Who is Jill Halfpenny? Walk Like A Panther actress and former EastEnders star’s photos leaked online in cyber attack
JILL Halfpenny has been a staple of British TV and theatre for two decades with major roles in several iconic soaps and award-winning shows on the West End.
She is said to be very upset after intimate photos of her leaked online after she was hacked. Here’s all you need to know about the actress…
Who is Jill Halfpenny?
Jill Halfpenny is an English actress, 42, is best known for her roles in several iconic British series, including Coronation Street and EastEnders.
The divorced mum of one is also known for winning Strictly in 2004 and being a Loose Women panellist.
Jill is one of Britain’s best love soap stars having starred as Rebecca Hopkins in Corrie before switching to EastEnders as Kate Mitchell.
She also appeared in Waterloo Road as Izzie Redpath and more recently was Diane Manning in drama In The Club.
Did her private photos get leaked online?
Jill has been targeted by hackers who posted 19 intimate photos of her online.
The soap star was said to be devastated by the cyber-attack.
A source told The Sun: “Jill is very upset. These pictures were never meant for public consumption. It’s an invasion of her privacy.”
What was her last major role?
In 2017 she starred in BBC drama Three Girls about the true story of the Rochdale child sex abuse case which shocked the nation in 2012.
Details emerged of an organised sex ring giving alcohol and small amounts of money to underage teenagers in exchange for silence over sexual assault.
Jill played the role of Julie Winshaw, a mother of one of the teenage victims, and appeared opposite Maxine Peake and Lisa Riley.
Her next major role was in Walk Like A Panther, a film about a group of 1980s wrestlers who are forced to don their lycra once more to save their local pub from closure.
She stars opposite Stephen Graham, Jason Flemyng and Julian Sands in the movie which is directed and written by Dan Cadan, a former assistant to Guy Ritchie.
Where have I seen her before?
Jill’s first appeared on screens during a three-year stint as Nicola Dobson in Byker Grove.
Her breakthrough role, however, was in Coronation Street where she played the role of Rebecca Hopkins from 1999.
She then switched over to rival BBC soap EastEnders where she played undercover policewoman Kate Mitchell.
In 2004 she took part in the second series of Strictly Come Dancing, and was eventually crowned the winner after scoring a perfect 40 score in the final.
Jill has since starred in a number of theatre and TV productions including Waterloo Road, Wild at Heart, Ordinary Lies, In the Club and an award-winning role in the stage production of Legally Blonde.
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Is Jill Halfpenny married?
Jill was married the actor Craig Conway in 2007 and they divorced in 2010. They have one child together, ten-year-old son Harvey.
During a 2016 appearance on This Morning, Jill revealed she once went on a cinema date with Declan Donnelly.
The pair starred together in Byker Grove before Declan famously went on to become half of Ant & Dec.
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