Lisa Maxwell (actress)

Lisa Maxwell (born 24 November 1963)[1] is an English actress, television presenter and singer, best known for her role in The Bill as Samantha Nixon. Between 2009 and 2014, she was a regular panellist on ITV chat show series Loose Women.

Lisa Maxwell
Born (1963-11-24) 24 November 1963 (age 60)
Alma materItalia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
Occupation(s)Actress, television presenter
Years active1976–present
Spouse
(m. 2014)
Children1
Parent(s)John Murphy, Valerie Maxwell

Early life

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Maxwell was born in the Elephant & Castle district of Southwark, South London, in November 1963. When she was conceived, her father, John Murphy, already had a pregnant wife. Her 22-year-old mother, Valerie Maxwell, returned to her parents' home, where the three of them brought Lisa up. She met her father for the first time when she was 45. She has three paternal half-siblings.[2]

Maxwell was educated at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts,[3] and first acted on TV aged 11, in a schools programme A Place Like Home.[4] In 1981, she participated in BBC TV's A Song for Europe as a member of the group Unity.[3] They finished in last place[3] with the song "For Only a Day".[citation needed]

Career

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Acting

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Maxwell's first senior role was in Remembrance (1982),[3] and in the same year she voiced Kira in the Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal.[3]

In 1993, she auditioned for the part of Daphne Moon in Frasier, but the part eventually went to Jane Leeves.

She played Detective Inspector Samantha Nixon in the ITV1 drama The Bill between 2002 and 2009.[3] She joined the cast in late 2001 and filmed her last scenes on The Bill on 20 March 2009.

In September 2013, she appeared in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, playing Naomi, the girlfriend of established character, David Wicks (Michael French).[5]

In 2016, Maxwell played Judy Garland in the UK tour of End of the Rainbow and also joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Tracey Donovan, the mother of established character, Grace Black (Tamara Wall), and her half-brothers, Adam (Jimmy Essex), Liam (Maxim Baldry) and Jesse (Luke Jerdy).[6]

In May 2018, it was announced that she would be appearing in Celebrity MasterChef later that year.[7]

Comedy

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Maxwell appeared on The Russ Abbot Show [3] in 1990, which led to her getting her own short-lived TV show, The Lisa Maxwell Show on BBC television in 1991.[3]

Presenting

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In 1985, Maxwell won a television vote[citation needed] to become a presenter on the BBC Two pop music show No Limits.[3] The other winning presenter was Jeremy Legg.

She then went on to become a presenter on a number of children's programmes including Children's ITV flagship magazine programme Splash!

In March 2009, Maxwell began appearing as a regular panellist on ITV's lunchtime chat show, Loose Women. However, soon after starting she was forced to take a break after she fractured two ribs.[citation needed] She returned to the show on 10 June 2009. In March 2014, it was announced that she was to leave the show immediately, saying "It's not the same show".[8]

Other appearances

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Maxwell was the subject of This Is Your Life in 2003, when she was surprised by Michael Aspel while recording an episode of The Bill.[citation needed]

On 5 August 2008, Maxwell appeared in an episode of Daily Cooks Challenge.

On 7 March 2009, Maxwell, along with Patrick Robinson, participated in Let's Dance for Comic Relief. They danced to Riverdance.

On 27 February 2010, she took part in an episode of All Star Family Fortunes.

On 30 April 2011, Maxwell was a participant on ITV's Sing If You Can show.

On 7 November 2012, Maxwell was a contestant in All Star Mr & Mrs with her partner, Paul.

On 4 January 2013, Maxwell took part in a celebrity episode of The Million Pound Drop Live as a part of the Channel 4 mash-up evening along with Sherrie Hewson, Jane McDonald and Denise Welch.

On 28 December 2013, Maxwell took part in a celebrity edition of the ITV game show The Cube in a Loose Women special alongside Sherrie Hewson and Denise Welch. Together they were defeated by The Cube, but took away £1,000 which they split between their three chosen charities.

On 3 May 2014, Maxwell appeared in a special Crime episode of Pointless Celebrities [9] and, on 14 April 2018, in another episode, along with fellow cast member of The Bill, Trudie Goodwin.[10]

On 15 January 2022, Maxwell appeared in Casualty in the episode "She's My Baby" in the role of Alison.

On 1 February 2024, appeared in The Madame Blanc Mysteries in the episode "Kidnap" in the role of Nancy.

Personal life

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In April 2009, during an appearance on The Paul O'Grady Show, Maxwell revealed the deciding factor in her leaving The Bill was the long hours worked and that she had suffered two miscarriages during 2008. She also said her friend and co-star Roberta Taylor had convinced her to leave the show for the sake of her health.[11]

On 28 February 2012, just before a leap day (which would be the traditional day for a woman to propose), she proposed to her long-term partner Paul Jessup, with whom she has been in a relationship since 1997. She has one child with Jessup, a daughter called Beau, who was born on 11 October 1999.[11][12] They married in 2014.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1982 Remembrance Girl at disco
The Dark Crystal Kira (voice)
2006 Free Jimmy Lise (voice) Voice on English version
2020 Jeepers Creepers Fantasy Lover (voice)

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1976 The Many Wives of Patrick Katrice Waddilove Episode: "Why Not Tonight, Josephine?"
1977 Television Club Vicky 3 episodes
1978 Grange Hill Schoolgirl (uncredited) 3 episodes
1981 Keep It in the Family Walk-on (uncredited) Episode: "A Game of No Chance"
1984 The Hello Goodbye Man Elke Episode: "#1.3"
Danger: Marmalade at Work Maggie Episode: "What the Butler Saw"
1985 The Tripods Zerlina 2 episodes
The Gender Gap Alison Maitland Television film
The Benny Hill Show Hill's Angel (uncredited) 13 episodes
1985–1986 No Limits Herself - Presenter 10 episodes
1987–1991 The Les Dennis Laughter Show Various 32 episodes
1988 I've Got a Secret Herself - Guest Episode: "#3.1"
Life Without George Trudy Episode: "#2.1"
1988–1989 The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow Herself 5 episodes
Blankety Blank 3 episodes
The Joe Longthorne Show Various 3 episodes
1989 Carrott Confidential Episode: "#3.3"
The Satellite Show 13 episodes
Family Fortunes Cinders Episode: "Celebrity Christmas Special"
1990 That's Showbusiness Herself - Panellist 2 episodes
The Russ Abbot Show Various 13 episodes
The Paul Daniels Magic Show Andy Pandy Narrator (voice) Episode: "#11.5"
1990–1991 Wogan Herself - Guest 3 episodes
1990–1992 The Russ Abbot Show Various 13 episodes
1991 The Lisa Maxwell Show 6 episodes
Des O'Connor Tonight Herself Episode: "#14.9"
Telly Addicts Episode: "Telly Addicts vs. Telly Stars"
1992 Noel's House Party Episode: "#1.7"
Bottom Lilly Linneker Episode: "Digger"
1993 Comedy Playhouse Mojo Episode: "Once in a Lifetime"
Acapulco H.E.A.T. Vivian Quail Episode: "Code Name: Strange Bedfellow"
Celebrity Squares Herself Episode: "#5.3"
2001 The Bill Denise Stubbs Episode: "Long Shadows: Part 1"
2001–2002 In Deep Pamela Ketman 14 episodes
2002 Get Carman: The Trials of George Carman QC Gillian Taylforth Television film
2002–2009 The Bill DS / Acting DI / DI Samantha Nixon Recurring role. 280 episodes
2003 Murder Investigation Team DI Samantha Nixon Episode: "Moving Targets"
This Is Your Life Herself Episode: "Lisa Maxwell"
2004 Stars in Their Eyes Doris Day Episode: "Soap Stars Special 3"
GMTV Herself - Guest 2 episodes
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Herself - Contestant Episode: "Celebrity Special"
2005 Comic Relief Does Fame Academy Herself Episode: "#2.3"
2005–2007, 2016 The Wright Stuff Herself - Guest Panellist 4 episodes
2006 The Sharon Osbourne Show Herself - Guest Episode: "#1.22"
2007 Celebrity Supermarket Sweep Herself - Contestant Episode: "#1.5"
2008 TV Burp Herself - Guest 2 episodes
2009 The All Star Impressions Show Sugababe #2 / Barbara Windsor Television Special
The Paul O'Grady Show Fairy Rosebud Episode: "Christmas Pantomime"
Hell’s Kitchen Herself Episode: "#4.11"
2009–2014 Loose Women Herself - Panellist Show regular. 425 episodes
2010 All Star Family Fortunes Herself - Contestant Episode: "Lisa Maxwell vs. Duncan Bannatyne"
2011 71 Degrees North Episode: "#2.1"
Just Rosie Herself Television film
2012 All Star Mr & Mrs Herself - Contestant Episode: "#4.10"
2013 The Cube Episode: "Celebrity Special"
EastEnders Naomi Episode: "#1.4719"
2014−2024 Pointless Celebrities Herself - Contestant 4 episodes
2015 Celebrity Mastermind Episode: "#14.7"
2016−2017 Hollyoaks Tracey Donovan Recurring guest role. 24 episodes
2017 Celebrity Eggheads Herself - Contestant Episode: "The Cliffhangers"
2018 Celebrity MasterChef 3 episodes
2018, 2020, 2022 Lorraine Herself - Guest 3 episodes
2022 Casualty Alison Madbury Episode: "She's My Baby"
2023 The Weakest Link Herself - Contestant Episode: "#3.2"
2024 The Madame Blanc Mysteries Nancy Episode "Kidnap"

Theatre credits

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Year Title Role Notes
1988/1989 Goldilocks and the Three Bears Goldilocks His Majersty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
1989/1990 Congress Theatre, Eastbourne
1994/1995 Aladdin Princess Grand Opera House, York
1995 Grease Marty Dominion Theatre
1998 Boogie Nights Debs Savoy Theatre
2012 Chicken Lena Trafalgar Studios
2016 End of the Rainbow Judy Garland UK tours
2019 Calendar Girls Celia
2022 Judy: No Place Like Home Judy Garland Lyric Theatre, London

References

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  1. ^ "Lisa Maxwell - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  2. ^ Stephenson, Hannah (15 July 2011). "Lisa Maxwell: How I found my father after 45 years". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lisa Maxwell Loose Women, ITV, 29 April 2010
  4. ^ "Loose Women star Lisa Maxwell reveals secret heartache of being illegitimate". Daily Mirror. Reach plc. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  5. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (2 August 2013). "'EastEnders': Lisa Maxwell to play David Wicks's girlfriend". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  6. ^ Fletcher, Harry (7 August 2016). "Hollyoaks casts The Bill star Lisa Maxwell as Grace Black's mum". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Celebrity MasterChef fires up the ovens for another hot summer". BBC. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  8. ^ "HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media". consent.yahoo.com.
  9. ^ "Pointless Celebrities; Series 6 Episode 8: Crime". BBC. 3 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Pointless Celebrities; Series 11 Episode 5". BBC. 14 April 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Bill star reveals baby heartache" Digital Spy, 18 April 2009
  12. ^ Davies, Alex (20 September 2018). "Who is Lisa Maxwell's husband? Inside Celeb Masterchef star's family life". OK! Magazine.
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