Tricia Penrose

Patricia "Tricia" Penrose (born 9 April 1970) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Gina Ward in ITV1's long-running 1960s drama Heartbeat, a role she played continuously for 17 years from 1993 to 2010. She has also appeared on The Royal, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Boon, Justice, Fort Boyard, The Bill and Dancin' Thru the Dark.

Tricia Penrose
Born
Patricia Penrose

(1970-04-09) 9 April 1970
Kirkby, Merseyside, England
Other namesTrisha Penrose
OccupationActress, television presenter, singer
Years active1987–present
Spouse(s)
(
m. 2003)
Children2

Singing profile

Although primarily focused on her acting career, Penrose has also had an interest in the music industry, releasing two singles – "Where Did Our Love Go?" (1996, UK No. 71) and "Don't Wanna Be Alone" (2000, UK No. 44).[1] In 2002, she reached the final of A Song for Europe (the competition to select the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entry) but did not win. In 2004, however, she won a Christmas edition of the ITV show Stars in Their Eyes, performing as Brenda Lee and singing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree". She previously appeared in the show as Lisa Stansfield. She has also sung a number of times on Heartbeat, her character Gina even won a talent contest in an episode in series 2, with her version of the Lulu hit Shout.

Acting roles

Penrose's first TV role was as WPC Emma Reid in Brookside. In 1987 she appeared in the ‘A Ride on the Wild Side’ episode of Boon as Lindy Yates (1 episode, 1987), before a cast role in 1988's “Vroom.” Penrose appeared in a 1990 episode of "Medics" as the character Jean and in the same year had a part in “Dancin' Thru the Dark”

Penrose appeared in Emmerdale Farm (now “Emmerdale”) in 1991 as Louise and then in 2 episodes of Coronation Street in 1991/92.

Penrose's appearance as Carol the Barmaid in 1993's “Terraces” was followed by her longest running role as Gina Ward in Heartbeat where she appeared in over 300 episodes between 1993 and the series final episode in 2010, making her the longest serving female cast member. Gina was an extremely popular character and her on/off relationship with Phil Bellamy (played by Mark Jordon) kept viewers hooked up until they got married in series 17. Gina arrived in the village of Aidensfield in episode 4 (Bitter Harvest) of series 2 in a bright red Isetta Bubble Car and in series 9 she changed the Isetta for a white VW Beetle, which she had up until the last episode in series 18. The Isetta is currently on display in Beaulieu motor museum.

Penrose also appeared (as Gina Ward) in 2 episodes of the Heartbeat spin-off The Royal in 2003 .

In 2011 Penrose appeared as Hayley Gosling in the critically acclaimed British legal drama, Justice.

Celebrity appearances

In 2001, Penrose appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.[2] In 2007, she came second in the third series of Comic Relief Does Fame Academy on BBC1, beaten by Tara Palmer-Tomkinson.

In 2008, she released an aerobics DVD. In July 2010, she was a contestant on the BBC programme Celebrity MasterChef, but she was eliminated at the first hurdle after serving up uncooked liver.[3]

Penrose appeared in the ITV programme Sing If You Can[4] in May 2011 in order to help raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity .

In January 2013, she appeared as a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother 11.[5] As part of Big Brother's task, she was initially chosen to enter the main luxury house instead of the basement. Penrose was evicted in a semi-final double eviction, alongside Frankie Dettori on Day 21, to the song "Heartbeat" by Enrique Iglesias.

In September 2014, she appeared on ITV programme Who's Doing the Dishes?, preparing a prawn cocktail starter, roast beef dinner and berry meringue, even with the Heartbeat clues the guests did not guess their celebrity chef.[6]

In 2015, she appeared in Big Star's Little Star with her son Freddy.[7] On 14 April 2018, Penrose appeared on Pointless Celebrities along with Bill Maynard.

Roy Castle Ambassador

Penrose's mother Sue was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010 and, through her treatment, Penrose became involved with Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, quickly becoming an Ambassador[8] and raising funds for the charity, including recording "You Had a Dream in Your Heart" written by Professor Ray Donnelly (who founded the organisation), to mark the organisation's 25th anniversary in 2015.[9]

Business interests

Penrose is a director of "Simply Luxury Travel",[10] which specialises in luxury holidays, and also "Adlington Memorial Park"[11] which is England's largest private natural burial ground in Adlington, Cheshire, (in the grounds of the historic Adlington Hall estate)

gollark: I personally enjoy writing SQL directly.
gollark: * defense
gollark: I have to admit NSFW esolangs is a highly effective gollark defends.
gollark: I'm sure you'd like to think so, or maybe wouldn't like to but were lasered into thinking so.
gollark: are you forgetting the orbital mind control lasers?

References
  1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 422. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.
  2. Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. 4 March 2001. ITV.
  3. "Episode 2, Series 5, Celebrity MasterChef - BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  4. "RDF Television Sing If You Can". Rdftelevision.com. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  5. "Housemates". Bbspy.co.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  6. "Who's Doing The Dishes? Episode 11". Itv.com. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  7. "Big Star's Little Star - S3 - Episode 4". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  8. "TV star Tricia Penrose launches 'Dream' single for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation". Roycastle.org. Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  9. Tansley, Janet (16 April 2015). "New song marks Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation's 25th anniversary". Liverpoolecho.co.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  10. "Home". Simplyluxurytravel.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  11. "Adlington Memorial Park". Adlingtonmemorialpark.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
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