Kay Purcell

Kay Purcell is a British actress. She is widely known for her role as Cynthia Daggert in Emmerdale, as well as for Candice Smilie in Waterloo Road, Yvonne Savage in Bernard's watch, and as Gina Conway in Tracy Beaker Returns and The Dumping Ground.

Television Roles

Her first big role was in Emmerdale but before that she had also been in many other programmes including Casualty but her main role was as Cynthia Daggert in Emmerdale. She had previously been in Emmerdale as Carmel Morgan in 1997 but Cynthia was introduced in 2001 as a regular role.

From 2007 to 2009 she played the role of Head Dinner lady Candice Smilie in the BBC Drama Waterloo Road. She also was cast in My Parents are aliens (a TV series on CITV) twice as different characters firstly as a drama coach in the episode "First Christmas" from the end of series two in 2000 then in series 8 playing a social worker in 2006. She played Gina Conway in all three series of Tracy Beaker Returns, and she returned for the first season of The Dumping Ground spinoff of the show in 2013. It was confirmed that she would not return for the Christmas special, Jody in Wonderland or the second season.

Television

Emmerdale

Kay Purcell played Cynthia Daggert in Emmerdale. Cynthia and her two sons arrived in Emmerdale in June 2001, but almost as soon as they arrived problems began to occur. Cynthia also had a daughter Latisha who was heavily pregnant when she arrived soon after the rest of the Daggert family. Cynthia herself was frequently arguing with Carol Waring. Purcell says that Cynthia was just trying to give her family a fresh start, but they seemed to have an awful lot of bad luck. Kay continued playing Cynthia Daggert until 2002.

Waterloo Road

Purcell has played Candice Simile in Waterloo Road since 2007. Candice is a single mum in her early forties who has a son called Bolton who is a student at the school. She is very proud of her job as top dinner lady. She had to put aside her differences with Rose Kelly so they could work together in the school diner. Since the Series 5, she has not had any appearances since Adam Fleet came along as head chef at the school, but he is no longer present chef at the school, Maggie Budgen is now the head Dinner lady.

Bernard's Watch

Kay played Bernard's stuck-up, and very firm teacher Miss Yvonne Savage. She had a very short temper and would often shout at Bernard and his best friend Nathan, looking for any trouble hoping they would get into. On the other hand Savage liked most of the girls, out of all Nicolette . Nickolette would often play tricks or get Bernard and Nathan into trouble little did Miss Savage know, believing her to be a perfect young girl.

Tracy Beaker Returns

In this series Kay Purcell plays Gina Conway, short tempered but caring social worker. She has been playing her since 2010. She has a very short temper and shouts but inside she truly cares about the kids. Gina also wears distinctive nail varnishes (wearing the Jamaican flag on her nails in one episode) and is famous for wearing her headscarves. She is very well known by kids for this role.

Family

She has Jamaican ancestry and both her father and husband are Jamaican.

External links

• Kay Purcell at the Internet Movie Database
• Kay Purcell's Agency