Zöe Lucker


Zöe Elizabeth Lucker is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Turner in the ITV drama Footballers' Wives, Vanessa Gold in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, Carol Barry in the BBC drama Waterloo Road and Reenie McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.

Education

Lucker was educated at Huddersfield New College. She studied acting at Oscars Academy of Performing Arts in Huddersfield, and later at the Manchester Arden School of Theatre.

Career

1996–2009: Early career

In 1996, she made her television debut in Brazen Hussies playing Busty Babs. Later that year, she appeared in three episodes of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. In the next four years, she appeared on Doctors, Where the Heart Is, Barbara and Killer Net.
In 2002, Lucker began portraying the role of Tanya Turner on ITV drama Footballers' Wives. In 2004, she was nominated and won a TV Quick and TV Choice Award for 'Best Actress' for her role of Tanya Turner; she was also nominated for a National Television Award in the category of 'Most Popular Actress' for her work on Footballers' Wives and made an appearance in sister show, Bad Girls, as her Footballers' Wives character. Lucker temporarily left in the fourth series, but returned in the fifth series.
In 2004, she co-hosted the British Academy Television Awards 2004, and guest presented on in 2005. Her first main presenting work was on the Living home makeover show Love the Place You're In.
In 2005, Lucker toured New Zealand extensively in the play Then Comes Love as the female lead Jane opposite Shane Cortese and played the lead role in Bombshell for ITV1, broadcast in New Zealand. She also appeared in BBC drama HolbyBlue playing the character Kate Keenan.
In 2009, Lucker appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? alongside John Suchet, winning £150,000 for the Caron Keating Foundation

2009: ''Strictly Come Dancing''

In September 2009, Lucker was announced as a contestant for series 7 of Strictly Come Dancing. Her former Footballers Wives co-star, Laila Rouass also participated in the series. She was partnered up with professional ballroom dancer James Jordan. Despite earning high scores and having the third highest average, the couple were eliminated on 31 October, after being in a dance-off against Ali Bastian and her partner Brian Fortuna.
In November that year, it was confirmed that she would take part in the Strictly Come Dancing 2010 live tour at arenas across the UK.

2010–2016: Further television roles

In March 2010, Lucker joined the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders to portray the role Vanessa Gold. She left in October 2011.
In June 2012, Lucker joined the cast of Waterloo Road to play Carol Barry, the head of the crime family from Liverpool.
In February 2015, Lucker joined the cast of Hollyoaks to play Reenie McQueen. Reenie has been billed as "good-time party girl without an 'off' switch and can be exhausting company although deep down she is the most vulnerable of Nana's children" and hasn't set the best example to her children and has let them down in the past. She made her first appearance on 16 April 2015. It was later announced in December 2015 that Lucker would be leaving the role at the conclusion of the child sexual abuse storyline, with Reenie making her final appearance on 30 June 2016.
Lucker was a part of BBC history-reality series, 24 Hours in the Past, along with Colin Jackson, Alistair McGowan, Ann Widdecombe, Tyger Drew-Honey and Miquita Oliver. The four-part series was aired from 28 April until 19 May 2015.

Personal life

In February 2008, Lucker announced her engagement. She had a daughter in September 2008.

Filmography

Awards