Louisa Lytton
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Louisa Claire Lytton (born 7 February 1989) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Ruby Allen in the
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soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
'' and Beth Green in the ITV police procedural series ''
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'' (2007–2009). She also appeared as a contestant on the fourth series of ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...
'' in 2006 and represented the UK at the Eurovision Dance Contest 2008, finishing ninth. Her theatre credits include playing Betty Rizzo in the UK touring production of the musical '' Grease'' (2017) and Jenny in '' 2:22 A Ghost Story'' (2023).


Early life

Louisa Claire Lytton was born on 7 February 1989 in the
London Borough of Camden The London Borough of Camden () is a London boroughs, borough in Inner London, England. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the former Metropolitan boroughs of the Cou ...
. She attended the
Sylvia Young Theatre School Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent school in Marble Arch, London, England. It is a specialist performing arts school named after its founder and principal, Sylvia Young OBE. Outline The Sylvia Young Theatre School was founded in 19 ...
in
Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...
, London. She is of Italian descent on her mother's side and her first cousin once removed is Lisa Maffia, a member of the
So Solid Crew So Solid Crew are a British UK garage and hip hop collective originating from Battersea, London, which achieved wide success in the early 2000s. The group consisted of many members, the most notable being Asher D (Ashley Walters), Lisa Ma ...
.


Career


''EastEnders''

Lytton made her first appearance in ''EastEnders'' on 18 March 2005, playing Johnny Allen's daughter Ruby Allen. In July 2006, weeks after winning the "Sexiest Female" award at the
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, it was announced that Lytton would be leaving ''EastEnders'' in November 2006. On the exit of her character, Lytton had commented: "I've really enjoyed my time at EastEnders. It has been a great experience which I will never forget but I am now looking forward to trying new things and not getting typecast." Lytton's final scenes were broadcast in November 2006. On 1 December 2006, Lytton appeared on the
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show ''
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'' and confirmed that leaving ''EastEnders'' was not her decision. In August 2008 she stated she would like to return to ''EastEnders'' once she had left ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...
''. On 18 July 2018, Lytton was announced to be reprising her role as Ruby. Lytton revealed that she was shocked to be asked back to ''EastEnders'' after such a long time, and told '' Metro UK'', "In my head, obviously I'd always have loved to go back to the show because it was where I started out, but it had been so long that it was never an option in my head anymore ..I genuinely never thought about it being an option, especially because my dad had died in the show." Following a twelve-year hiatus, Ruby returned on 18 September 2018. Producers soon placed her at the centre of a sexual consent storyline, involving a special episode about the views surrounding consent. Lytton was nominated for two ''Digital Spy'' Reader Awards for the consent storyline, while Lytton and the storyline were praised by viewers and critics alike. Lytton left the serial for the second time in late 2021, following the birth of her first child. In March 2022, Lytton admitted she may never return to the soap. However in September 2024, it was announced that Lytton would be reprising the role for a prolonged stint later in the year. Following the announcement of her return, Lytton stated "I am thrilled to have been asked back to the Square to revisit Ruby once more, and to shed some light on what the past three years have been like for her during her time away from Walford. I've always loved playing Ruby as there is never a dull moment and I cannot wait for everyone to see what Ruby has in store."


''Strictly Come Dancing''

In late 2006, Lytton took part in the fourth series of the
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competition ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...
''. Aged 17 at the time, she is the youngest ever contestant to have appeared on the show. Lytton's professional dance partner was Vincent Simone. After several impressive performances, she was eliminated in the quarter-finals, finishing in fourth place out of fourteen and losing out to
Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the Pop music, pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the ...
in the viewer vote for a place in the last three. Despite this, Lytton appeared in the Christmas Special on Christmas Day with fellow contestants
Mark Ramprakash Mark Ravin Ramprakash (born 5 September 1969) is an English former cricketer and cricket coach. Outside of cricket, Ramprakash won the Strictly Come Dancing series 4, fourth series of ''Strictly Come Dancing'' in 2006. He is currently the Pr ...
, Matt Dawson and
Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the Pop music, pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the ...
, along with 2005's finalists
Zoë Ball Zoe Louise Ball (born 23 November 1970) is a British broadcaster and presenter. She was the first female host of the Radio 1 and Radio 2 breakfast shows for the BBC, and in 2024 was confirmed as the second-highest paid BBC presenter after G ...
and
Colin Jackson Colin Ray Jackson, (born 18 February 1967) is a British former sprint and hurdling athlete who specialised in the 110 metres hurdles. During a career in which he represented Great Britain and Wales, he won an Olympic silver medal, became w ...
. This show was won by Jackson. Below is a scoring recap from start to finish. In 2008, Lytton embarked on '' Strictly Come Dancing Live!'', which toured the country. Speaking of her time on ''Strictly'', Lytton said she "absolutely loved taking part in ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and jumped at the chance to take part in the live show, and thanks to erbosses at ''The Bill'', he hadthe chance to get back out there and this time, fingers crossed, win it for the girls!". She won numerous times. The tour began on 18 January 2008, and Lytton competed alongside her ''EastEnders'' co-stars,
Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and ag ...
and Matt Di Angelo, ending the tour with 11 wins. Along with her ''EastEnders'' co-star
Christopher Parker Christopher Parker (born 24 August 1983) is a retired English actor and television presenter, best known for portraying Spencer Moon on BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' between 2002 and 2005. Early career Christopher Parker's career began ...
, Lytton was vocal in her criticism of the media treatment of John Sergeant, which led to him resigning from the 2008 series of ''Strictly Come Dancing''. She said she was surprised that Arlene Philips was removed as a judge from the next series of Strictly Come Dancing due to her age and she was replaced by former contestant and 2007 winner Alesha Dixon. In October 2019, it was confirmed that Lytton would return to ''Strictly Come Dancing'' for a
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special with ''EastEnders'' co-stars
Maisie Smith Maisie Louise Collender Smith (born 9 July 2001) is an English actress and singer. She appeared in the feature film ''The Other Boleyn Girl (2008 film), The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2008) and played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC O ...
, Rudolph Walker and
Ricky Champ Ricky Champ (born 1 July 1980) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Paul Parker in the BBC Three sitcom '' Him & Her'', and Stuart Highway in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Champ has also appeared in '' Crims'', ''Plebs'', and ...
. It was announced that she would be partnered with
Gorka Márquez Gorka Márquez (; born 4 September 1990) is a Spanish professional dancer, best known for appearing on the British dance show ''Strictly Come Dancing''. Early life Márquez began dancing at the age of 12, and in 2010 he represented Spain at the ...
. On an
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post, Lytton revealed that she had remembered nothing about dancing from when she took part in the show, 13 years previously.


Other work

Lytton was
Emma Watson Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is an English actress. Known for her roles in both Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and independent films, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Emma Watson, ...
's
double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
in the film ''
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the second novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The plot follows Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ...
''. Between leaving ''EastEnders'' and joining ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...
'' she made an appearance on 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 ...
show '' Hider in the House'' as herself. She has appeared on ''
The Paul O'Grady Show ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' was a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme was a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances ...
'' to promote her role in ''The Bill''. She also appeared on '' Big Brother's Little Brother'' with
Dermot O'Leary Seán Dermot O'Leary (born 24 May 1973) is a British-Irish broadcaster. He presented the television talent show ''The X Factor'' on ITV from 2007 until its final series in 2018, with the exception of 2015. Since 2021, O'Leary has presented ITV' ...
. On 26 June 2007, she made a second appearance on lunchtime show ''
Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about aspects of ...
'', this time promoting her addition to the cast of ''The Bill''. She also briefly appeared in
Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the Pop music, pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the ...
's video for her single "
Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
" for
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
. She has been on the TV show '' This Morning'' several times. On 16 May 2007, Lytton first appeared in the
ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...
police drama The police procedural, police show, or police crime drama is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasises the investigative procedure of police officers, police detectives, or law enforcement agencies as the protagonists, as ...
''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...
'' as PC Beth Green. She had previously appeared as a different character in a 1997 episode, coincidentally starring alongside actor Billy Murray, who previously played her father in ''EastEnders''. She left the show in March 2009. On 27 August 2007, Lytton appeared on
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 ...
's '' Test The Nation'' and was the top "Celebrity" participant. She attended numerous charity events and movie premieres throughout the year such as "Children's Champions" in 2007 and 2009 and the "Legends Ball" in 2008. She was a member of the audience on ''Happy Birthday Brucie'' which celebrated TV presenter
Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was an English entertainer and television presenter whose career spanned more than 75 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the Associated Te ...
's 80th birthday in 2008. Lytton was chosen as one half of the United Kingdom's entry for the Eurovision Dance Contest 2008, finishing 9th out of 14 countries. Lytton appeared on ''
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'' for a second time in January 2008 and a third time in September 2008. Lytton appeared on GMTV for a third time in March 2009 as well as ''Loose Women'' for a third time. She played Imogen in '' American Pie Presents: The Book of Love''. The seventh instalment from the franchise was released straight to DVD in December 2009. On 13 July 2009, Lytton went on GMTV to talk about her roles in the
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
an plays ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...
'' and ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
''. This interview was conducted with
Lorraine Kelly Lorraine Kelly (born 30 November 1959) is a Scottish television presenter. She has presented various television shows for ITV and STV, including '' Good Morning Britain'' (1988–1992), ''GMTV'' (1993–2010), ''This Morning'' (2003–2005, ...
on her segment of the show. She appeared in FHM December 2009 issue. She gave an interview along with provocative pictures of herself in her
bra A bra, short for brassiere or brassière (, ; ), is a type of form-fitting underwear that is primarily used to support and cover a woman's breasts. A typical bra consists of a chest band that wraps around the torso, supporting two breast cups ...
and
panties Panties are women's form-fitting underpants. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genitalia (usually lined with absorbent material such as cotton), and a pair of leg openings that, like the waistband, ...
and
lingerie Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...
. In April 2010, Lytton took part in the ITV series '' The Door''. On 12 June 2010, Lytton was a guest star on ''
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'' on
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, on which she played
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girl Grace Fielding. In 2012, she played Stephanie in the film ''The Knot''. She also appeared in the film '' Payback Season'', in which she played Keisha. In February 2012, she attended the press night for magician
Hans Klok Johannes Franciscus Catharinus "Hans" Klok (born 22 February 1969) is a Dutch magician and illusionist. Biography Klok was born in Purmerend, North Holland. On his tenth birthday, he received a magic set as a present and began performing f ...
's show ''The Houdini Experience'' at The Peacock Theatre in London. In 2013, she was in ''Young High and Dead'', in which she played a character called Jenny. In 2014, she played Michelle in the ITV sitcom series '' Edge of Heaven''. In 2015, she appeared in a music video for ILL BLU – Give Me ft. Kahlia Bakosi. In the same year, Louisa played Ginny Beasley in an episode of ''
Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick ...
'' called Barenaked Ladies. In 2016, Lytton took part in the
third series Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (dis ...
of '' The Jump''. She was the first celebrity to be eliminated on 31 January. She also played the part of Alva in ''Fractured'', an independent film released in 2016. In 2023, Lytton co-founded a children's clothing company named Aura Soul after her daughter.


Theatre

In 2001, Lytton was in a musical production of ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
'', and played the leading role in the musical, '' Annie''. In September 2012, Lytton was in the stage show ''A Broken Rose'', playing the lead character Maria. Lytton performed in the Peter Pan Pantomime at the Milton Keynes Theatre in 2008, and again at the Deco Theatre,
Northampton Northampton ( ) is a town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...
in 2009. The same year, she joined the British Shakespeare Company to tour the UK and Prague, playing Cobweb (a fairy) in ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
'', and Hero in ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...
''. Her other theatre credits include playing Debs in the ''
Boogie Nights ''Boogie Nights'' is a 1997 American drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley and focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic ...
'' UK tour (Jan – April 2013), Princess Aurora in the pantomime ''Sleeping Beauty'' at the Hazlitt Theatre (2017), and Betty Rizzo in a UK tour of the musical '' Grease'' (2017–2018). In April 2022, Lytton returned to work following her maternity leave, by giving a theatrical performance at Theatre Royal, Windsor, where she was praised by many fans and critics alike. In 2023, Lytton played Jenny in '' 2:22 A Ghost Story''.


Personal life

When she was younger, Lytton dated singer
Aston Merrygold Aston Iain Merrygold (born 13 February 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and television presenter. He is known for being a member of the British boy band JLS, who were the runners-up to Alexandra Burke in the fifth series ...
. In February 2011, she received a 14-month driving ban and was fined £350 after being arrested for drink driving the previous month. In 2017, Lytton began a relationship with businessman Ben Bhanvra, after the pair met through a mutual friend. The pair got engaged on 7 February 2019, on Lytton's 30th birthday. In March 2021, the couple announced that their first child is due later in the year. Their daughter was born on 30 August 2021. On 9 July 2022, Lytton married Bhanvra in a private ceremony in Italy, attended by ninety guests, including ''EastEnders'' co-stars James Bye,
Lacey Turner Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She gained prominence in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' for her portrayal of Stacey Slater, a role she initially played between 2004 and 2010 before returning in 2014 an ...
,
Mohammed George Mohammed Michael "Mo" George (born 11 March 1982) is a British actor who played Gus Smith on the soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2002 to 2008. Early life Mohammed Michael George was born to a Jamaican mother and Antiguan father, in Hackney, ...
and Zaraah Abrahams.


Filmography


Film


Television


Stage


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lytton, Louisa 1989 births Living people 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actors from the London Borough of Camden Actresses from London Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School English child actresses English film actresses English musical theatre actresses English people of Italian descent English soap opera actresses English stage actresses English television actresses