| Intro | British actress |
| Is | Actor |
| From | United Kingdom |
| Type | Film, TV, Stage & Radio |
| Gender | female |
| Birth | 12 February 1984, Bury |
| Age: | 36 years |
Jennie Elizabeth McAlpine (born 12 February 1984) is a British television actress and comedienne. She is best known for her role as Fiz Brown in the soap opera Coronation Street.
Early life
McAlpine was born and bred in Bury. She is of Scottish and Irish descent, with a grandfather from County Kerry and a grandmother from County Sligo. As a young girl she used to put on shows on the patio for the neighbours, charging them 50 pence apiece. She did song and dance routines, copying groups like Bananarama.
Her father Tom McAlpine works in mental health and was recently awarded the OBE for services to mental healthcare. With his encouragement she took up amateur dramatics at the age of eight, when father and daughter appeared together in a pantomime by the Bury Parish Players. She was the fairy and he was the dame. As a teenager she joined the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop. McAlpine’s parents separated when she was young after which she lived with her father. She has a brother, Thomas McAlpine (b. 1971).
She had a difficult time at school and did not like teachers:
Career
McAlpine’s big break came in 1997 when, at the age of 13, she did stand-up comedy in London and came second in a Young Comedian of the Year competition run by Fanta. At the grand final at the Comedy Store in London she met TV presenter Jonathan Ross and comedian Peter Kay, and was so inspired that she entered a second time in 1998, finishing second again. She spent four years (1997–2001) doing stand-up comedy at charity nights, galas and pub nights with her father in Bury.
McAlpine played Michelle Morley in Emmerdale from 1999 to 2001. After leaving school she enrolled in her local college, Holy Cross, and began studying for A-levels. At the age of 17 she auditioned for the part of Fiz Brown on Coronation Street, a role she has played since 2001. McAlpine auditioned for the role with her arm In a sling, after dislocating her shoulder in a fall two days earlier. She drew inspiration for Fiz from her father’s work with troubled children. She was originally hired for just five episodes, and went back to studying for her A-levels and working part-time in Boots The Chemist. However her comic timing had so impressed Coronation Street producers that they offered her a long-term contract.
In 2008, McAlpine went to South Africa to film Coronation Street: Out of Africa.
In 2008 she appeared in a Freeview advertisement promoting its PVR service. She has been a narrator for the Royal Festival Hall.
Additionally she has made a variety of television appearances notably on Big Brother’s Big Mouth, F*** Off, I’m Ginger, 8 out of 10 Cats, The Xtra Factor and The Door.
In December 2009, she appeared on the Christmas special of Podge & Rodge’s Stickit Inn for RTÉ in Ireland with Johnny Vegas, where she revealed her Irish ancestry.
In November 2010, Jennie appeared as a guest panelist on ITV’s flagship show Loose Women, in celebration of the 50 Years that Coronation Street has been on air.
Game show appearances
- Who Wants to be a Millionaire (16 August 2008) – Contestant, won £50,000 for charity
- The Cube (2 January 2011) – Contestant, won £1,000 for Mood Swings
- All Star Family Fortunes (11 September 2010) – Contestant
- The Chase (16 September 2012) – Contestant, won £15,750 for Mood Swings
- All Star Mr & Mrs (22 May 2013) – Contestant
- Tipping Point: Lucky Stars (28 July 2013) – Contestant, won £6,700 for Mood Swings
- Pointless Celebrities (30 November 2013) – Contestant
- All Star Family Fortunes (28 December 2013) – Contestant, on the Coronation Street team, won £30,000 for Mood Swings and The Albert Kennedy Trust
- Countdown (8 – 12 February 2016) – Dictionary Corner together with Susie Dent
- You’re Back in the Room (9 April 2016) – Guest
- ^
- Claire Donnelly, ‘Fiz Is the Biz’ Daily Mirror (2 February 2005)
- Jon Peake, ‘Soaper troupers’, The Sun (18 May 2002), The TV Mag, p. 17.
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The British Soap Awards | ‘Best Newcomer’ | Won |
| 2008 | TV Quick Awards | ‘Best Soap Actress’ | Nominated |
Personal life
McAlpine has been in a relationship with Chris Farr, a restaurant manager, since 2005. On the subject of her Scottish ancestry, and famous red hair she said:
On 21 May 2014, McAlpine stated on Twitter that she is pregnant. She gave birth to her first child, Albert on 29 November 2014. She married her long-term partner Chris Farr in January 2017.
Other projects
Since the age of 17 McAlpine has devoted her spare time to helping deprived children in Egypt through the Thebes Project in Luxor.
She has also opened a restaurant in Manchester city centre, Annie’s, with her boyfriend Chris Farr. The restaurant serves modern British cuisine.