Actress Jill Halfpenny, star of Channel 5 thriller Number One Fan, has opened up about her personal life while promoting the new series. The 50-year-old actress plays daytime TV presenter Lucy Logan in the Spanish-filmed drama, which follows her character's encounter with a dangerously obsessed fan played by Sally Lindsay.
Jill Halfpenny's Personal Tragedies
The Gateshead-born actress has faced heartbreaking personal tragedy, losing her partner Matt Janes to a sudden heart attack at the gym in 2017. She revealed the devastating loss brought back grief from her father's similar death years earlier. Speaking about the experience, she said: "It was like dealing with a double loss – a loss I'd never actually dealt with. I just found myself thinking, 'Oh my god, this is unbearable. What am I going to do? I cannot cope. I just want cessation, this feeling to stop.'"
Family Life and Relationships
Jill was previously married to actor Craig Conway from 2007 to 2010, and they share son Harvey together. The former couple have maintained a strong friendship, with Conway saying: "We care for each other an awful lot but we were happier to be good parents."
Famous Family Connections
Talent runs in the family, as Jill is aunt to fellow actress Chelsea Halfpenny, who has made her mark playing Amy Wyatt in Emmerdale and Alicia Munroe in BBC's Casualty. Chelsea is married to former Emmerdale actor James Baxter, and they have a daughter together.
Honours and Achievements
Jill was honoured as Freeman of the Borough of Gateshead in 2013 for her outstanding contributions to theatre, television, and charitable causes.
Number One Fan Thriller
Speaking about the new series, Jill explained: "I think people will enjoy Number One Fan because it is set in a world that we all know and that we all maybe have a love/hate relationship with." The thriller promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats as it explores the dark side of celebrity obsession.
