Deena Payne

Diane Margaret "Deena" Payne (born 29 August 1954) is an English actress and former singer. She is best known for playing Viv Hope in the long-running ITV soap opera Emmerdale.

Life and career Payne was born in Orpington, Kent. She used to tour with ex-Animals keyboard player Alan Price as a backing singer and she was a member of the novelty girl band Cats U.K., who scored a UK top 30 hit with "Luton Airport" in October 1979. She was also one of the dancers in Rock Follies of '77. Before Emmerdale, Payne had acted in episodes of Tales of Sherwood Forest and The Bill. She has also appeared in Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.

Her Emmerdale character was written out of the series in 2011 after 18 years, dying in her sleep during a fire, as the bosses felt the character had run its course. Since leaving Emmerdale, Payne has returned to the stage, appearing in Calendar Girls and various pantomimes. Most recently, she featured on the television show True Crime as the character Irene. In 2020, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors as Patricia Taymount.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1977 Rock Follies of '77 Dancer Episodes: "The Band That Wouldn't Die" and "Empire" 1989 Tales of Sherwood Forest Louise Episode: "Stag Night" 1991 The Bill Diana Corbin Episode: "Inside Job" 1993–2011 Emmerdale Viv Windsor (later Hope) 1,328 episodes 2012 Crime Stories Irene Harper Series 1, episode 8 2020 Doctors Patricia Taymount Episode: "Targeted Individual"

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2003 The British Soap Awards Best Actress 2005 The British Soap Awards Best Comedy Performance 2006 The British Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership (shared with Tony Audenshaw) 2007 Inside Soap Awards Best Couple (shared with Audenshaw) 2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership (shared with Audenshaw)