Alicya Eyo

Alicya Eyo (born 16 December 1975, Huyton, Liverpool) is a British theatre, film and television actress, best known for her roles as Denny Blood in the ITV prison drama series Bad Girls[1], and as Ruby Haswell in the ITV soap opera, Emmerdale.[2][3][4]

Alicya Eyo
Born (1975-12-16) 16 December 1975
Huyton, Liverpool
OccupationActress
Years active1997–present
Notable work
Bad Girls
Emmerdale
WebsiteOfficial site

Early life

Eyo was brought up in Toxteth, Liverpool.[5] When she was fourteen, she moved to London. Eyo's love of drama started when she was nine. She attended classes every Saturday, with dancing. She did her drama training in King's Cross, at the Courtyard Theatre School.

Career

Eyo's first television appearance was in 1997, in Casualty, which was filmed earlier. She also made an appearance on Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and appeared in Gold the follow up drama series to Band Of Gold as a young prostitute involved with Yardie gangsters who come over to Bradfords red light district from Leeds to clear up the Lane. In 1999, Eyo appeared with Goldie in the David Bowie film Everybody Loves Sunshine known as B.U.S.T.E.D., internationally. She also starred in the movie G:MT - Greenwich Mean Time. However, Eyo's big break came in 1998 when she was offered the part of Denny Blood[6], in Bad Girls.[7][8] The series was broadcast in June the following year when the UK viewing public first saw Eyo as Denny Blood in a pink PVC suit dancing to the N-Trance remix of Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees.

Bad Girls

At the end of the sixth series (in which Eyo did not appear), the character of Denny Blood was voted the sixth favourite inmate on Bad Girls: Most Wanted.[9] Denny's tragic upbringing, lead to the touching and tragic storylines with her mother, Jessie Devlin (played by Denise Black), and the relationship with stand-in mother Yvonne Atkins (Linda Henry). Eyo also met the love of her life Shaz Wiley (Lindsey Fawcett), who died at the end of Series 4. Denny was devastated but found comfort in painting and was last seen being transferred to an open prison to serve the rest of her sentence. Just before Bad Girls was axed, the Bad Girls' creators were going to ask Eyo to reprise her role as Denny.

During this time, Eyo also appeared in the film The Low Down, in an episode of Urban Gothic and in Tube Tales.

Since leaving Bad Girls, Eyo appeared in Holby City twice, as two separate characters, and the BBC daytime drama Doctors. Eyo plays Gaynor Harvey in Shed Productions drama Bombshell. However, Bombshell still has not been shown in the UK, but has aired in New Zealand.

Theatre

Eyo has studied at the Court Theater Training Company and has been working professionally for 14 years. Eyo has also performed at various theatres including the Royal Court Theatre, Nothingham. She also performed in the critically acclaimed play Any Which Way.[10][11]

Emmerdale

Since October 2011, Eyo appears in Emmerdale as Ruby Haswell, the lesbian partner of Ali Spencer (Kelli Hollis). Eyo's role in Emmerdale ended on 6 August 2015 when her character died as a result of a helicopter crash.

Personal life

Eyo is a vegetarian. She described her mother, Sue, as "amazing" and says that she is her idol. "My mum is a wicked singer, I’ve rapped and done some backing vocals for her. She’s a jazz singer and she’s top. If I’m in Liverpool, I sometimes gig with her". Karen, Eyo's aunt and Sue's sister and have appeared as Eyo's mother and aunt in an episode she starred in on Moving On.

Eyo is a supporter and patron of The Proud Trust, a north-west LGBT charity that provides services and support for young people.[12]

Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1999Everybody Loves SunshineSandrauncredited
1999G:MT - Greenwich Mean TimeBobby
2000The Low DownPaul Girl
Television
1997Hetty Wainthropp InvestigatesTrisha Grice1 episode - All Stitched Up
1999Wing and a PrayerRoz Cairnforth1 episode - Episode #2.1
1999Tube TalesTV movie, segment - Grasshopper
2001Urban GothicAmber1 episodes - Sandman
2003Bad GirlsDenny Blood1999–2003; main cast
2004DoctorsDawn Fuller1 episode - Love Thy Neighbour
2006Holby CityEmma Bennet/Rae Hollins2004–2006; 2 episodes - A Twist of Fate, I'll Be Back
2006BombshellGunner Gaynor Harveymain cast
2006SpooksRaoula1 episode - Gas and Oil, Part 2
2007The BillDaisy Driscoll1 episodes - Uncovered
2009ParadoxJean Fellowes1 episode - Episode #1.3
2010CasualtyClaire Lomas/Julie/Lissa Burroes1997–2010; 3 episodes - Private Lives, Is She Really Going Out With Him?, Life Sentence
2011Silent WitnessJoanne McDermott2 episodes - First Casualty: Part 1, First Casualty: Part 2
2011Waterloo RoadSandi Mansfield1 episode - series 7 episode 5
2011Moving OnAlly1 episode - The Milkman, series 3 episode 1
2011–15 Emmerdale Ruby HaswellMain Cast
2016Silent WitnessJo Keating2 episodes - In Plain Sight Parts 1 & 2 S19:E7&E8
2019–ClinkDominique DarbyLead role

References
  1. "Remember Shell Dockley From Bad Girls? This Is What She Looks Like Now!". Eighties Kids. 21 January 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  2. Morgan, Joe (11 October 2012). "British actress Alicya Eyo on coming out and being a lesbian role model". Gay Star News. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  3. "Bad Girls and Shameless stars join Emmerdale to play lesbian couple". Metro. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  4. Jeffery, Morgan (18 April 2019). "Bad Girls star says her new prison drama Clink is "very different"". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  5. "Emmerdale actress Alicya Eyo talks about coming back to Liverpool and wanting a family". Liverpool Echo. 2012.
  6. "Bad Girls characters - Denny Blood". Archived from the original on 5 November 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  7. "Bad Girls official site". badgirls.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  8. "Bad Girls site". larkhall.skyrock.com. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  9. "Shed Productions: We Know Drama - Bad Girls Most Wanted". shedproductions.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  10. "Alicya Eyo - Acting for Camera". isda-acting.com. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  11. "Any Which Way review". whatsonstage.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  12. "Alicya Eyo". The Proud Trust. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016.
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