Jessica Ellis

Jessica Ellis (born 22 March 1987) is a British actress and presenter. Ellis is from Liverpool and has also lived in London. After first appearing in a television film as a baby, Ellis went to theatre school and in 2011 she had guest roles in the BBC soap operas EastEnders and Doctors. Ellis received praise for her acting in the 2012 plays Bedroom Farce and Happy Never After. In 2013, Ellis was cast as Tegan Lomax in the soap opera Hollyoaks and she remained in the soap until her character was killed off in 2018. In 2019, Ellis launched her own podcast and began presenting The Guide Liverpool website, and she returned to theatre in plays such as Rita, Sue & Bob Too! (2022, 2025), The Book of Will and Pride and Prejudice (2025), as well as the Interactive live stream pantomime Cinderella Live (2020). She was also cast in Fat Friends The Musical, but this was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The actress has also had guest appearances in The Bay (2023) and Coronation Street (2025), as well as a minor role in the medieval comedy film Catherine Called Birdy (2022).

Life and career Jessica Ellis was born on 22 March 1987 and is an only child. Ellis went to theatre school.

In 2010, Ellis appeared in the play Defined By Design at The Old Vic theatre. Ellis then appeared in two episodes, which were broadcast on 23 and 25 August 2011, of the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Debs, and that same year she appeared in an episode of Doctors. Ellis then portrayed Kate in Theatre by the Lake's production of Bedroom Farce, which ran from May to November 2012. David Chadderton from British Theatre Guide opined that Ellis gave a "great performance" in the production. Anne Hopper from The Stage was impressed with Ellis' "fine performance" and believed that she had "exactly the right blend of warm-hearted enthusiasm". Also in 2012, Ellis acted in the two-hander play Happy Never After at the Pleasance Theatre. Miriam Zendle from WhatsOnStage.com praised Ellis' performance and called it a "five star play in every respect". Tegan and her two sisters Leela (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) and Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell) were introduced to the soap by executive producer Bryan Kirkwood, who wanted to bring in a "strong female force" and a family for the sisters' half-brother Ste Hay (Kieran Richardson). During Ellis' run on the soap, Tegan's other storylines included the death of her parents, finding out that her baby was swapped at birth, a love triangle with Leela and Ziggy Roscoe (Fabrizio Santino), getting diagnosed with cancer, an affair with Nick Savage (Ben-Ryan Davies) and a relationship with Ryan Knight (Duncan James). Ellis felt Tegan's cancer storyline, which she did research for, would help raise awareness and so she wanted to "make it as real as possible". In 2015, Ellis appeared in Hollyoaks Does Come Dine with Me, a spinoff of Come Dine with Me, with other Hollyoaks cast members.

Ellis' last appearance as Tegan on Hollyoaks aired in October 2018, when the character was killed off in a storm. Ellis was sad about her exit but expressed excitement about the "next chapter" of her career. Ellis had known that Tegan would be killed off for six months but had to keep it a secret, although her family knew. Ellis' parents came onto the set to watch her final scenes.

In November 2018, it was announced that Ellis had secured a new job as a presenter for The Guide Liverpool, a website showcasing events in the city. In 2019, Ellis launched her own podcast called Dilemmas, where she and guests listened and gave solutions to the problems of her listeners. Ellis had worked in radio in the past and loved podcasts, which prompted her to start this project. In October 2021, Ellis announced that she had joined the cast of Fat Friends The Musical, which was going on a UK tour. Several of Ellis' cast members in the musical had also worked in soap operas. The play was meant to tour across the UK and Ireland beginning in January 2022. However, the production was later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. In 2022, Ellis portrayed Michelle in Rita, Sue & Bob Too!, a stage adaptation of the 1987 film, at the St Helens Theatre Royal. Ellis returned to the role in 2025, when the production did a 10-week nationwide tour. That same year, Ellis appeared in the medieval comedy film Catherine Called Birdy, which Ellis was excited to be in. Ellis worked with her former Hollyoaks co-star Helen Pearson in this production. In 2023, Ellis also appeared in the British crime drama The Bay. It was revealed that Ellis' stint would last for a few episodes which aired that same month. That same year, it was announced that Ellis been cast as Lydia Bennet/ Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Kate Hamill's stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which is set to be performed at five theatres across Britain between June and October 2025.

Personal life

Ellis said in 2018 that she is close friends with her Hollyoaks co-star Daisy Wood-Davis, who plays Kim Butterfield; the pair went on holiday together and saw each other "pretty much every day" outside of work. Ellis is also friends with actress Kimberly Hart-Simpson; the pair met when they were 19 at theatre school and were cast in productions together as a "double act". She made an awards dress for Ellis in 2018, which Simpson said got much coverage due to Ellis looking like "the lead character in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Ellis had told Digital Spy that Shaw was her boyfriend and that they were living together in 2019 and that he would appear in the background of her podcast; Ellis ended up creating a concept called Dilemma Extra – Michael Reviews in her podcast.

Acting credits Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1988 Double Standard TV movie 2011 EastEnders Debs Guest role (2 episodes) 2011 Doctors Tina Leith Guest role (1 episode) 2013–18 Hollyoaks Tegan Lomax Regular role 2015 Hollyoaks Does Come Dine with Me Herself Main cast 2020 Cinderella Live Evil Stepmother Interactive live stream pantomime 2022 Catherine Called Birdy Laundress Medieval comedy film 2023 The Bay Tina Shaw Guest role 2025 Coronation Street Brie Benson Guest role

Theatre Year Production Role 2010 Defined By Design 2012 Bedroom Farce Kate 2012 Happy Never After 2022 Fat Friends The Musical Kelly 2022, 2025 Rita, Sue & Bob Too! Michelle 2023 The Book of Will Alice Heminges/ Susannah Shakespeare 2025 Pride and Prejudice Lydia Bennet / Lady Catherine de Bourgh