Debra Stephenson

Debra Stephenson

Stephenson in 2015
Born (1972-06-04) 4 June 1972
Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Occupation Actress, singer, comedian
Years active 1989–present
Notable work Playing the Field (1998–2000)
Bad Girls (1999–2003)
Coronation Street (2004–2006)
The Impressions Show (2009–11)
Newzoids (2015—)
Spouse(s) James Duffield (m. 1999)
Children Max (b. 2002)
Zoe (b. 2007)
Website www.debrastephenson.co.uk

Debra Stephenson (born 4 June 1972) is an English actress, comedian, impressionist and singer, best known for her roles as Diane Powell in Playing the Field, Shell Dockley in Bad Girls and as Frankie Baldwin in Coronation Street.

Between 2009 and 2011, she co-starred with Jon Culshaw in The Impressions Show, a comedy sketch show with impression of top celebrities. Stephenson has voiced a number of characters for sketch shows such as Dead Ringers (2014–present) and Newzoids (2015–present).

Family

Stephenson's grandfather taught history at Longcroft high school Beverley East Riding of Yorkshire throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Career

At the age of 14, Stephenson appeared on BBC TV's Opportunity Knocks, winning her way through to the All-Winners' Final, broadcast live from the London Palladium. She appeared on Blue Peter doing an impression of Esther Rantzen; she also appeared in other CBBC programmes and was a backing singer on Chris Jarvis's 1997 charity single "Glasses".

Stephenson was then on TV screens in 1998 in Kay Mellor's comedy drama about women's football, Playing the Field. Stephenson also appeared in the last two episodes of ITV's adaptation of Catherine Cookson's A Dinner of Herbs, in which she played the adult Kate Roystan, who fell in love with the son of the woman who murdered her grandfather.

In 1999, Stephenson had a more prominent role playing Shell Dockley in the ITV prison drama Bad Girls. Her performance as the psychotic Dockley earned her consecutive nominations for Best Actress at the National Television Awards in 1999 and 2000. After three years playing one of the show's most popular characters, Stephenson left in 2001, the same year she appeared in Lily Savage's Blankety Blank;[1] she returned to Bad Girls for one last time in 2003.

As well as doing stand-up comedy at venues including London's Comedy Store, Stephenson has played several roles as a comic actress on radio and television. These include Hosanna in the BBC Radio 4 comedy At Home with the Snails (2002), and sketch show TV to Go in 2000 with Hugh Dennis and Pauline McLynn. She featured in the 1998 Chucklevision episode "Stop that Stamp" as the Grand Duchess Olga. Stephenson was also part of The Friday Night Project, interviewing the public and going undercover with disguises such as 'Debbo'.

From June 2004 to December 2006, Stephenson starred in British soap opera Coronation Street playing Frankie Baldwin, the wife of Bradley Walsh's character, Danny. She received nominations for "Best Newcomer" at various TV and soap awards shows. On 14 May 2006, producers announced that Stephenson would be leaving the soap at the end of that year.[2] Her final scenes aired on 31 December 2006.

In 2005, Stephenson took part in Comic Relief Does Fame Academy, a singing competition involving celebrities, to raise money for charity, and finished fifth. Among her performances was a rendition of "Cry Me a River" which was called "blemishless" and of Dionne Warwick's "Anyone Who Had a Heart". Her participation on the show led to a recording contract and she released her debut album, In The Sunshine including cover versions of the songs she sang on the show. Stephenson was a reporter for GMTV throughout 2007 as part of The Richard Arnold Show.

Stephenson appeared on Channel Virgin 1's The Prisoner:X in December 2008 where she was locked up for four days in a high security prison in America, where she spent a night in segregation and was treated as though she was an actual prisoner doing time in that prison. Stephenson played the part of Aladdin in the pantomime Aladdin at the Regent Theatre in Ipswich. The pantomime was shown on 13 December 2008 and performed again in January 2009. Because of this role, Stephenson appeared on the Celebrity Ding Dong Christmas special in which the theme was pantomimes and "goodies vs baddies". The goodies (Stephenson's team) won.

The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson, led by Stephenson and Jon Culshaw, began recording in August 2009. Co-starring as lead regulars are Thomas Nelstrop and newcomer impressionist Jess Robinson. Eight episodes were commissioned by the BBC; the first aired on Saturday 31 October 2009. The show was recommissioned for a second series in 2010 and then again for a third series of six episodes which started on 26 October 2011. As of October 2011, only the first series has currently been released on to DVD.

In March 2010, Stephenson took part in Let's Dance for Sport Relief and reached the final after a rendition of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal". The judges chose to put her through to the final as she had received some of the highest viewer votes. The final was live on 13 March and she performed the same routine. The winner was Rufus Hound who performed a version of Cheryl Cole's "Fight For This Love". She is also a contestant on the 2011 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.[3]

Stephenson was a guest for four episodes as Naomi Scotcher in Waterloo Road. In October 2012, Stephenson played the television cook, Fanny Cradock in Fanny and Friends on More4.

In 2015 she appeared alongside Ray Quinn in ITV's talent show Get Your Act Together. Since 2015, she has voiced a number of characters in the ITV puppet sketch show Newzoids alongside Jon Culshaw.[4] A second series aired in 2016.[5][6]

She has also appeared in comedy show Young Hyacinth.

Personal life

Stephenson attended South Hunsley School in Melton, East Riding of Yorkshire, from the age of 11, and during these years she appeared in a number of national TV talent shows doing impressions. In 1996 Stephenson graduated in Drama, from the Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre. She married builder James Duffield in June 1999. They have two children, Max, born in November 2002 and Zoe born in January 2007.

Filmography

Television
Title Year Role Notes
Spitting Image 1989 Unnamed role Episodes 7.1 & 7.2
Reckless 1997 Michelle Miniseries; 5 episodes
Cone Zone 1997 Coriander 6 episodes
ChuckleVision 1998 Grand Duches Olga Episode 10.8 - "Stop That Stamp"
Midsomer Murders 1998 Kitty Carmichael Episode 1.4 - "Death of a Hollow Man"
People Like Us 1999 Unnamed role Episode 1.4 - "The Police Officer"
Playing the Field 1998–2000 Diane Powell Seasons 1–3; 16 episodes
A Dinner of Herbs 2000 Kate Roystan Miniseries; 3 episodes
Sam's Game 2001 Sarah Episode 1.1 - "Bed"
Dick Whittington 2002 Alice Fitzwarren Television film
Spooks 2002 Claire Osborne Episode 1.2 - "Looking After Our Own"
TV to Go 2002 Various roles Episode 2.1
Bad Girls 1999–2003 Shell Dockley Seasons 1–3 - 31 episodes (main role)
Season 5 - 4 episodes (recurring role)
TV Quick Award for Best Actress (2001)
Nominated: National Television Award for Most Popular Actress (2000)
Nominated: National Television Award for Most Popular Actress (2001)
Mad About Alice 2004 Kate 6 episodes
The Last Detective 2004 Angela Barnwell Episode 2.4 - "Dangerous and the Lonely Hearts"
Where the Heart Is 2004 Charlotte Balderstone Episode 8.5 - "Little Boy Blue"
Coronation Street 2004–06 Frankie Baldwin 235 episodes
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy 2005 Contestant
Waterloo Road 2011 Naomi Scotcher 4 episodes
The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson 2009–11 Various roles 3 series; 21 episodes
Let's Dance for Sport Relief 2010 Contestant
Coming Up 2012 Emma Sullivan Episode 7.5 - "Postcode Lottery"
Rocket's Island 2012 Sarah 3 episodes
Fanny and Friends 2012 Fanny Cradock
My Mad Fat Diary 2014–15 Chloe's Mum 4 episodes
Get Your Act Together 2015 Celebrity mentor 2 episodes
Newzoids 2015— Various voices 2 series; 12 episodes
Coastal Walks with My Dog 2016 Co-presenter 1 episode
Battlechefs 2016 Contestant
Zig and Zag 2016 Nellie 26 episodes
Young Hyacinth 2016 Dulcie Cooper-Smith 1 episode
Additional credits

References

External links

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