Jill Halfpenny, the actor best known for roles in Byker Grove, EastEnders, and Coronation Street, has spoken candidly about her lifelong struggle with grief and her recent career resurgence. In a new interview, she reflects on the loss of her father at age four and her partner in 2017, admitting that some days she still finds it difficult to cope.
Halfpenny, who grew up in Gateshead, says she was a shy and anxious child who found solace in dance. 'Dancing became a way of releasing something inside me, something that I didn’t have the vocabulary to express,' she explains. She credits her mother for supporting her acting ambitions without pushing for a backup plan.
Her breakout role came at 14 in Byker Grove, but the experience brought negative attention at school. 'The culture was to denigrate – to make me feel stupid, as if I was being a show-off,' she recalls. Despite this, she continued acting, landing roles in major TV series and winning an Olivier Award for Legally Blonde the Musical in 2011.
In her 20s, Halfpenny felt empty despite professional success. She now recognises that unaddressed grief was the cause. Her memoir, A Life Reimagined, published in 2024, explores this journey. She is currently starring in The Feud on Channel 5, which premieres on 14 April.
