Adele Silva (born 19 November 1980) is an English actress. She played the role of Kelly Windsor in the ITV soap opera ''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffa ...

'' on and off from 1993 to 2011. In 1989, she had a minor role in the final classic series '' Doctor Who'' story '' Survival'', playing Squeak.

Early life and career

Silva was born in

Norbury Norbury is an area of south London. It shares the postcode London SW16 with neighbouring Streatham. Norbury is south of Charing Cross. Etymology The name Norbury derives from ''North Burh'', (North Borough). Some local histories note tha ...

, London and was educated at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. Her first television appearance was as Squeak in part 3 of the 1989 '' Doctor Who'' story '' Survival'', which was the final episode transmitted in the original series' 26-year run. She also appeared in ''

Mr Majeika ''Mr Majeika'' is the title of a series of children's books, written by Humphrey Carpenter and published between 1984 and 2006. It was adapted into a children's television series of the same title and produced for the ITV network by TVS. The s ...

'', ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'' and '' EastEnders''. Silva is most famous for playing the role of Kelly Windsor in the television

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

'', which she first played from 1993 to 2000 before returning to the soap in 2005. Her plotlines have been amongst the most daring in the soap opera, including a relationship with her stepbrother and running off with one of her school teachers. During her period away from ''Emmerdale'', Silva appeared on '' Is Harry on the Boat?'', ''

Mile High ''Mile High'' is a British television drama based on the lives of the cabin crew members of Fresh!, a budget airline based in London. The name of the show is a reference to the Mile High Club. The show was broadcast on Sky1 from 2003 to 20 ...

'', ''The Courtroom'', the independent film ''Jam'' and '' Lily Savage's Blankety Blank''. Silva became established as a

sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive.Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor to ...

and has appeared in men's magazines like ''

Front Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * '' The Front'', 1976 film Music *The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...

'', '' FHM'' and '' Maxim''. Silva has also made appearances in the reality television shows ''Celebrity'' '' Fear Factor'', '' The Salon'', '' I'm Famous and Frightened!'' and ''Celebrity 5 Go Dating''. Silva left ''Emmerdale'' in late 2007 to pursue other roles, initially promising fans that she would return to play Kelly in late 2008, although it was reported in January 2008 that she would not be returning to the show "in the immediate future". Silva appeared in the third series of '' Hell's Kitchen'' where she came second to Barry McGuigan. Silva had a lead role in the short film ''Karma Magnet'' alongside Gary Kemp, which was directed by

Martin Kemp Martin John Kemp (born 10 October 1961) is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in '' EastEnders''. He is the younger brother of Gary Kemp, who is also ...

. Silva also appeared on ''Celebrity Weakest Link'', which she won. In September 2008, following her success in ''Hell's Kitchen'', Silva released her own limited edition selection of wines as part of a new Internet reality show ''Mistress of the Vines'', in association with wine merchants Stowell's. She also made a cameo in the cult horror film ''

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'' starring

Danny Dyer Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in '' Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy John ...

and Noel Clarke. Silva took part in a celebrity version of TV show '' Total Wipeout'' which aired on 26 December 2009. In 2011, Silva starred in the comedy/horror film ''

Strippers vs Werewolves ''Strippers vs Werewolves'' is a 2012 British comedy horror film directed by Jonathan Glendening. The screenplay was written by Phillip Barron and Pat Higgins. The main cast includes Ali Bastian, Martin Compston, Alan Ford, Marc Baylis, Bill ...

'' with Robert Englund and guest-starred in romcom '' How to Stop Being a Loser'' opposite

Richard E. Grant Richard E. Grant (born Richard Grant Esterhuysen; 5 May 1957) is a Swazi-English actor and presenter. He made his film debut as Withnail in the comedy ''Withnail and I'' (1987). Grant received critical acclaim for his role as Jack Hock in Marie ...

. Silva appeared in an episode of '' The Real Hustle''. It was announced on 5 November 2010 that Silva would return to ''Emmerdale'' in early 2011. She appeared in the one-woman comedy play ''51 Shades of Maggie'', written by Leesa Harker, inspired by EL James' infamous erotic novels, in the 2013 Autumn UK tour. In July 2015, Silva appeared in the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

, ''

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on sister channel E4 a da ...

'', for a guest stint as

Angela Brown Angela M. Brown (born 1963) is an American dramatic soprano particularly admired for her portrayal of Verdi heroines. Early life and education Angela Brown was born in 1963 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is African-American. Her mother, Freddie M ...

, who expressed an interest in adopting her relative, Peri Lomax's (Ruby O'Donnell), baby daughter

Steph Steph is often a short form of the feminine given name Stephanie and its other variants, or the masculine given name Stephen. Women * Steph Catley (born 1994), Australian footballer * Steph Cook (born 1972), Scottish retired pentathlete and 2000 Ol ...

Personal life

Silva was engaged to Oliver Farber and suffered three miscarriages. On 25 March 2015, Silva gave birth to her first child: a girl named Sienna Farber.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Silva, Adele 1980 births Living people People from Croydon Actresses from London 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School English child actresses English television actresses English soap opera actresses English film actresses English stage actresses English people of Portuguese descent British expatriates in the United States