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Kay Purcell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kay Purcell
Born(1963-12-06)6 December 1963
Died23 December 2020(2020-12-23) (aged 57)
Lancashire, England
OccupationActress
Years active1993–2020
TelevisionEmmerdale
Waterloo Road
Tracy Beaker Returns
The Dumping Ground
So Awkward
Children3

Kay Purcell (6 December 1963 – 23 December 2020)[1][2] was an English actress. She was best known for portraying the roles of Cynthia Daggert in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale (2001–2002), Candice Smilie in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road (2007–2009), and Gina Conway in the CBBC drama series Tracy Beaker Returns (2010–2012) and its spin-off series The Dumping Ground (2013). From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as Mrs. Rennison in the CBBC sitcom So Awkward.[3][4]

Career

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Purcell's first acting role was as a TV reporter in the TV series Cracker in 1995. She then later starred in Coronation Street as Rhona Summers for 3 episodes in 1997. She appeared as Jenny in the TV series City Central. In 1998 and 2000, she starred in the BBC One series Casualty. In 1998 she played WDC McCarthy, and in 2000 played Diane Abley. Later in 2000, she starred in the TV series Children's Ward as Winsome. Her first major role was as Cynthia Daggert in ITV's Emmerdale. She starred in 188 episodes from 2001 to 2002. Her next major role was in Bernard's Watch from 2004 to 2005, as Ms. Savage for 21 episodes. Purcell played a supporting role in BBC's Waterloo Road as Bolton Smilie's mum Candice Smilie from 2007 to 2009. She played the role of Gina Conway in Tracy Beaker Returns for three series, as well as the first series of the spin-off series The Dumping Ground.

Illness and death

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In early 2017, Purcell was diagnosed with breast cancer.[5] Purcell posted images, videos and blogs on social media to show her own experience of the disease.[6] In early 2020, Purcell was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and was given a life expectancy of two years.[7] She died from metastatic breast cancer which had spread to her liver on 23 December 2020, aged 57.[2]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1995 Cracker TV Reporter Episode: "True Romance: Part 2"
1996–1998 Emmerdale Carmel Morgan Recurring role; 9 episodes
1997 Coronation Street Rhona Summers 3 episodes
1998 Casualty WDC McCarthy Episode: "Taking Sides"
1999 City Central Jenny Episode: "Paradise Lost"
My Parents Are Aliens Mrs. Williams Episode: "The Home Team"
2000 Casualty Diane Abley Episode: "Fall Out"
Children's Ward Winsome Series 12: Episode 8
2001–2002 Emmerdale Cynthia Daggert Regular role; 188 episodes
2003 Holby City Heather Nixon Episode: "Read My Lips"
2004–2005 Bernard's Watch Ms. Savage Main role; 21 episodes
2004 Sex Lives of the Potato Men Gloria Film
2005 Messiah Prof Uhomi Episodes: "The Harrowing: Parts 1–3"
Doctors Mrs. Jane Manners 2 episodes
2006 Ideal Alice Episode: "The Delivery"
My Parents Are Aliens Mrs. Brookman 3 episodes
2007–2009 Waterloo Road Candice Smilie Main role; 24 episodes
2010–2012 Tracy Beaker Returns Gina Conway All 39 episodes
2011–2012 Tracy Beaker Survival Files Main role
2012 Hacker Time Herself Episode: "Connor Byrne and Kay Purcell"
2013 The Dumping Ground Gina Conway Main role; 13 episodes
2014–2016 Hacker Time Mrs. Breadbin 13 episodes
2015–2017 So Awkward Mrs. Rennison Main role; 25 episodes
2016 Sunny D Barbara Episode: "D Is for Declarations"
2020 When It Rains Sonia 5 episodes
2021 Doctors Mo Larkin Episode: "Of Mice and Women"; posthumous release

Theatre

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References

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  1. ^ Purcell, Kay (5 December 2018). "My thoughts. My Journey. My Story with Cancer". Facebook. Retrieved 13 September 2018. Tomorrow is my birthday
  2. ^ a b "Kay Purcell of Emmerdale and Tracy Beaker Returns dies at 57". BBC News. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Tracey Beaker Returns Star Kay Purcell's Wicked Role in Doncaster Panto". Doncaster Free Press (Doncaster, England) (subscription required). 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Kay's back home for Christmas". Lancashire Post. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  5. ^ "TV star Kay Purcell courageously shares her cancer journey". Blog Preston. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Kay Purcell: My Story". Facebook.
  7. ^ "Kay Purcell - Facebook". Facebook.
  8. ^ "THEATRE: Everybody Knows All Birds Have Wings; Pleasance, London". The Independent. 3 February 1997. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  9. ^ Theatre Record. I. Herbert. 1 January 1997. pp. 128–129.
  10. ^ "Hidden truths of hormonal housewives tick all the right boxes". Grimsby Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Theatre review: Hormonal Housewives, Festival Theatre". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  12. ^ "Review: Rapunzel, York Barbican". York Press. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  13. ^ "REVIEW: Sleeping Beauty pantomime at Southport Theatre, by Nicola Kenyon". South Port Visiter. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  14. ^ Riley, Joe (16 December 2014). "SLEEPING BEAUTYSouthport Theatre; Review". Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England) (subscription required). Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  15. ^ "Pantomime Reviews: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Mother Goose and Snow White". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
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