Bad Girls cast now – four in same EastEnders family and hiding face after freak accident

It was the much-loved ITV prison drama that attracted 9.5 million viewers at its peak.

Powerful show Bad Girls entered our lives in June 1999, confronting issues such as bullying, rape, suicide, miscarriage and drug use. The programme skilfully depicted the relationships between the prisoners and staff at the Larkhall prison.

When the show ended in 2006, many of its cast went on to enjoy very successful careers, with four even teaming up in the same soap family. Here, the Mirror takes a look at what happened to the stars, 25 years after the series first aired on our screens…

Linda Henry – Yvonne Atkins

After appearing in the penultimate episode of the first series, Yvonne quickly rose to ‘Top Dog’ status. Not one to be messed with, Yvonne ruled the roost in the prison and wasn’t afraid to take on the prison guards.

But she was stopped in her tracks when she was brutally killed by Jim Fenner at the end of series 5. Viewers were devastated as they watched Yvonne clawing for air inside a creepy old cell after being locked in by the twisted prison officer.

Actress Linda Henry wasn’t off our screens for long as she started the iconic role of Shirley Carter on EastEnders in December 2006. It wasn’t the first time she had appeared on the soap, as Linda was the original actor who played Lorraine Salter back in the 1990s. Linda’s character fled Walford in December 2022 after the presumed death of her son Mick.

Debra Stephenson – Shell Dockley

Psychotic Shell Dockley was the most revered character during the first three series of Bad Girls. Shell was not someone you wanted to get on the wrong side of as she was serving life for kidnapping, torturing and murdering the women who her boyfriend left her for.

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She managed to escape the prison for a few series, but was eventually caught and briefly returned in series five before being placed in a psychiatric hospital shortly after giving birth.

Shortly after leaving Bad Girls for the final time, actress Debra Stephenson joined Coronation Street as Frankie Baldwin – playing Bradley Walsh’s on-screen wife. Debra returned to her impressionist roots and worked with Jon Culshaw on The Impressions Show between 2009 and 2011. She’s had two separate stints on Doctors and recent roles have included in Holby City and Mrs Brown’s Boys.

Claire King – Karen Betts

Karen Betts was the tough new G-wing governor in series two, who literally took no prisoners. She lasted until series six when she was controversially framed for a hit-and-run by on-off lover Fenner.

“It was such good fun, it really was,” said Claire on Loose Women while describing her time on the show. “You’d think it would be a nightmare with 30, 40 women all trapped in the same area for eight months of the year, but actually we did make it fun, because it was such a depressing place to work in.”

Claire has appeared in a host of reality TV shows, including Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 and Celebrity Big Brother in 2014. She spent three years on Coronation Street as Erica Holroyd, who was in a relationship with Nick and was Liz’s best pal.

Then in 2018 she made a dramatic return to Emmerdale as super villain Kim Tate after 20 years away – and is still causing chaos in the village now.

Sid Owen – Donny Kimber

EastEnders legend Sid Owen joined the Bad Girls cast in 2006 for the final series. Sid played prison guard Donny Kimber, who started a sexual relationship with inmate Janine Nebeski.

Janine was played by Nicola Stapleton, who was also Sid’s on-screen lover in EastEnders as she played Mandy Salter. Things actually ended very well for Donny and Janine as she had their baby and they got engaged.

As for Sid, he returned to his iconic role as Ricky Butcher on EastEnders in 2008 along with Patsy Palmer as Bianca. After four years, Sid left once again and went on to appear in Strictly Come Dancing and The Jump.

In 2020, Sid shattered his jaw and smashed his teeth in a freak accident while on holiday when a golf ball rebounded off a tree into his face. Last year, post reconstructive surgery, he appeared on Channel 4 reality show Banged Up, a social experiment which saw celebrities thrown behind bars.

Joanne Froggatt – Rachel Hicks

Original character Rachel Hicks was only in four episodes – but had a shocking exit which viewers won’t forget. The teenage prisoner took her own life while inside after discovering her mother had put her daughter up for adoption.

Actress Joanne Froggatt has gone on to star in some big shows, including Robin Hood, The Street and Life on Mars. She played Anna Bates in Downton Abbey for five years and returned to the role for the 2019 film.

Most recently, Joanne had viewers questioning who was telling the truth in two series of ITV drama Liar as main character Laura.

Alicya Eyo – Denny Blood

Denny Blood was a violent prisoner who was Shell’s on-off lover while they were inside together. She was one of the few characters who became a free woman, transferring to an open prison and then being released after five series.

Alicya Eyo, who played the thuggish character, is best known for playing Ruby Haswell on Emmerdale four four years. She was violently killed in that horrific helicopter crash that ripped through the village. Alicya has made appearances in Doctors, Holby City, Casualty and Silent Witness.

Jack Ellis – Jim Fenner

Fenner was the evil prison officer who would stop at nothing to torment the prisoners and get his own way. He lied and even killed to make his way to the top, including poor Yvonne, eventually becoming the governor.

But he finally got his comeuppance in the penultimate series when he was drugged by Julie J next to the same room where he had murdered Yvonne. Since leaving the soap in 2008, Jack has appeared in Doctors and Coronation Street as betting shop owner Harry Mason.

Most recently, Jack has had a number of theatre roles, including productions of Richard III, Expectations and back to prison in The Shawshank Redemption. He also played a slightly different version of a prison officer in French drama Versailles in 2018.

Sharon Duncan – Crystal Gordon

Appearing in the first four series, Crystal was a religious prisoner who fell in love with technician Josh. She was briefly released but returned after being caught harbouring escaped inmate Shell.

Sharon Duncan went on to star in Doctor Who, Holby City, Top Boy, Doctors, Waking The Dead and as Senator Palmo in Star Wars film Rogue One. But her most infamous role came as Trina Johnson in EastEnders – where she was brutally killed when ex-husband Lucas shoved her into a garden rake.

She went onto play one of Jackson’s mums in Netflix series Sex Education and she also starred in 2021’s Dune.

Helen Fraser – Sylvia Hollamby

Sylvia Hollamby, also known as ‘Bodybag’, appeared in the very first and very last episodes of Bad Girls. One of three characters to last the entire run of the show, the long-serving prison officer hated the inmates and governors alike.

There were many attempts on her life over the years but she managed to survive being pushed down the stairs, almost being burnt and being attacked by her husband on her honeymoon. This was definitely Helen Fraser’s most well-known role, which she reprised in the West End musical version in 2007.

She also went on to strip off while on tour with Calendar Girls and made a second Corrie appearance as Doris Babbage, 15 years after she had played Magenta Savannah.

Victoria Alcock – Julie Saunders

Ex-prostitute Julie S, one half of the infamous ‘Two Julies’, appeared in all eight series of the show. There aren’t many TV shows that actress Victoria Alcock has not been on, as she has appeared in Holby City, Call The Midwife, Doctors, Birds Of A Feather.

In a peculiar twist, she also played the role of Mandy Salter’s mum on EastEnders in 2012. Her Bad Girls co-star Linda Henry had already played the role a few years before she was cast as Shirley Carter.

Viewers will recognise Victoria from paying Miche’s mum in BBC Three comedy series People Just Do Nothing and for roles in Changing Ends and Spent.

Kika Mirylees – Julie Johnston

The other half of the ‘Two Julies’, Kika played Julie J in every single series of Bad Girls. After the show finished she played Garry Hobbs’ mum Hazel in EastEnders then made guest appearances on New Tricks, Not Going Out and Holby City.

She had a role on Doctors in 2020 and went onto work as an acting coach and councillor for Waverly Borough Council.

Luisa Bradshaw-White – Lorna Rose

Lorna was a young prison officer who featured in the first series before being given the boot. She was blackmailed by Shell into smuggling drugs into the prison but was eventually caught out by her superiors.

Poor Lorna was arrested and obviously sacked from her job – and was never seen again. However, we did get to see actress Luisa again when she returned to our screens on Holby City and Doctors.

Then she landed the role of lovable Tina Carter in EastEnders in 2013, becoming the on-screen sister of Bad Girls co-star Linda Henry’s character, Shirley. Tina has had some very emotional storylines, including domestic violence, reliving a horrific ordeal and losing both her parents.

Kellie Bright – Cassie Tyler

Kellie appeared in the fourth series as Cassie, who was released from jail after saving Neil Grayling in a fire incident. The actress played Ali G’s girlfriend ‘Me Julie’ and Del Boy’s mum in Only Fools prequel Rock And Chips before landing the big role of Linda Carter on EastEnders.

Kellie became the third member of the Bad Girls cast to join the Carter family and has been part of some powerful storylines, including Linda’s rape ordeal, alcoholism and having a baby in later life. Linda was reinstalled as the Queen Vic landlady and discovered she is pregnant with Max Branning’s baby.

Back in 2015, Kellie competed in Strictly Come Dancing and got to the final with pro partner Kevin Clifton.

Annette Badland – Angela Robins

Angela Robbins appeared to be a kind inmate, but she was actually hiding a big secret. It was later revealed she was suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder and attacked the governor in one episode in the final series.

Actress Annette Badland was the fourth Bad Girls star to join the Carter family on EastEnders. She played manipulative Aunt Babe, who was always up to some nasty schemes and was eventually kicked out of the Queen Vic when she was rumbled.

Aunt Babe put a curse on the Carter family when she left and EastEnders viewers are hoping she will make a return one day. She went onto star in a host of stage plays and TV shows including Ted Lasso, Big Boys and Midsomer Murders.

Tracey Wilkinson – Di Barker

Di Barker was probably the nicest prison officer, although that isn’t really saying much. She married Fenner but became the main suspect in his murder because of their divorce, and was last seen on remand.

Actress Tracey Wilkinson starred in Outlander in 2016 and Amazon’s Carnival Row. She even had a reunion with Bad Girls co-star James Gaddas on Casualty.

A version of this story was originally published in 2021.

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