Debra Stephenson
Encyclopedia
Debra Stephenson is an English
actress, comedian
, impressionist and singer.
'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.
She 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 ITV1's adaptation of Catherine Cookson
's A Dinner of Herbs in which she played the adult Kate Roystan who falls in love with the son of the woman who murdered her grandfather.
In 1999 she 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, she left in 2001, returning 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 a big 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 the top rated 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. Her final scenes aired on 31 December 2006.
In 2005 she 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 record deal and she has subsequently released a debut album "In The Sunshine". It includes cover versions of the songs she sang on the show, which range from Kylie's to Lemar's, as well as a cover of Madonna's "Music", which she sang on the "Madonna Mania" TV show. Stephenson was a reporter for GMTV
on Fridays throughout Summer 2007 as part of The Richard Arnold Show.
She appeared on channel virgin 1's The Prisoner:X in December 2008. 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 Jon Culshaw
and Debra Stephenson, 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 popular series was recommissioned for a second series in 2010 and then again for a third series of 6 episodes which started on 26 October 2011. As of October 2011, only the 1st 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 an impressive rendition of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal". She competed in heat 2/3 before the best six celebrity acts reached the final. The judges chose to put her through to the final as she had received some of the highest viewer votes that night. The final was live on the 13th 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.
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 on 26 November 2002, and Zoe Louise, born on 23 January 2007. In September 2006, before her Coronation Street departure, Stephenson hit the headlines when it was stated that she and onscreen husband Danny were having an affair
in real life. Both denied this, though they admitted they had grown very close.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, impressionist and singer.
Career
At the age of fourteen Stephenson appeared on BBC TVBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Opportunity Knocks, winning her way through to the All-Winners' Final, broadcast live from the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
. She appeared on Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
doing an impression of Esther Rantzen
Esther Rantzen
Esther Louise Rantzen CBE is an English journalist and television presenter who is best known for presenting the BBC television series That's Life!, and for her work in various charitable causes. She is founder of the child protection charity ChildLine, and also advocates the work of the Burma...
; she also appeared in other CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
programmes and was a backing singer on Chris Jarvis
Chris Jarvis (presenter)
Chris Jarvis is a television actor and presenter and has appeared on BBC television since 1992 - apart from 2001-02 when he was with ITV and Channel 4....
's 1997 charity single Glasses.
She was then on TV screens in 1998 in Kay Mellor
Kay Mellor
Kay Mellor, OBE is an English actress, scriptwriter, and director best known for her work on several successful television drama series.-Early life:...
's comedy drama about women's football, Playing the Field
Playing the Field
Playing the Field is a BBC television drama series following the lives of the Castlefield Blues, a fictitious female football team from South Yorkshire.-Outline:...
. Stephenson also appeared in the last two episodes of ITV1's adaptation of Catherine Cookson
Catherine Cookson
Dame Catherine Cookson DBE was a British author. She became the United Kingdom's most widely read novelist, with sales topping 100 million, while retaining a relatively low profile in the world of celebrity writers...
's A Dinner of Herbs in which she played the adult Kate Roystan who falls in love with the son of the woman who murdered her grandfather.
In 1999 she had a more prominent role, playing Shell Dockley in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
prison drama Bad Girls. Her performance as the psychotic Dockley earned her consecutive nominations for Best Actress at the National Television Awards
National Television Awards
The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
in 1999 and 2000. After three years playing one of the show's most popular characters, she left in 2001, returning for one last time in 2003.
As well as doing stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
at venues including London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Comedy Store
The Comedy Store, London
The Comedy Store is a comedy club located in Soho, London, England, opened in 1979 by Don Ward and Peter Rosengard.It was named after The Comedy Store club in the United States, which Rosengard had visited the previous year...
, Stephenson has played several roles as a comic actress on radio and television. These include Hosanna in the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
comedy At Home with the Snails
At Home with the Snails
At Home with the Snails is a somewhat surreal BBC Radio 4 comedy, written by Gerard Foster, about a British dysfunctional family. The cast includes Geoffrey Palmer as George Fisher, Angela Thorne as Beverly Fisher, Gerard Foster as Alex, Miranda Hart as Rose, and Debra Stephenson as Hosanna...
(2002), and sketch show
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
TV to Go
TV to Go
-Notes and references:* at BBC Online...
in 2000 with Hugh Dennis
Hugh Dennis
Peter Hugh Dennis is an English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and voice-over artist, best known for his work with comedy partner Steve Punt. He is also known for his position as a permanent panelist on the TV comedy show Mock The Week...
and Pauline McLynn
Pauline McLynn
Pauline McLynn is an Irish actress, comedienne and author, best known for playing Mrs Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, and Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless.- Early life :...
. She featured in the 1998 Chucklevision
ChuckleVision
ChuckleVision is a popular British television series shown mainly on CBBC. New episodes are always first aired on BBC One, and occasionally episodes are shown on BBC Two. The first episode was shown on 26 September 1987. It follows the adventures of the Chuckle Brothers & the Patton Brothers, who...
episode 'Stop that Stamp' as the Grand Duchess Olga. Stephenson was also a big part of The Friday Night Project
The Friday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project...
, interviewing the public and going undercover with disguises such as 'Debbo'.
From June 2004 to December 2006, Stephenson starred in the top rated British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
playing Frankie Baldwin, the wife of Bradley Walsh's character, Danny
Danny Baldwin
Daniel "Danny" Baldwin, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Bradley Walsh, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 28 May 2004 and remained until his departure on 31 December 2006.-Creation and...
. 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. Her final scenes aired on 31 December 2006.
In 2005 she took part in Comic Relief does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off of the original Fame Academy show where celebrities sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief, with the final of the show occurring on Red Nose Day...
, 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 record deal and she has subsequently released a debut album "In The Sunshine". It includes cover versions of the songs she sang on the show, which range from Kylie's to Lemar's, as well as a cover of Madonna's "Music", which she sang on the "Madonna Mania" TV show. Stephenson was a reporter for GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
on Fridays throughout Summer 2007 as part of The Richard Arnold Show.
She appeared on channel virgin 1's The Prisoner:X in December 2008. 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
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
. 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
The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson
The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson is a British comedy sketch show which stars impressionists Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson. A second series was broadcast between 14 November 2010 - 23 December 2010 and a third series started on the 26 October 2011 at 8.30pm on BBC One...
, led by Jon Culshaw
Jon Culshaw
Jonathan Peter Culshaw is an English impressionist and comedian. He was educated at St Bede's RC High School, Ormskirk and St John Rigby College, in Orrell, Wigan....
and Debra Stephenson, began recording in August 2009. Co-starring as lead regulars are Thomas Nelstrop
Thomas Nelstrop
Thomas Nelstrop is an English actor.-Early life and career:Born in York and growing up in Hebden Bridge, Thomas gained a B.A. degree in Actor Musicianship at Rose Bruford College in 2002 and has since garnered a successful acting career...
and newcomer impressionist Jess Robinson
Jess Robinson
Jess Robinson , is an English up and coming comedy actress and impressionist.Jess started out in theatre and trained at The Arts Educational School, Tring Park as a singer. She played Little Voice in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, by Jim Cartwright, at the Courtyard Theatre...
. Eight episodes were commissioned by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
; the first aired on Saturday 31 October 2009.
The popular series was recommissioned for a second series in 2010 and then again for a third series of 6 episodes which started on 26 October 2011. As of October 2011, only the 1st series has currently been released on to DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
In March 2010, Stephenson took part in Let's Dance for Sport Relief and reached the final after an impressive rendition of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal". She competed in heat 2/3 before the best six celebrity acts reached the final. The judges chose to put her through to the final as she had received some of the highest viewer votes that night. The final was live on the 13th March and she performed the same routine. The winner was Rufus Hound
Rufus Hound
Rufus Hound is a British comedian and presenter. He is also the winner of 2010 "Let's Dance for Comic Relief".-Career:...
who performed a version of Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
's "Fight For This Love".
She is also a contestant on the 2011 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.
Personal life
Stephenson attended South Hunsley SchoolSouth Hunsley School
South Hunsley School & Sixth Form College is a large secondary school and sixth form, situated in Melton in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England near the A63. In April 2010, the school became an Academy.-Overview:...
in Melton, East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, 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
The Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre
The Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre is a drama school, situated in the city of Manchester, UK. It is part of The Manchester Metropolitan University. The school is one of the 22 members of the Conference of Drama Schools...
. She married builder James Duffield in June 1999. They have two children, Max, born on 26 November 2002, and Zoe Louise, born on 23 January 2007. In September 2006, before her Coronation Street departure, Stephenson hit the headlines when it was stated that she and onscreen husband Danny were having an affair
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
in real life. Both denied this, though they admitted they had grown very close.