Lisa Riley

Lisa Riley (born 13 June 1976, Bury) is a British television presenter and actress best known for playing the role of Mandy Dingle in the television soap opera Emmerdale and succeeding Jeremy Beadle as presenter of You've Been Framed!.

Career

Riley trained at the Oldham Theatre Workshop from the age of nine, and was signed by an agent three years later. After some early roles including appearances as an extra in Coronation Street and as a cast member in Butterfly Kiss which was directed by Michael Winterbottom, her first breakthrough role in UK television was playing Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale over a period of six and a half years.

In 1996, Riley won the National Television Awards for Most popular newcomer for her work in Emmerdale.

Riley was noted for playing the role of Princess Jean in the CITV Awards 1997. Riley went on then to present You've Been Framed from 1998 to 2002, taking over from the former presenter, Jeremy Beadle and raising viewers figures to more than 13 million at its peak in the process. In 1999, Riley appeared opposite a young Jack P. Shepherd in Put Out More Fags and had a cameo role in the music video for "When the Going Gets Tough" by Boyzone. In 2000, Riley appeared in ITV's Christmas Pantomime Aladdin opposite stars such as Ed Byrne, Patsy Kensit, Julian Clary and Paul Merton and in 2001, Riley appeared in a commercial for Heineken.

In 2011, she played a small role in the UK produced children's show 'Young Dracula'. In episode 2 "The Enemy" she played the role of Goody McEldrich.

In 2012, she appeared as Nadia Hicks in the second series of the crime drama, Scott and Bailey.

Riley also signed up as a contestant on the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing,^[1] partnering with Robin Windsor. They have been lauded as the stars of the series, with notable moments including Lisa lifting Robin, Lisa doing the splits at Wembley Arena, and the couple showing surprisingly brilliant technicality. The couple were eliminated during the semi-finals, on 16 December 2012. Lisa has since appeared on the 2013 Live Tour and backstage gossip show Strictly Confidential, directed by Craig Revel Horwood, who often praised her on the show.

Riley's other TV credits include roles in Fat Friends, The Bill, Waterloo Road, Holby City, Doctors, the BBC's Afternoon Play series, Having It off. She also played the role of Beth Trailor the little-seen film Secret Society.

On stage, she has appeared in fourteen pantomimes (she starred in Aladdin at the Kings Theatre in Southsea, Portsmouth in the 2009-10 pantomime season) and in UK tours of The Play What I Wrote, The Vagina Monologues (opposite Sharon Osbourne), The Naked Truth, Waiting for Gateaux and Calendar Girls.

Other

The 2006 album I Rock Eye Pop by Kings Have Long Arms includes a track entitled "Lisa Riley". The Half Man Half Biscuit song Breaking News mentions various annoyances (Bus drivers who don’t wait for people to sit down before pulling away from the bus stop;Taxi drivers who use their horns instead of knocking on the door) and mentions Lisa Riley.

Riley describes herself as a "dedicated vegetarian".^[2]

References