PATSY PALMER

'Patsy Palmer' (born 'Julie Harris' on May 26, 1972 in Bethnal Green, London) is an English actress and television personality.
She made an early television appearance on the children's drama show ''Grange Hill'', but she is best-known for playing Bianca Jackson in the popular British television soap opera ''EastEnders'' for six years. She has since appeared in a number of TV dramas, and released an autobiography, ''All of Me'' in 2007. She lives with her husband and three children in Brighton.

Contents

Early life

Career

Personal life

References

External links

Early life

Patsy Palmer was born Julie Harris and grew up in east London. Palmer's mother is a dressmaker, Patsy Palmer Rebecca Armstrong her father separated from her mother when she was eight years old. Interview Patsy Palmer Daphne Lockyer
She was brought up along with her two elder brothers, Albert and Harry, by her mother Pat. It was her mother who first spotted her acting talent and encouraged her to go to Anna Scher's famous acting school in London (where many other EastEnders stars such as Sid Owen, Gillian Taylforth and Susan Tully also trained). Palmer was bullied at school, and has said that acting was a form of escape. 'I was a young, silly girl' Hannah Stephenson
Aged six she starred in a West End production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', and by the age of 12 she had written her own play about prostitution and won an award at the London Festival of Plays.
Needing to change her name professionally to avoid a conflict with another actress in Equity, Palmer — in a private tribute — adopted her mother's own maiden name, Patsy Palmer.

Career

She made her screen debut in the television programme ''The Gentle Touch'' in 1984. Like many other ''EastEnders'' actors, Palmer appeared on the children's drama show ''Grange Hill'' in 1986 and 1987. Patsy Palmer She went on to have small roles in BBC's ''Tricky Business'' (1989); ''Making News'' (1990); ''Clarissa'' (1991); ''Love Hurts'' (1992); ''Drop the Dead Donkey'' (1993); ''The Bill'' (1993) and she also appeared as an acne ridden teenager in a Clearasil advert. Staying In: Patsy Palmer Fiona Sturges

Palmer as Bianca in ''EastEnders Ricky and Bianca'' (2002).

In 1993 she was cast in the role of fiesty Bianca Jackson in BBC's flagship soap opera, ''EastEnders''. A popular character, Bianca's on-off romance with Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) captivated millions of fans and their on-screen marriage in 1997 drew one of the biggest soap audiences ever — more than 22 million. Entertainment Patsy Palmer to leave EastEnders She remained in the role for six years, but quit in 1999 to spend more time with her family and to concentrate on other projects. Patsy has early baby She reprised the role in May 2002 in a special spin-off entitled, ''EastEnders: Ricky and Bianca''. The two part, hour long special was filmed in Manchester and reuinted Bianca and Ricky for the first time in over two years. Ricky and Bianca film soap return
Her notable roles since ''EastEnders'' have been as Clare in the detective series ''McCready and Daughter'', which aired for a pilot and one series from 2000-2001. She made an appearance in ''He knew he was right'' for the BBC in 2004 and in 2001 she was seen in the television mini-series, ''Do or die'', which aired on Sky One. On stage she has starred in the one-woman musical ''Tell Me On A Sunday'', which toured the UK and played in London's West End. She also had a leading role in a UK tour of the musical ''Steppin' out''; appeared in the original West end run of ''Mum's the word'', and acted in ''We happy few'' by Imogen Stubbs, which played a short run at the Gielgud Theatre.
Palmer stood in for ''GMTV's Lorraine Kelly, presenting her ''Lorraine Live section'' for a week in 1999, reporting from Miami on fashion, lifestyle, health and fitness.^[1] She has also co-hosted Channel 4's ''Big Breakfast'' as a guest presenter for a week. Palmer has released a number of hit fitness videos and DVDs, ''Patsy Palmer - The club workout'' (2000), ''Patsy Palmer - The urban workout'' (2002) and ''Patsy Palmer's Ibiza workout'' (2002). In 2006 Palmer made an appearance in ''The Allstar Workout''. Palmer's film work includes the shorts ''Another Green World'' and ''Love Story'', directed by Nick Love.
In 2005 Palmer took part in BBC's ''Strictly Come Dancing'' show, to raise money for the ''Children in Need'' fund. She has also made a cameo appearance with Catherine Tate's sketch show ''The Catherine Tate Show''. In February 2007, she was a jury member on the BBC programme ''The Verdict'' where various celebrities ruled on a contemporary and controversial case, based on evidence and examples from real life.
Palmer's autobiography ''All of Me'' was released in the UK on 5 April 2007. In it she describes her ascent to fame, her struggle with addiction and how she has battled to overcome her problems. In addition to acting, Palmer has set up her own company, Palmer Cutler, with a friend, selling beauty and self-tanning products.

Personal life

Palmer's first marriage to film-writer and director Nick Love in 1998 lasted only 5 months, and she re-married in August 2000 to taxi driver Richard Merkell, with whom she has had two children, Fenton (born June 2000) and Emilia (born July 2001). She also has another son called Charlie (born 1992) from her previous relationship with boxer Alfie Rothwell.
She currently lives with her husband and three children in Brighton, East Sussex, England.
Palmer's brother, Harry Harris, is married to Lindsey Coulson, the actress who played her on-screen mother Carol Jackson in ''EastEnders''.
Palmer has admitted to being a drug and alocohol addict and revealed that during her stint on ''EastEnders'' she frequently turned up on set either still "high" or "horribly hungover". She has said that she started experimenting with alcohol and drugs from the age of eight and her addiction lasted for 24 years. She's been clean of drugs and alcohol since September 2004 and still goes to AA meetings regularly.
Palmer suffered from bullying during her school years. Because of this she has lent her support to a the Department for Education's anti-bullying campaign in 2000.^[2]

References

1. EastEnder Patsy to join GMTV
2. Bullying drove TV star to steal

External links

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