Alyce Mary A Platt (born 19 December 1963) is an Australian actress and singer. As an actress, she had roles in the TV
soap operas ''
Sons and Daughters'' and ''
Neighbours'', and worked as a TV presenter and game show host, including on ''
Sale of the Century
''Sale of the Century'' (stylized as ''$ale of the Century'') is an American television game show that originally debuted on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being th ...
'' from 1986 to 1991. Also a musician, Platt released her debut album, ''Beautiful Death'', in April 2004.
In 2012, Platt started playing another role in ''Neighbours'', that of
Olivia Bell, a potential love interest for Karl Kennedy. In May 2020, Platt resumed the part of Olivia for a second guest stint and returned again for another stint the following year.
Early life
Alyce Mary Platt was born on 19 December 1963 and grew up in Melbourne with her parents and two older brothers.
From the age of 12 she was singing in competitions.
At 16 she attended
Box Hill Technical College for a two-year drama course.
Career
Acting
Platt's acting roles include the regular part of Amanda Morrell in ''
Sons and Daughters'' from 1983 to 1985; a guest role as Stephanie Collins in the short-lived serial ''
Family and Friends
''Family and Friends'' is a short-lived Australian television soap opera which debuted on 7 February 1990.Albert Moran, ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', AFTRS 1993 p 169
The series was intended to be the Nine Network's response to t ...
'' in 1990;
and as Sarah Wilkes in Ten's version of ''
A Country Practice'' in 1994.
In 1995, Platt appeared as a reporter in the "My Lovely Girl" episode of ''
Halifax f.p.''. That same year, she joined the-long-running soap ''Neighbours'', playing the regular part of
Jen Handley. However, Jen was written out after just a year when writers struggled to come up with stories for the character. She told Sue Malins of the ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...
''; "In the end, I don't think the scriptwriters knew what to do with me."
Her last episode as Jen aired in March 1996.
Platt had a recurring roles on ''
Blue Heelers
''Blue Heelers'' is an Australian Police procedural, police drama series that was produced by Endemol Australia, Southern Star Group and ran for 12 years on the Seven Network, from 1994 to 2006. Although based around the policing of the town, ...
'' as Jeanette Holbrook in 2000; ''
City Homicide'' from August 2007 and a lead role in the children's television series ''
The Elephant Princess
''The Elephant Princess'' is an Australian children's television series that first screened on Network Ten in 2008. The series is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions. A second season began screening in 2011. The series revolves around a ...
'' as Anita Wilson.
The role that brought her most recognition was that of co-host of the then top-rated quiz show ''
Sale of the Century
''Sale of the Century'' (stylized as ''$ale of the Century'') is an American television game show that originally debuted on September 29, 1969, on NBC daytime. It was one of three NBC game shows to premiere on that date, the other two being th ...
'' from 1986 to 1991. She returned to this role for one special episode of ''
Temptation
Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...
'' on 14 March 2007, during the show's "Battle of the Network Shows" series, in which ''Temptation's'' hosts
Ed Phillips
Ed Phillips (born 6 July 1966) is an Australian television and radio presenter.
Career
Phillips began his career in 1988 with radio station Triple M, where he stayed until 1997. It was around this time that he acquired his on-air handle "Laugh ...
and
Livinia Nixon
Livinia Helen Nixon (19 March 1975) is an Australian television presenter and actress.
Nixon is the chief weather presenter for ''Nine News Melbourne''.[Tony Barber
Anthony Ferraro Louis Barber (born 28 March 1940) is a British Australian Gold Logie award-winning television game show host, radio announcer singer and media personality, who has been active in the industry since the early 1960s.
Biography
E ...]
on
TV1's ''Cash Trivia Challenge''.
On 9 August 2012, it was announced Platt had re-joined ''Neighbours'' for a guest role as a new character,
Olivia Bell. Eight years later, in a February 2020 interview for ''
The Courier'', Platt stated she had returned to ''Neighbours''.
She said, "I've gone back to Ramsay Street; I'm doing a little bit on ''Neighbours'' at the moment, which is wonderful. I'm enjoying it a lot, actually."
Platt's management company confirmed that she would be returning as Olivia Bell, and her return scenes aired on 6 May 2020.
She returned for another stint in 2021.
Music
Platt launched her debut album, ''Beautiful Death'', on 4 April 2004 at the
Corner Hotel
The Corner Hotel in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, Victoria, Australia, is a remodelled 19th-century pub which has been a live music venue since the 1940s and, since 1995, a popular rock music venue and rooftop bar.Johnston, Chris. "Corner ...
. Carmine Pascuzzi of MediaSearch website said that she "does a decent job in providing an adventurous foray through her honest and melancholic musical thoughts. It's a collection of material spanning several years. The songs are mostly told with positive feeling and the hope for better things."
Her second album, ''Live from the Vault'', appeared in August 2006.
Her third album, ''Funny Little World'', was issued in November 2015.
She wrote and performed the music for the documentary ''Journey Beyond Fear'' in 2018.
Personal life
In August 2004, Platt married Claude Carranza.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Platt, Alyce
1963 births
Living people
Australian women singers
Australian game show hosts
Australian soap opera actresses