Roxanne Carrion[1] (formerly Pallett; born Roxanne Kaboli-Nejad; 26 December 1982) is an English actress, television personality, and broadcaster. She played Jo Stiles in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale (2005–2008), and has appeared in the horror films Lake Placid 3 (2010), Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort (2014) and Devil's Tower (2014).

Roxanne Pallett
Carrion at an event for The Woman in Black (2012)
Born
Roxanne Kaboli-Nejad

(1982-12-26) 26 December 1982 (age 41)
Carlisle, Cumbria, England
Alma materLiverpool John Moores University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • television personality
Years active2005–2019
Spouse
Jason Carrion
(m. 2020)

Pallett has appeared in various reality television shows, including Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes (2005), Soapstar Superstar (2006), Dancing on Ice (2009), Celebrity Big Brother (2018), Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls (2018) and Celebrity Coach Trip (2019).

Early life

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Roxanne Kaboli-Nejad was born on 26 December 1982 in Carlisle, Cumbria to an Iranian father, Johandar Kaboli-Nejad and an English mother, Monica Pallett. After her father walked out on the family, Roxanne took her mother's surname and was brought up in Currock by her mother and grandmother. Her maternal grandfather was Italian.[2]

Career

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In her last year at university, Pallett co-formed girl group Urban Angel, writing songs for them with producer, ex-East 17 member Tony Mortimer. After landing a deal with a record label,[3] Pallett spent a year developing her music in London and co-creating a TV show. She later auditioned for several roles in Emmerdale and was offered the role of Jo Stiles.[4] During her three years on Emmerdale, she was nominated for several awards, including Sexiest Female, Best Storyline, and Best Actress at The British Soap Awards, the Inside Soap Awards, and the TV Quick Awards.[3]

In November 2005, Pallett won a celebrity edition of Stars In Their Eyes as Gloria Estefan, although the programme was never transmitted. In January 2006,[5] she appeared in the ITV entertainment singing show Soapstar Superstar, finishing in fourth place and raising over £70,000 for the Eden Valley Hospice Jigsaw Appeal.[6] While competing on Soapstar Superstar, she met her then partner, actor Richard Fleeshman. She was also named in the 2006 100 Most Sexiest Women in the World list by FHM in 2006.[7] Pallett went on to do photoshoots for rival magazines Loaded and Maxim.[7]

After leaving Emmerdale, Pallett took part in the fourth series of ITV's Dancing on Ice in 2009 with professional partner Daniel Whiston. She was voted off unanimously by the judges following a skate-off with former Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon, but went onto take part in the show's spin-off Bolero Anniversary UK Tour.[8] Scheduled to play the lead role in 2009 Christmas pantomime Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, she left three weeks into the run following the death of her best friend.[9][10]

In 2010, Pallett filmed a guest role for the BBC's Casualty. She also made her professional stage debut in Rock Around The Clock,[11][3] which toured the country until September. In the same year, she also made her film debut in Lake Placid 3.[12] In September 2010, Pallett toured with Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues, opposite Nikki Sanderson and Sue Jenkins.[13] In 2012, Pallett played a troubled 17-year old school girl, Shelby Dixon, in BBC's Waterloo Road, a role that was twelve years younger than the actress herself in real life, followed by a second guest role in Casualty as psychotic character Keeley Hyatt. She was also cast as Sarah McColl in British horror film Devil's Tower,[14][15] followed by the urban comedy It's A Lot, in November 2013. Pallett also played Janet Weiss in the 40th anniversary UK tour of The Rocky Horror Show.[16]

In 2016, Pallett began a run in the UK touring production of the eighties musical The Wedding Singer based on the Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore film of the same name. She starred alongside Ray Quinn and Ruth Madoc in the stage musical.[17] In April 2017, Pallett unexpectedly left the production mid-way through its run despite positive reviews.[citation needed] In February 2018, Pallett joined local radio station Minster FM as co-host for its weekday breakfast show, after admitting that she had felt unfulfilled and undervalued as an actress for many years.[18] Pallett left the station after seven months, following her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.[19]

In September 2018, Pallett appeared on the third series of Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls, which was filmed in May. She left in the first episode after the camp fire smoke reminded her of a childhood house fire and she suffered a panic attack as a result. After waking in the night in a panic, Roxanne told her camp mates: "Smoke that nearly killed my family in a house fire when I was 16, the smoke, the smell is taking me back to that time." Another misfortune on the Island which Pallett endured was getting her leg caught in a fishing net and having to be cut free by other camp mates.[20]

In 2019, Pallett appeared on the fourth series of Celebrity Coach Trip, which was filmed in July 2018.

False accusation on Celebrity Big Brother and further accusation

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In August 2018, whilst participating in the twenty-second series of Celebrity Big Brother, Pallett falsely accused fellow housemate Ryan Thomas of punching her.[21] She later slept in the spare bedroom, after she claimed that she felt uncomfortable sleeping in the same room as him.[21] Following the incident, Thomas was given a formal warning, and maintained that he did it with "no malice". However, Pallett branded him a "liar", and a "woman beater".[22] She subsequently decided to leave the house in the early hours of Day 17 (1 September 2018).[21] Two days after leaving the house, on 3 September 2018, she returned for an interview with show host Emma Willis, which was shown during that night's eviction programme, where she apologised, stating she had made a "horrible mistake" and said that she wanted to be forgiven for her actions. The incident, which generated more than 25,000 viewer complaints to Ofcom,[23] was dubbed "punchgate" by some sections of the press.[24][25]

Following this incident, actor Sam Attwater claimed he had a similar experience with Pallett during the Rocky Horror tour in which they both took part.[26]

Personal life

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In 2017, Pallett began an online relationship with steelworker Lee Walton, after Walton contacted her on Instagram through a mutual love for Elvis Presley. They met for the first time in December 2017, and a week later, Walton asked her to move in with him, proposing to her a day after she did so.[27]

In July 2018, during a feature assignment for Minster FM with breakfast co-presenter Ben Fry, Pallett was involved in an accident whilst driving an F2 Outlaw Stock Car at Hunmanby Raceway, North Yorkshire. Pallett had driven head on into a concrete wall on the first bend, and had to be cut free from the car by firefighters which took them two hours. She was then airlifted to a hospital by an air ambulance with a sprained wrist and some bruising.[28]

On 26 January 2020, Pallett married firefighter and former Married at First Sight contestant Jason Carrion at the Lutheran Evangelical Church in New York, two months after their engagement.[1] In June 2021, Pallett announced she was pregnant with her first child.[29]

Outside acting

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In 2007, Rosa Roxanne Pallett, a deep red hybrid rose, was named after Pallett and launched at the 2007 Southport Flower Show by Cheshire-based grower C&K Jones.[30]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
2005–2008 Emmerdale Jo Stiles 358 episodes
2009 Dancing on Ice Herself Participant (17 episodes)
2010 Lake Placid 3 April Supporting role
Casualty Keeley Hyatt 1 episode
2011 Generator Rex Various 1 episode
Total Wipeout Herself Contestant (1 episode)
2012 Waterloo Road Shelby Dixon 1 episode
Casualty Leanne Greening 1 episode
Crime Stories Linda Brooks 1 episode
2013 It's a Lot Louise Supporting role
2014 Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort Jillian
Devil's Tower Sarah MacColl
Crystal Skulls Melanie Cox TV movie
2015 The Violators Carla Supporting role
2017 Habit Alex
Partners in Rhyme Herself Participant (2 episodes)
2018 Recoil Suzie Main role (short)
Celebrity Ghost Hunt Herself Participant (2 episodes)
Celebrity Big Brother Participant (18 episodes)
Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls Participant (6 episodes)
2018–2019 Jeremy Vine Panelist (2 episodes)
2019 Celebrity Coach Trip Participant (3 episodes)

Radio

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Year Title Role Notes
2018 Minster FM Herself Breakfast show co-host

Stage

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Year Title Role Venue
2009–2010 Cinderella Cinderella Theatre Royal, Newcastle
2010 Rock Around the Clock Corinne UK tour (various locations)
The Vagina Monologues Various UK tour (various locations)
2011 Satin 'n' Steel Tina Oldham Coliseum
2013 The Rocky Horror Picture Show Janet Weiss UK tour (various locations)
2013 Ladies Day Shelley Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool
2014 On the Piste Bev UK tour (various locations)
2014–2015 Beauty and the Beast Belle The Playhouse, Whitley Bay
2016 Some Girl(s) Tyler Park Theatre, London
2016–2017 The Wedding Singer Holly UK tour (various locations)
2016–2017 Dick Whittington Alice Fitzwarren Macron Stadium, Bolton
2017–2018 Jack and the Beanstalk Jack Ipswich Regent

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Result Ref.
2006 The British Soap Awards Sexiest Female Nominated [31]
2007 The British Soap Awards Sexiest Female Nominated [32]
2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards Sexiest Female Nominated [33]
2008 The British Soap Awards Sexiest Female Nominated [34]
2008 The British Soap Awards Best Actress Nominated [34]
2008 Inside Soap Awards Best Actress Nominated [35]
2008 Inside Soap Awards Sexiest Female Nominated [35]
2009 The British Soap Awards Sexiest Female Nominated [36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Roxanne Pallett secretly marries US star boyfriend in New York". Capital Radio. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Doctors and Roxanne Pallett". BBC. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Roxanne Pallett To Star in UK Tour of Rock Around the Clock". Broadway World. 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  4. ^ "Roxanne Pallett: I'm a Stallone fan on sly". 24 October 2013. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  5. ^ partid=4970 Profile Archived 11 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine, itv.com. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  6. ^ BBC. "Carlisle's Soapstar Superstar". Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Soap siren Roxanne Pallett: I've never considered myself to be a sex symbol". 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  8. ^ Cain, Dan (4 September 2018). "Actor to quit showbiz after false Celebrity Big Brother assault claim". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  9. ^ Gordon Barr (9 July 2010). "Interview: Gordon Barr speaks to Roxanne Pallett". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  10. ^ "Carlisle actress Roxanne Pallett pulls out of panto after best friend's death". News & Star. 15 December 2009. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  11. ^ "Star Roxanne Pallett to rock county venue". Shropshire Star. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  12. ^ Spencer, Samuel (3 September 2018). "Roxanne Pallett: Who is Roxanne Pallett? How she rose to fame". Express. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  13. ^ "Vagina Monologues are heading to town!". This is the West Country. 16 July 2010. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  14. ^ Eames, Tom (31 July 2012). "Roxanne Pallett: 'New film Devil's Tower gives me the creeps'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  15. ^ Keats, Amanda. "Exclusive: Roxanne Pallett Discusses 2013's Devil's Tower". Filmoria. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  16. ^ "Press release Tuesday, October 16th, 2012". TimeWarp: The Official UK Rocky Horror Fan Club. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  17. ^ Mayo, Douglas (17 June 2016). "The Wedding Singer UK Tour". Britishtheatre.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  18. ^ Bourne, Dianne (10 March 2018). ""I felt like an uninvited guest" actress Roxanne Pallett on why she's changed career". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  19. ^ Minster FM and Roxanne Pallett part company Archived 4 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Minster FM, 4 September 2018
  20. ^ "Pallett leaves Celebrity Island in panic". BBC News. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  21. ^ a b c Daly, Helen (4 September 2018). "Celebrity Big Brother: 'That's worrying' Emma Willis grills Roxanne Pallett on Ryan Thomas".
  22. ^ "Actor to quit showbiz after false Celebrity Big Brother assault claim". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  23. ^ "More Than 25,000 'CBB' Viewers Have Now Complained To Ofcom Over Roxanne Pallett 'Punch' Row". HuffPost. 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  24. ^ Fahey, Seán (3 September 2018). "WATCH: CBB's Roxanne: "I got it wrong" over 'punchgate' fiasco". Buzz.ie. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  25. ^ Jones, Paul (3 September 2018). "Roxanne Pallett apologises for CBB 'punchgate': "I got it wrong, I really got it wrong"". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  26. ^ "EastEnders' Sam Attwater claims Roxanne Pallett also accused him of 'hitting' her". Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  27. ^ "Emmerdale actress Roxanne Pallett reveals she and fiancé Lee Walton got engaged ONE WEEK after meeting". OK!. 13 August 2018. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  28. ^ Morrison, Sean (19 July 2018). "Roxanne Pallett crash: Emmerdale star airlifted to hospital after crashing into concrete wall in stock car race". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  29. ^ Soguksu, Ayla (12 June 2021). "Roxanne Pallett, 38, pregnant with first child and in 'bubble of excitement'". Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  30. ^ Steve Leary (8 August 2007). "Roxanne blooms at Southport Flower Show". St Helens Star. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  31. ^ "British Television Soap Awards". thecustard.tv. Archived from the original on 2 February 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  32. ^ "The British Soap Awards 2007: The Winners". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 4 August 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  33. ^ Green, Kris (21 March 2008). "Digital Spy Soap Awards 2008: The Winners". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  34. ^ a b "The British Soap Awards 2008: The Winners". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  35. ^ a b "Inside Soap Awards 2008 – Nominations". MSN. Microsoft. 16 July 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
  36. ^ Green, Kris; KilKelly, Daniel (10 May 2009). "British Soap Awards 2009: The Winners". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
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