Kay Purcell (6 December 1963 – 23 December 2020) was an English actress. She was best known for portraying the roles of Cynthia Daggert in the ITV soap opera ''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a List of fictional towns and villages, fict ...

'' (2001–2002), Candice Smilie in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'' (2007–2009), and Gina Conway in the

CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...

drama series '' Tracy Beaker Returns'' (2010–2012) and its spin-off series '' The Dumping Ground'' (2013). From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as Mrs. Rennison in the CBBC sitcom '' So Awkward''.

Career

Purcell's first acting role was as a TV reporter in the TV series '' Cracker'' in 1995. She then later starred in ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'' as Rhona Summers for 3 episodes in 1997. She appeared as Jenny in the TV series '' City Central''. In 1998 and 2000, she starred in the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

series '' Casualty''. In 1998 she played WDC McCarthy, and in 2000 played Diane Abley. Later in 2000, she starred in the TV series '' Children's Ward'' as Winsome. Her first major role was as Cynthia Daggert in ITV's ''

''. She starred in 188 episodes from 2001 to 2002. Her next major role was in '' Bernard's Watch'' from 2004 to 2005, as Ms. Savage for 21 episodes. Purcell played a supporting role in

's '' Waterloo Road'' as Bolton Smilie's mum Candice Smilie from 2007 to 2009. She played the role of Gina Conway in '' Tracy Beaker Returns'' for three series, as well as the first series of the spin-off series '' The Dumping Ground''.

Illness and death

In early 2017, Purcell was diagnosed with

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

. Purcell posted images, videos and blogs on social media to show her own experience of the disease. In early 2020, Purcell was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and was given a life expectancy of two years. She died from metastatic breast cancer which had spread to her liver on 23 December 2020, aged 57.

Filmography

Theatre

*''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

'' (1993, as Paulina, Dorcas) *''Everybody Knows All Birds Have Wings'' (1997) *''Hormonal Housewives'' (2012) *'' Rapunzel'' (2013, as Gothel the Enchantress) *''

Sleeping Beauty "Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...

'' (2014, as Carabosse)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Purcell, Kay 1963 births 2020 deaths English film actresses English soap opera actresses English television actresses Black British actresses English people of Jamaican descent Deaths from breast cancer in England Deaths from liver cancer in England 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses People from Leyland, Lancashire Actresses from Lancashire