Fiona Allen

Allen has appeared in many sketch shows, including We Know Where You Live (Channel 5), Smack the Pony (Channel 4), Goodness Gracious Me and The All Star Comedy Show. She has also appeared in many television dramas including Dalziel and Pascoe and Coronation Street, as well as the sitcom Happiness alongside Paul Whitehouse. Subsequently she appeared as Sandra, in the film version of the Viz comic strip The Fat Slags, and as a panelist on one episode of Mock the Week.

Allen appeared in the first episode of the second series of the E4 teenage drama Skins, playing Maxxie's mum Jackie Oliver. Jackie is married to Walter who is played by Bill Bailey. She also appears in BBC drama Waterloo Road as Georgia Stevenson, playing the former lover of Tom Clarkson. In 2019, she began portraying Michaela Turnbull in the BBC soap EastEnders.[2]

Allen's grandfather was Harry Allen, one of the last British hangmen; her mother was born in Spain. Allen is married to the son of TV chat show host Michael Parkinson, also named Michael.[3] Together they have two daughters and a son.

In the late 1980s she worked on the reception at the Manchester nightclub the Haçienda, ran the Area (Factory Records' shop) at Affleck's Palace and makes a brief appearance playing herself in the film 24 Hour Party People.

• Fiona Allen at IMDb