfpenny portrayed Sarah in a short film called Lilium, a production by students at Teesside University. [12]
In 2015, Halfpenny joined the cast of BBC medical drama Casualty . She portrayed the role of Alicia Munroe, a year 1 foundation officer doctor. Halfpenny's first episode aired on 19 September 2015. Halfpenny had signed for eight episodes and departed the show on 14 November 2015, but in May 2016, it was announced that Halfpenny would return to Casualty, with her return episode airing on 30 July 2016. [13] On 15 January 2019, it was confirmed that Halfpenny would be leaving Casualty after four years. [14]
In 2009, Halfpenny progressed to the Open Mic UK national finals with Newcastle-based girl-band Vevo. [15] In 2011, Halfpenny featured on a DVD release by MWM Records, called Big River Big Songs. She sang a solo of "I Still Love Him" and sang a duet, "The Shoe Makker" with fellow Emmerdale cast member Charlie Hardwick. [16] [17] Both songs sung by Halfpenny were made for paid download on iTunes on 12 March 2012. [18] [19]
In 2012, Halfpenny took part in Sunday for Sammy, a biannual charity concert held in aid of the Sammy Johnson Memorial Fund, which benefits young performers in the Newcastle area. Starring alongside Angela Lonsdale and Denise Welch, Halfpenny played Lambrini, a young Newcastle woman on community service. [20] In 2014, she appeared in a variety of roles in the West Yorkshire Playhouse production of Maxine Peake's Beryl – celebrating the sporting achievements of cyclist Beryl Burton. [21] In 2019, it was announced that she would be taking over the role of Judy in 9 to 5: The Musical , as part of the West End theatre production. [22] In late 2020 it was announced Halfpenny would star in the UK Wide Tour of Waitress in the role of Jenna.
Halfpenny is the daughter of Newcastle DJ Paula Halfpenny [23] and the niece of actress Jill Halfpenny. [24]
In 2018, she began dating actor James Baxter, [25] and they announced their engagement on 13 June 2021. [26] In April 2023, Baxter and Halfpenny announced that they were expecting their first child together. [27] In June 2023, Halfpenny announced the birth of her and Baxter's daughter. [28]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Cherry Pop | Tracy | Short film | [29] |
| 2010 | Compulsion | Kelly | Short film funded by Northern Film and Media | [10] |
| 2018 | Cry Baby Blue | Abi | Short film | [30] [31] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Casualty | Karine | Episode: "What Parents Do" | [6] |
| 2003–2006 | Byker Grove | Lucy Summerbee | Main role | [7] [32] |
| 2010–2013 | Emmerdale | Amy Wyatt | Series regular | [33] [34] |
| 2015–2019 | Casualty | Alicia Munroe | Recurring (2015), series regular (2016–2019) | [35] [36] [37] |
| 2020 | Night Force | Herself | Narrator; 10 episodes | [38] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | British Council Award | Best Film Short | Compulsion | Nominated | [10] [39] [40] |
| 2012 | National Television Awards 2012 | Best Newcomer | Emmerdale | Nominated | [41] [42] |
| 2012 | British Soap Awards 2012 | Best Actress | Emmerdale | Nominated | [43] |
Byker Grove is a British teen drama and coming of age television series which aired between 1989 and 2006 as part of CBBC on BBC One.
Ant & Dec is a British television presenting duo consisting of Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly from Newcastle upon Tyne. Formed after them meeting as child actors on CBBC's drama Byker Grove, they performed together as pop musicians PJ & Duncan, the names of their characters from the series.
Jill Halfpenny is an English actress who first garnered attention playing Nicola Dobson in the coming-of-age BBC drama series Byker Grove (1989–1992). She became more widely known for her roles as Rebecca Hopkins on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (1999–2000), Kate Mitchell on the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2002–2005), and Izzie Redpath in Waterloo Road (2006–2007). Her other notable credits include Babylon (2014), In the Club (2014–2016), Humans (2015), Three Girls (2017), Liar (2017–2020), Dark Money (2019), The Drowning (2021), and The Long Shadow (2023). She won the second series of the television dance contest Strictly Come Dancing in 2004.
Donna Marie Theresa Air is an English actress, producer and philanthropist.
Ben Price is a British actor, director and writer. He has played the role of Nick Tilsley in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and has made four films as a writer/director, the first of which, I'm Sorry To Tell You, was BAFTA-shortlisted.
Tracey Wilkinson is an English actress primarily known for her role as Di Barker in the series Bad Girls. She joined the prison drama in Series 2 as a caring prison officer new to G-Wing, but by the end of her time on the programme in Series 7 Di was herself behind bars in the prison in which she had served as an officer, accused of murdering her second husband, corrupt Wing Governor, Jim Fenner - though she was in fact innocent of the crime.
Victoria Temperley, also known as Vicky Hawkins, is an English actress known for her Geordie roles. She played the role of Sharon Lambert in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale.
James William Baxter is an English actor known for his roles as Jake Doland in Emmerdale, Anthony in Alma's Not Normal, Leroy in Still Open All Hours, and Jesus in Red Dwarf. Since 2023, he has portrayed deputy head teacher Joe Casey in Waterloo Road.
Amy Barton is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Natalie Ann Jamieson. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 8 October 2010, played by Chelsea Halfpenny. Since her inception Amy has been central to main storylines and has been played as the serial's rebellious teenager. Halfpenny has said she enjoys playing the character's mischievous side. Amy's unstable upbringing in children's homes and foster care has impacted on her persona. She is a troubled character and protects herself by creating a hard exterior. Amy's biggest fear is embarrassment and she aspires to lead a normal family life with her foster parents Val Pollard and Eric Pollard. As her storylines have developed she has grown close to the pair, yet rebelled at various stages. Charlie Hardwick and Chris Chittell who play Val and Eric have expressed their delight with the positive impact Amy has had on their on-screen family.
Laura Norton is an English actress, known for her role as Kerry Wyatt on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Norton has also appeared in numerous television series working for ITV and the BBC, and has significant theatre credits, including The Royal Shakespeare Company and the Live Theatre Company.
The thirtieth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 29 August 2015, and concluded on 30 July 2016. The series consisted of 43 episodes, including the broadcast of the show's 1000th episode on 25 June 2016. Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, while Oliver Kent continued his role as the show's executive producer. Seventeen cast members reprised their roles from the previous series with five actors, including three long-serving cast members, departing during this series. Chelsea Halfpenny appeared in the serial between September and November 2015 as F2 Alicia Munroe, reprising the role as a main cast member in July 2016. Alistair Brammer joined the cast for a four-month guest stint as receptionist Jack Diamond in December 2015. Three new regular cast members joined the serial in spring 2016: Lloyd Everitt as paramedic Jez Andrews; Jason Durr as staff nurse David Hide; and Jaye Griffiths as consultant Elle Gardner.
Lily Chao is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by actress Crystal Yu. She first appeared in the series twenty-eight episode "Bedside Manners", broadcast on 3 August 2013. Lily arrives at Holby City hospital to resume her second year of the Foundation Programme. Yu had previously appeared in the show as a separate guest character. She also decided to learn certain medical procedures to make her character believable. Lily is characterised as an ambitious junior doctor and intelligent high-achiever. Lily is good at her job but lacks any "bedside manner" and her no-nonsense attitude causes problems with colleagues and patients alike. The character was originally working towards a career in dermatology but becomes accustomed to the variety of work the Holby City's Emergency Department has to offer.
Ethan Hardy is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by actor George Rainsford. He first appeared in the series twenty-eight episode "Bad Timing", broadcast on 11 January 2014. Rainsford's casting was announced alongside Richard Winsor who had been hired to play Ethan's brother Caleb Knight. The pair were described by the show's executive producer Oliver Kent as completely different characters who would change the dynamic on Casualty. Ethan is a Specialist registrar in emergency medicine and is an excellent medic who had worked hard to achieve his position in the profession. He is characterised as a shy, socially awkward person with a serious and attentive attitude. Throughout his inclusion in the show Ethan has shared an on-screen friendship with like minded Lily Chao. He has had romantic stories alongside the character Honey Wright. Writers developed Ethan's relationship with his brother Cal into a sibling rivalry. This has provided both characters with dramatic stories.
The thirty-first series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2016, and concluded on 29 July 2017. The series consisted of 44 episodes, including the show's feature-length thirtieth anniversary special episode, "Too Old for This Shift". Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, while Oliver Kent continued his role as the show's executive producer until the end of the series. Seventeen cast members reprised their roles from the previous series with original character Lisa "Duffy" Duffin returning to the series as part of the show's thirtieth anniversary. Rik Makarem appeared in the series between October 2016 and January 2017 as first year foundation doctor (F1) Sebastian Grayling. This series also featured the death of regular character Caleb Knight, who has appeared since series 28.
"Too Old for This Shift" is a special feature-length episode of the British medical drama television series Casualty. It was broadcast as the premiere episode of its thirty-first series on 27 August 2016, on BBC One, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the show. The special, which is 99 minutes long, was co-written by Matthew Barry and Andy Bayliss, directed by Steve Hughes, and produced by Lucy Raffety.
Alicia Munroe is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by Chelsea Halfpenny. She first appears in the series thirty episode "Cradle to Grave", broadcast on 19 September 2015. The character is introduced as an F2 doctor for a workplace bullying storyline with registrar Lily Chao, appearing for a stint of eight episodes. Alicia is characterised as bright, bubbly and a try-hard, making her appear naive. Despite this, Alicia is a brilliant doctor who always does more than is acceptable for her patients. Alicia's backstory states that she has grown up in Newcastle where she attended medical school, but recently moved to Holby.
Sammy Tinkerbell Dobson is a British actress. Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, she appeared as 'Sarah Young' in the children's drama series Byker Grove, that was set in the city, from 2001-2005. She was subsequently in episodes of several British television shows, including Casualty, Inspector George Gently and Doctors.
The thirty-second series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 19 August 2017, and concluded on 4 August 2018. The series consisted of 44 episodes. Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, however, following her resignation in August 2017, was replaced by Lucy Raffety. Simon Harper began his role as the show's executive producer. Twenty cast members reprised their roles from the previous series. Lloyd Everitt, Crystal Yu, Jamie Davis left their respective roles during the series, while Charlotte Salt reprised her role as Sam Nicholls from episode five onwards. Four new cast members also joined the drama in series 32. The series opened with a two-parter special set in northern France, which was followed by an extended 70-minute special episode. It is the first series in the history of the show to omit episode titles.
The thirty-third series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 11 August 2018, one week after the end of the previous series. The series consisted of 46 episodes. Lucy Raffety continues her role as series producer, while Simon Harper continues his role as the show's executive producer. Sixteen regular cast members reprised their roles from the previous series. The series, which is billed as "The Year of the Paramedic", begins with a motorway collision stunt sequence, and features a crossover episode with spin-off series, Holby City. This series featured the departures of six cast members, including Amanda Mealing as Connie Beauchamp, Azuka Oforka as Louise Tyler and Chelsea Halfpenny as Alicia Munroe. Four new regular cast members also joined the series, while two actors began appearing in a recurring capacity.
Episode 1094 is the opening episode of the thirty-third series of the British medical drama television series Casualty, and the 1094th episode of the overall series. The episode was written by Simon Norman and directed by Steve Brett, and premiered on BBC One on 11 August 2018. The plot follows an accident which sees paramedic Iain Dean swerve his ambulance, containing paramedic Ruby Spark and registrar Alicia Munroe, to avoid hitting a woman who jumped off a bridge, creating a multi-car pile up and a petrol tanker exploding. The episode was announced on 24 July 2018 via the show's Twitter account. The stunt, which heavily focuses on the show's paramedic crew, marks the beginning of the new series, which was billed as "The Year of the Paramedic". Planning for the crash took place over several months and ten different explosions were created to display the fireball explosion.