Jessica Ellis

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Jessica Ellis
Born (1987-03-22) March 22, 1987 (age 38)
Occupation(s)Actress
Podcast host
Presenter
Years active1988, 2010–
AgentWGM Atlantic Talent & Literary Group
TelevisionHollyoaks

Jessica Ellis (born 22 March 1987) is a British actress and presenter. Ellis is from Liverpool but also lived in London. After first appearing in a television film as a baby, Ellis went to theatre school and in 2011 she had guest roles in the BBC soap operas EastEnders and Doctors. Ellis received praise for her acting in the 2012 plays Bedroom Farce and Happy Never After. In 2013, Ellis was cast as Tegan Lomax in the soap opera Hollyoaks and she remained in the soap until her character was killed-off in 2018. Ellis was sad to leave the role but was glad the door was closed so that she could look forward with her career. In 2019, Ellis launched her own podcast and began presenting The Guide Liverpool website, and she returned to theatre in plays such as Rita, Sue & Bob Too! (2022, 2025), The Book of Will (2023) and Pride and Prejudice (2025), as well as the Interactive live stream pantomime Cinderella Live (2020). She was also cast Fat Friends The Musical, but this was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The actress has also had guest appearances in The Bay (2023) and Coronation Street (2025), as well as a minor role in the Medieval comedy film Catherine Called Birdy (2022).

Life and career

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Jessica Ellis was born on 22 March 1987.[1][2] She is an only child.[3] Ellis is from Liverpool.[4] Ellis' mother is a Special needs teacher and Ellis herself has worked in special needs schools too, with the actress saying that she has always been interested in it.[3] Ellis' first acting role came in 1988, where she appeared as a baby in the TV movie Double Standard.[1][5] Ellis went to theatre school.[3] Ellis lived in London for eight years prior to 2013 and said that she was really in the "theatre scene" there.[6] In between acting jobs, Ellis has worked as a nanny.[3] In 2021, Ellis said that her agent was Guy Howe from WGM Atlantic Talent & Literary Group.[7] Ellis also part of Off Limits Entertainment.[8]

In 2010, Ellis appeared in the play Defined By Design at The Old Vic theatre.[9] Ellis then appeared in two episodes, which were broadcast on 23 and 25 August 2011, of the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Debs, and that same year she appeared in an episode of Doctors.[10][11][2] Ellis then portrayed Kate in Theatre by the Lake's production of Bedroom Farce, which ran from May to November 2012.[12][13] David Chadderton from British Theatre Guide opined that Ellis gave a "great performance" in the production.[14] Anne Hopper from The Stage was impressed with Ellis' "fine performance" and believed that she had "exactly the right blend of warm-hearted enthusiasm".[15] Also in 2012, Ellis acted in the two-hander play Happy Never After at the Pleasance Theatre.[16] Miriam Zendle from WhatsOnStage.com praised Ellis' performance and called it a "five star play in every respect".[16]

Ellis became friends with her Hollyoaks co-stars Duncan James (left) and Kirsty-Leigh Porter (right).

In September 2013, it was announced that Ellis had joined the cast of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as Tegan Lomax.[17] Tegan and her two sisters Leela (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) and Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell) were introduced to the soap by executive producer Bryan Kirkwood, who wanted to bring in a "strong female force" and a family for the sisters' half-brother Ste Hay (Kieran Richardson).[17] Ellis said in 2018 that she sees Porter as her sibling and that the pair call each "sister" and cause "mischief", especially towards Richardson, on set.[3] Ellis' debut aired on 23 October 2013;[1] Tegan's first episode involved a "shocking twist" which saw the character give birth, having not known that she was pregnant.[17][18] During Ellis' run on the soap, Tegan's other storylines included the death of her parents, finding out that her baby was swapped at birth, a love triangle with Leela and Ziggy Roscoe (Fabrizio Santino), getting diagnosed with cancer, an affair with Nick Savage (Ben-Ryan Davies) and a relationship with Ryan Knight (Duncan James).[19][20][21][22]

Ellis was happy that the producers trusted her to portray Tegan as having cancer as she wanted to raise awareness and she wanted to "make it as real as possible" and spoke to producers and writers and did research on the subject.[23] Ellis had a lot of input on Tegan's style and has said that there were times when she would find that she was set to wear the same outfit in scenes that she was wearing outside of work.[3] Ellis enjoyed working in the hospital set due to Tegan being a nurse and she joked that everyone told her that she looked good in scrubs, and she also enjoyed working with her colleagues, including Andrew Greenough (Dr. Charles S'avage); however, she believed that she would not be a good nurse in real life as she struggles to have sympathy for other people when they are unwell as she does not get sick often.[23][3] Ellis also enjoyed working with Cameron Moore (Cameron Campbell) and Santino; she admitted that she would cry when filming certain scenes at the end of Santino's stint on the soap.[3] Ellis also joked that kissing Duncan James as part of her storyline was fulfilling one of her "teenage dreams" and she could not get her head around it, and revealed that she and James have become good friends.[3] In 2015, Ellis appeared in Hollyoaks Does Come Dine with Me, a spinoff of Come Dine with Me with Ellis and other Hollyoaks cast members.[24]

Ellis' last appearance as Tegan on Hollyoaks aired in October 2018, when the character was killed-off in a storm.[25][26][27] Ellis was sad about her exit, adding, "It's the end of an era and I loved working there, but I was excited to be part of the stunt and I thought it was a really exciting death".[26] However, Ellis was also excited about the "next chapter" of her career as an actor; she added that she was happy that the door had not been left for the character to return, explaining, "I think if you're going to go, then it's final and it's a final decision. There's no going back, there's only going forwards [...]That was a great chapter and one that I look back on fondly, but now I can just look forward".[26] Ellis explained that she would miss working with her co-stars as they had become good friends and she considered them family and that there were a lot of "genuine tears" when she was filming her exit scenes.[28] Ellis added that she would also miss the crew, including the canteen staff, and that she had grown up on the soap, adding, "It has become part of my everyday life".[25] Ellis had known that Tegan would be killed off for six months but had to keep it a secret, although her family knew.[28] Ellis' parents came onto the set to watch her final scenes, where she had a full day of filming.[28] Ellis also thanked fans for their support.[25] Ellis found the support from fans overwhelming and told Digital Spy, "It was really emotional for me. Five years is a long time".[6] However, the support also made the actress happy as she it showed that her character was still making an impact on viewers.[6] Ellis said that she did not have enough time to properly watch the soap but would watch it if it was on the television because her friends are on it.[6] The actress also said that she would be open to being in another soap opera as she loves the genre.[6] Tegan's death came in fourth place, with 9.7% of the total votes, for "Most devastating Soap Death" at the 2018 Digital Spy Reader Awards.[29]

In November 2018, it was announced that Ellis had secured a new job as a presenter for The Guide Liverpool, a website showcasing events in the city.[30][31] In 2019, Ellis launched her own podcast called Dilemmas, where she and guests listened and gave solutions to the problems of her listeners.[6] Ellis had worked in radio in the past and loved podcasts, which prompted her to start this project; she added that she had "always been a bit of an agony aunt figure", including within the Hollyoaks cast, and that the podcast was "an idea with one of my friends in a pub and it went from there".[6] Ellis was glad that she had more freedom to say things as she was not on the soap anymore and that she had the opportunity to show her humour and have a fanbase outside of her soap role.[6] Ellis said that the podcast caught on quicker than she and her producer expected but she was happy with the positive response to it.[6] Ellis also revealed that she was auditioning with casting directors and that she was going to be performing in 15-minute plays in a Liverpool theatre company.[6]

In December 2020, Ellis portrayed the Evil Stepmother in Cinderella Live, an interactive live stream pantomime.[32] In October 2021, Ellis announced that she had joined the cast of Fat Friends The Musical, which was going on a UK tour.[7][33] Ellis was excited to return to performing on stage and called working with Kay Mellor "a dream come true".[7] She also praised her agent, Guy Howe, from WGM Atlantic Talent & Literary Group.[7] Several of Ellis' cast members in the musical had also worked in soap operas.[7][34] The play was meant to tour across the UK and Ireland beginning in January 2022.[33][35] However, the production was later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[36][33] In 2022, Ellis portrayed Michelle in Rita, Sue & Bob Too!, a stage adaptation of the 1987 film, at the St Helens Theatre Royal.[4] Ellis returned to the role in 2025, when the production did a 10-week nationwide tour.[37][4] That same year, Ellis appeared in the medieval comedy film Catherine Called Birdy, which Ellis was excited to be in.[38][39]

In 2023, Ellis starred as Alice Heminges/Susannah Shakespeare in the European premiere of Lauren Gunderson's The Book of Will, which was performed at various theatre throughout 2023, including Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch and Shakespeare North Playhouse.[40][41] Ellis worked with her former Hollyoaks co-star Helen Pearson in this production.[42] In 2023, Ellis also appeared in the British crime drama The Bay.[4][38][39] In January 2025, it was reported that Ellis had joined the cast of ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Brie Benson, an inmate who would antagonise established character Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) in prison.[43] It was revealed that Ellis' stint would last for a few episodes which aired that same month.[39][44] That same year, it was announced that Ellis been cast as Lydia Bennet/ Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Kate Hamill's stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which is set to be performed at five theatres across Britain between June and October 2025.[45][46]

Personal life

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Ellis is good friends with actress Daisy Wood-Davis.

Ellis said in 2018 that she is close friends with her Hollyoaks co-star Daisy Wood-Davis, who plays Kim Butterfield; the pair went on holiday together and saw each other "pretty much every day" outside of work.[3] Ellis has admitted that she does not know many people in the North of England and that she would like to get to know more people living in Liverpool and the North West.[6] In May 2021, Ellis announced on Instagram that she was engaged after her partner Michael Shaw proposed to her.[7][47][48] Ellis had told Digital Spy that Shaw was her boyfriend and that they were living together in 2019 and that he would appear in the background of her podcast; Ellis ended up creating a concept called Dilemma Extra – Michael Reviews in her podcast.[6] Ellis and Shaw had pet dogs, one of which is called Bob.[6][3] In June 2023, it was reported that Ellis and Shaw has split up.[49][50]

Ellis said in 2018 that her favourite television programme was Jonathan Creek and that she wanted to have the lead actor Alan Davies cast as Tegan's love interest.[3] Ellis also enjoyed watching the television series 13 Reasons Why and believed that it was important for young people to watch in order to learn about hurting someone's feelings without realising.[51] Ellis has also shared videos of her working out at the gym on her social media.[52] Ellis is friends with actress Kimberly Hart-Simpson; the pair met when they were 19 at theatre school and were cast in productions together as a "double act".[53] She made an awards dress for Ellis in 2018, which Simpson said got much coverage due to Ellis looking like "the lead character in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."[53] Simpson and Ellis worked together in Cinderella Live in 2020.[32] Flick said that she is worried about the impact of "fakeness" of social media on young people, and added that she wanted people to know that "you have to work for where you get to".[6] Ellis has said that she has a phobia of ears and that she is "never" physically unwell.[3]

Acting credits

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Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1988 Double Standard — TV movie [1]
2011 EastEnders Debs Guest role (2 episodes) [2]
2011 Doctors Tina Leith Guest role (1 episode) [2]
2013–18 Hollyoaks Tegan Lomax Regular role [26]
2015 Hollyoaks Does Come Dine with Me Herself Main cast [24]
2020 Cinderella Live Evil Stepmother Interactive live stream pantomime [32]
2022 Catherine Called Birdy Laundress Medieval comedy film [38]
2023 The Bay Tina Shaw Guest role [38]
2025 Coronation Street Brie Benson Guest role [43]

Theatre

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Year Production Role Ref.
2010 Defined By Design — [9]
2012 Bedroom Farce Kate [13]
2012 Happy Never After — [16]
2022[a] Fat Friends The Musical Kelly [7]
2022, 2025 Rita, Sue & Bob Too! Michelle [4]
2023 The Book of Will Alice Heminges/ Susannah Shakespeare [41]
2025 Pride and Prejudice Lydia Bennet / Lady Catherine de Bourgh [46]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Donaldson, Laura (25 October 2018). "Hollyoaks Jessica Ellis: Tegan Lomax actress' age and plans for the future revealed as character dies on the show". OK!. Reach plc. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d King, Danni; Francis, Katie (15 January 2025). "Coronation Street fans shocked as they realise where they've seen inmate Brie before". LancsLive. Reach plc. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bayley, Nikki (27 January – 2 February 2018). "You ask...they answer! Jessica Ellis". Inside Soap. No. 4. pp. 54–55.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Rita, Sue & Bob Too! embarks on nationwide tour this spring". Forum Theatre. Tees Active. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Jessica Ellis". TV Guide. Fandom Inc. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Kilkelly, Daniel (30 January 2019). "Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis reveals all on new project, Tegan's death and life after soap". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Chase, Stephanie (8 October 2021). "Former Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis reveals new stage project with Coronation Street stars". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Jessica Ellis". Off Limits Entertainment. Why Media. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Defined By Design". Black Plays Archive. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  10. ^ Director: Tim Mercier; Executive Producer: Bryan Kirkwood; Writer: Pete Lawson (23 August 2011). "Episode dated 23/08/2011". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025.
  11. ^ Director: Tim Mercier; Executive Producer: Bryan Kirkwood; Writer: Pete Lawson (25 August 2011). "Episode dated 25/08/2011". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025.
  12. ^ Meads, Glenn (14 May 2012). "Bedroom Farce Spends Summer & beyond at Theatre by the Lake". WhatsOnStage.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  13. ^ a b Longstaffe, Stephen (4 June 2012). "Bedroom Farce (Keswick)". WhatsOnStage.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  14. ^ Chadderton, David. "Bedroom Farce". British Theatre Guide. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  15. ^ Hopper, Anne (23 May 2012). "Bedroom Farce". The Stage. The Stage Media Company. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  16. ^ a b c Zendle, Miriam (26 November 2012). "People Like Us/Happy Never After". WhatsOnStage.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  17. ^ a b c Dainty, Sophie (17 September 2013). "'Hollyoaks': Ste Hay's three sisters revealed". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  18. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (15 October 2013). "Danny faces more family drama". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  19. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (11 December 2014). "Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis: 'Tegan baby twist is mind-boggling'". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  20. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (12 June 2015). "Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis: 'Tegan and Ziggy are meant to be together'". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  21. ^ Hollingsworth, Di (3 May 2017). "Jessica Ellis reveals Tegan's pregnancy drama in Hollyoaks: 'She retrieves the test and sees it's positive!'". What to Watch. Future plc. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  22. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (8 November 2017). "Hollyoaks stars Duncan James and Jessica Ellis reveal "hardcore" top-secret scenes for Ryan and Tegan". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  23. ^ a b Daniel, Kilkelly (24 October 2014). "Hollyoaks' Jessica Ellis on cancer story: 'Tegan will stay strong'". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  24. ^ a b Kilkelly, Daniel (8 October 2015). "Hollyoaks stars Kieron Richardson and Jessica Fox on lineup for Come Dine with Me specials". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  25. ^ a b c Houghton, Rianne (25 October 2018). "Hollyoaks star at centre of shock death twist says goodbye in behind-the-scenes video". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  26. ^ a b c d Kilkelly, Daniel; Dainty, Sophie (24 October 2018). "Hollyoaks star speaks out after tragic storm death scenes". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  27. ^ Tutton, Charlotte (25 October 2018). "Tegan dies Hollyoaks: Jessica Ellis speaks out over Tegan Lomax's shocking death as actress admits she's 'sad' about being killed off". OK!. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  28. ^ a b c Seddon, Dan (26 October 2018). "Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis kept Tegan Lomax's death secret for six months". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  29. ^ Robinson, Abby (28 December 2018). "Emmerdale wins big at the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2018". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 31 December 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  30. ^ Timblick, Simon (22 November 2018). "Ex-Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis lands new presenting role". What to Watch. Future plc. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  31. ^ Edwards, Chris (22 November 2018). "Former Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis lands new presenting job after character Tegan Lomax is killed off". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  32. ^ a b c "Cinderella Live". Dorking Halls. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  33. ^ a b c d Wood, Alex (7 October 2021). "Further cast for Fat Friends musical announced including Les Dennis, Sherrie Hewson and Jessica Ellis". WhatsOnStage.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  34. ^ "The Hot list". Inside Soap. No. 3. 15–21 January 2022. p. 96.
  35. ^ "Fat Friends - The Musical". ATG Tickets. ATG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  36. ^ "Fat Friends the musical UK and Ireland Tour 2022 postponed". British Theatre. 13 January 2022. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  37. ^ "Rita, Sue & Bob Too!". Forum Theatre. Tees Active. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  38. ^ a b c d "Jessica Ellis". Octagon Theatre, Bolton. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  39. ^ a b c "Say Yes to Jess!". Inside Soap. No. 3. 18–24 January 2025. p. 21.
  40. ^ Dillon, Luke (13 April 2023). "The Book of Will starring Jessica Ellis, Helen Pearson and Bill Ward – rehearsal pictures". West End Theatre. Feud Media. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  41. ^ a b "The Book Of Will". Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. Havering Theatre Trust. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  42. ^ Dillon, Luke (23 March 2023). "The Book of Will – cast revealed for European Premiere". West End Theatre. Feud Media. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  43. ^ a b Sarrubba, Stefania (8 January 2025). "Coronation Street role revealed for ex-Hollyoaks star". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 11 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  44. ^ Hibbs, James (8 January 2025). "Coronation Street casts ex-Hollyoaks star for Lauren prison scenes". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 11 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  45. ^ "Pride & Prejudice". Theatr Clwyd. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025.
  46. ^ a b "Full cast and creatives announced for Pride & Prejudice". Octagon Theatre, Bolton. 15 April 2025. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  47. ^ Houghton, Rianne (11 May 2021). "Former Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis announces her engagement". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  48. ^ Matheson, Anna (10 May 2021). "Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis shows off gorgeous ring after getting engaged". OK!. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 28 December 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  49. ^ Rodger, James (27 June 2023). "Hollyoaks star splits from fiance two years after engagement because 'it wasn't going to work'". Birmingham Mail. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  50. ^ Archer, Katie (27 June 2023). "Hollyoaks star Jessica Ellis 'splits from fiance two years after he proposed'". OK!. Reach plc. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  51. ^ "The Hot list". Inside Soap. No. 21. 27 May – 2 June 2017. p. 96.
  52. ^ "The gossip column". Inside Soap. No. 8. 27 February – 4 March 2016. p. 47.
  53. ^ a b "You ask...They answer! Kimberly Hart-Simpson". Inside Soap. No. 40. 3–9 October 2020. pp. 46–47.

Notes

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  1. ^ The musical was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[33]
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