Lisa Maxwell

Lisa Maxwell (born 24 November 1963) is an English actress and television presenter, best known for her role in The Bill as Samantha Nixon. Between 2009 and 2014, she was a regular panellist on ITV chat show series Loose Women.

Early life Maxwell was born in the Elephant & Castle district of Southwark, South London, in November 1963. When she was conceived, her father, John Murphy, already had a pregnant wife. Her 22-year-old mother, Valerie Maxwell, returned to her parents' home, where the three of them brought up Maxwell. She met her father for the first time when she was 45. She has three paternal half-siblings.

Maxwell was educated at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, and first acted on TV aged 11, in a schools programme A Place Like Home. In 1981, she participated in BBC TV's A Song for Europe as a member of the group Unity.

In 2016, Maxwell played Judy Garland in the UK tour of End of the Rainbow and also joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Tracey Donovan, the mother of established character Grace Black (Tamara Wall) and her half-brothers, Adam (Jimmy Essex), Liam (Maxim Baldry) and Jesse (Luke Jerdy).

In May 2018, it was announced that she would be appearing in Celebrity MasterChef later that year.

Comedy Maxwell appeared on The Russ Abbot Show

Other appearances Maxwell was the subject of This Is Your Life in 2003 when she was surprised by Michael Aspel while recording an episode of The Bill.

On 5 August 2008, Maxwell appeared in an episode of Daily Cooks Challenge.

On 7 March 2009, Maxwell, alongside Patrick Robinson, participated in Let's Dance for Comic Relief. They danced to Riverdance.

On 27 February 2010, she took part in an episode of All Star Family Fortunes.

On 30 April 2011, Maxwell was a participant on ITV's Sing If You Can.

On 7 November 2012, Maxwell was a contestant in All Star Mr & Mrs with her partner, Paul.

On 4 January 2013, Maxwell took part in a celebrity episode of The Million Pound Drop Live as a part of the Channel 4 mash-up evening along with Sherrie Hewson, Jane McDonald and Denise Welch.

On 28 December 2013, Maxwell took part in a celebrity edition of the ITV game show The Cube in a Loose Women special alongside Sherrie Hewson and Denise Welch. Together, they were defeated by The Cube, but took away £1,000, which they split between their three chosen charities.

On 3 May 2014, Maxwell appeared in a special Crime episode of Pointless Celebrities and, on 14 April 2018, in another episode, alongside fellow cast member of The Bill Trudie Goodwin.

On 15 January 2022, Maxwell appeared in an episode of Casualty, "She's My Baby", playing Alison.

On 1 February 2024, she appeared in an episode of The Madame Blanc Mysteries, playing Nancy.

Personal life In April 2009, during an appearance on The Paul O'Grady Show, Maxwell revealed the deciding factor in her leaving The Bill was the long hours worked and that she had suffered two miscarriages during 2008. She also said her friend and co-star Roberta Taylor had convinced her to leave the show for the sake of her health.

On 28 February 2012, just before a leap day (which would be the traditional day for a woman to propose), she proposed to her long-term partner, Paul Jessup, with whom she has been in a relationship since 1997. She has one child with Jessup, a daughter called Beau, who was born on 11 October 1999. They married in 2014.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1982 Remembrance Girl at disco Minor Role The Dark Crystal Kira Supporting Voice Role 2006 Free Jimmy Lise Voice on English version 2020 Jeepers Creepers Fantasy Lover Supporting Voice Role

Television Year Title Role Notes 1976 The Many Wives of Patrick Katrice Waddilove Episode: "Why Not Tonight, Josephine?" 1977 Television Club Vicky 3 episodes 1978 Grange Hill Schoolgirl (uncredited) 3 episodes 1981 Keep It in the Family Walk-on (uncredited) Episode: "A Game of No Chance" 1984 The Hello Goodbye Man Elke Episode: "#1.3" Danger: Marmalade at Work Maggie Episode: "What the Butler Saw" 1985 The Tripods Zerlina 2 episodes The Gender Gap Alison Maitland Television film The Benny Hill Show Hill's Angel (uncredited) 13 episodes 1985–1986 No Limits Herself – Presenter 10 episodes 1987–1991 The Les Dennis Laughter Show Various 32 episodes 1988 I've Got a Secret Herself – Guest Episode: "#3.1" Life Without George Trudy Episode: "#2.1" 1988–1989 The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow Herself 5 episodes Blankety Blank 3 episodes The Joe Longthorne Show Various 3 episodes 1989 Carrott Confidential Episode: "#3.3" The Satellite Show 13 episodes Family Fortunes Cinders Episode: "Celebrity Christmas Special" 1990 That's Showbusiness Herself – Panellist 2 episodes The Russ Abbot Show Various 13 episodes The Paul Daniels Magic Show Andy Pandy Narrator (voice) Episode: "#11.5" 1990–1991 Wogan Herself – Guest 3 episodes 1990–1992 The Russ Abbot Show Various 13 episodes 1991 The Lisa Maxwell Show 6 episodes Des O'Connor Tonight Herself Episode: "#14.9" Telly Addicts Episode: "Telly Addicts vs. Telly Stars" 1992 Noel's House Party Episode: "#1.7" Bottom Lilly Linneker Episode: "Digger" 1993 Comedy Playhouse Mojo Episode: "Once in a Lifetime" Acapulco H.E.A.T. Vivian Quail Episode: "Code Name: Strange Bedfellow" Celebrity Squares Herself Episode: "#5.3" 2001 The Bill Denise Stubbs Episode: "Long Shadows: Part 1" 2001–2002 In Deep Pamela Ketman 14 episodes 2002 Get Carman: The Trials of George Carman QC Gillian Taylforth Television film 2002–2009 The Bill DS / Acting DI / DI Samantha Nixon Recurring role. 280 episodes 2003 Murder Investigation Team DI Samantha Nixon Episode: "Moving Targets" This Is Your Life Herself Episode: "Lisa Maxwell" 2004 Stars in Their Eyes Doris Day Episode: "Soap Stars Special 3" GMTV Herself – Guest 2 episodes Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Herself – Contestant Episode: "Celebrity Special" 2005 Comic Relief Does Fame Academy Herself Episode: "#2.3" 2005–2007, 2016 The Wright Stuff Herself – Guest Panellist 4 episodes 2006 The Sharon Osbourne Show Herself – Guest Episode: "#1.22" 2007 Celebrity Supermarket Sweep Herself – Contestant Episode: "#1.5" 2008 TV Burp Herself – Guest 2 episodes 2009 The All Star Impressions Show Sugababe #2 / Barbara Windsor Television Special The Paul O'Grady Show Fairy Rosebud Episode: "Christmas Pantomime" Hell’s Kitchen Herself Episode: "#4.11" 2009–2014 Loose Women Herself – Panellist Show regular. 425 episodes 2010 All Star Family Fortunes Herself – Contestant Episode: "Lisa Maxwell vs. Duncan Bannatyne" 2011 71 Degrees North Episode: "#2.1" Just Rosie Herself Television film 2012 All Star Mr & Mrs Herself – Contestant Episode: "#4.10" 2013 The Cube Episode: "Celebrity Special" EastEnders Naomi Episode: "#1.4719" 2014−2024 Pointless Celebrities Herself – Contestant 4 episodes 2015 Celebrity Mastermind Episode: "#14.7" 2016−2017 Hollyoaks Tracey Donovan Recurring guest role. 24 episodes 2017 Celebrity Eggheads Herself – Contestant Episode: "The Cliffhangers" 2018 Celebrity MasterChef 3 episodes 2018, 2020, 2022 Lorraine Herself – Guest 3 episodes 2022 Casualty Alison Madbury Episode: "She's My Baby" 2023 The Weakest Link Herself – Contestant Episode: "#3.2"2024 The Madame Blanc MysteriesNancyEpisode "Kidnap"

Theatre credits Year Title Role Notes 1988–1989 Goldilocks and the Three Bears Goldilocks His Majersty’s Theatre, Aberdeen 1989–1990 Congress Theatre, Eastbourne 1994/1995 Aladdin Aladdin Grand Opera House, York 1995 Grease Marty Dominion Theatre 1998 Boogie Nights Debs Savoy Theatre 2012 Chicken Lena Trafalgar Studios 2016 End of the Rainbow Judy Garland UK tours 2019 Calendar Girls Celia 2022 Judy: No Place Like Home Judy Garland Lyric Theatre, London 2024–2025 Aladdin Professor Bellatrix Bottomburgh Norwich Theatre Royal, Norwich