Jemma Churchill (born 13 November 1960) is an English television, theatre, film and radio actress, best known for her roles as Nanny Lyons in ''Upstairs Downstairs'', and Ms Fellows in ''Waterloo Road''.

Early life and education

Churchill is the daughter of London-born actor/writer Donald Churchill and Liverpool actress

Pauline Yates Pauline Lettice Yates (16 June 1929 – 21 January 2015) was an English actress, best known for playing Elizabeth Perrin in the BBC television sitcom ''The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin''. She also starred in '' Bachelor Father'' and '' ...

, best known for her portrayal of Elizabeth Perrin in '' The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin''. Following training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Churchill spent a year singing in pubs and working men's clubs in the East End under the name 'Jemma Churchill – the Cockney Sparrow'.

Career

Television and film

Churchill's first professional job was as a

Borstal A Borstal was a type of youth detention centre in the United Kingdom, several member states of the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland. In India, such a detention centre is known as a Borstal school. Borstals were run by HM Prison Service ...

girl in the film ''

Scrubbers ''Scrubbers'' is a 1982 British drama film directed by Mai Zetterling and produced by Don Boyd starring Amanda York, Kathy Burke, and Chrissie Cotterill. It was shot primarily in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. It was inspired by the success ...

'' directed by Mai Zetterling and produced by George Harrison. She appeared as herself in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' 50th Celebrations in Peter Davisons' ''

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot ''The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot'' is a 2013 comedy spoof and homage to the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. It appeared on the BBC Red Button service after the broadcast of "The Day of the Doctor", the official 50th ann ...

'' for the BBC. Churchill's first television appearance was in the BBC sitcom '' No Place Like Home'' with William Gaunt and Martin Clunes. She then played guest parts in John Mortimer's ''

Paradise Postponed ''Paradise Postponed'' (1986) is a British 11-episode TV serial based on the 1985 novel by writer John Mortimer. The series covered a span of 30 years of postwar British history, set in a small village. Plot The series explores the mystery of ...

'' as Cissy Bigwell (1986) and Audrey Wystan, Rumpole's niece in ''

Rumpole of the Bailey ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' is a British television series created and written by the British writer and barrister John Mortimer. It starred Leo McKern as Horace Rumpole, a middle-aged London barrister who defended a broad variety of clients, o ...

'' (1991). In the 1990s Churchill played Elsie in ''Poirot in The Adventure of the Cheap Flat'' in the sitcom ''The Brittas Empire'' (1994) and Doctor Swain in the comedy series '' Waiting For God'' (1994). She has made guest appearances on ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'', ''

Footballers Wives ''Footballers' Wives'' is a British television drama about fictional Premier League Association football, football club Earls Park F.C., its players, and their wives, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 2002 to 2006. The show initially focus ...

'', ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...

'', '' Murder in Mind'', '' Jonathan Creek'', ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'', '' Kiss Me Kate'', '' Waterloo Road'', ''

Red Dwarf ''Red Dwarf'' is a British science fiction comedy franchise created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, which primarily consists of a television sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999, and on Dave since 2009, gaining a cult following. T ...

'' and ''

Jekyll Jekyll may refer to: Entertainment Film * ''The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll'', a 1960 horror film * ''Dr. Jekyll y el Hombre Lobo'', a 1972 Spanish horror film * ''Jekyll'', a 2007 horror film Television * ''Jekyll'' (TV series), a 2007 BBC televisi ...

''. She played Nanny Lyons in the BBC period drama series ''

Upstairs Downstairs Upstairs Downstairs may refer to: Television *Upstairs, Downstairs (1971 TV series), ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971 TV series), a British TV series broadcast on ITV from 1971 to 1975 *Upstairs Downstairs (2010 TV series), ''Upstairs Downstairs'' ...

''. Churchill appeared in the drama documentary ''The Plot To Bring Down Britain's Planes'' for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

. In 2015, she appeared as Freda in the new series of ''

Agatha Raisin Agatha Raisin is a fictional detective in a series of humorous mystery novels, originally written by Marion Chesney using the pseudonym M. C. Beaton. Chesney's friend Rod W. Green took over as writer with ''Hot to Trot''. The books are published ...

'' for Sky TV, and in the new series of the BBC comedy ''

Still Open All Hours ''Still Open All Hours'' is a British sitcom created for the BBC by Roy Clarke, and starring David Jason and James Baxter. It is the sequel to the sitcom ''Open All Hours'', which both Clarke and Jason worked on throughout its 26-episode run f ...

'' with David Jason. Churchill played Barnaby's Nanny in the 2018 Christmas film, ''

Nativity ROCKS! ''Nativity! 4: Nativity Rocks!'' is a 2018 comedy film and the fourth instalment of the Nativity film series by Debbie Isitt. It stars Simon Lipkin, Celia Imrie, Craig Revel Horwood, Helen George, Ruth Jones & Daniel Boys and Dave Tooth. Like its ...

'' The fourth film in Debbie Isitt's Nativity series. Churchill set up Two Tree Island Films, and produced and starred in the short film ''Beached'' which won the

Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...

Short Film Fiction award 2011. In October 2022, she portrayed Aileen McAllister in the BBC soap opera ''

Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

''. She is due to appear as series regular Pat in ITVX comedy series ''G'wed'' that begins streaming on 8 February 2024.

Stage and radio

In September 2015, Churchill appeared at the Finborough Theatre in ''Horniman's Choice.'' Churchill plays a lonely wife and mother in one of the plays in ''Horniman's Choice, The Old Testament and the New''. Churchill also appeared with Janie Dee in ''

84 Charing Cross Road ''84, Charing Cross Road'' is a 1970 book by Helene Hanff, later made into a stage play, television play, and film, about the twenty-year correspondence between the author and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co antiquarian booksellers, locate ...

'' at Salisbury Playhouse. She has also appeared in The Hoard Festival New Vic Theatre's ''Appetite'', a musical starring

Miriam Margolyes Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The Tora ...

and Tamsin Greig; as Belinda in ''Noises Off'' at Wolsey Theatre; Polina in ''The Notebook Of Trigorin''; ''Factors Unforeseen'' at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond; Barbara in Ayckbourn's ''Things We Do For Love;'' and the surgeon in ''Having A Ball.'' Churchill has recorded many radio plays for '' BBC Radio'' including The Good Companions, Potting On, Hercule Poirot Series, Vanity Fair, The Idiot, Brideshead Revisited and Brief Lives. She voiced Lady Forleon in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio story Creatures of Beauty with Peter Davison, Safira Valtris in Breaking Bubbles with Colin Baker, and Praska in Signs and Wonders with Sylvester McCoy. She played all 9 female roles in Blake's 7 The Liberator Chronicles and played Helena Eidelman in The Judgement Of Sherlock Holmes all for Big Finish. For Brunel's Bicentenary, Churchill toured along the Great Western Railway route with her site-specific one woman show ''The Engineer's Corset'' about

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "one ...

, Engineering and Victorian Women. She played Dorothy Wordsworth in her one-woman show ''Dolly'' by Donald Churchill at the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick. She starred in Jemma Kennedy's ''The Gift'' and

Annie Horniman Annie Elizabeth Fredericka Horniman CH (3 October 1860 – 6 August 1937) was an English theatre patron and manager. She established the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and founded the first regional repertory theatre company in Britain at the Gaiety ...

's well-received ''The Price of Coal'' and ''The Old Testament and the New''. In 2022, Churchill returned to

Nativity! The Musical ''Nativity! The Musical'' is a stage musical written and directed by Debbie Isitt (co-composed by Nicky Ager), based on Isitt's 2009 film of the same name (part of the ''Nativity'' film series). The musical follows a Coventry based primary schoo ...

at The Birmingham Rep Theatre playing Mrs. Bevan. This is the same role she originated on the 2017 tour and played for a second time in the 2018 touring production of the show. Churchill reunited with director Debbie Isitt to tour with

I Should Be So Lucky "I Should Be So Lucky" is a 1987 song performed by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album '' Kylie'' (1988). Released on 29 December 1987 by Mushroom Records and PWL Records, the song became a worldw ...

from 1 November 2023 until 4 May 2024 playing Ivy.

Television filmography

* '' No Place Like Home'' (1984) as Lesley * ''

Gems Gems, or gemstones, are polished, cut stones or minerals. Gems or GEMS may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media *Gems (Aerosmith album), ''Gems'' (Aerosmith album), 1988 *Gems (Patti LaBelle album), ''Gems'' (Patti LaBelle album), 1994 *G ...

'' (3 episodes, 1985) as Rebecca Springett * ''

'' (1986) as Cissy Bigwell * '' Agatha Christie's Poirot'' (1990) as Elsie * ''

'' (1991) as Audrey Wystan * '' Waiting for God'' (1994) as Dr Swain * ''

The Brittas Empire ''The Brittas Empire'' is a British sitcom created and originally written by Andrew Norriss and Richard Fegen. Chris Barrie played titular character Gordon Brittas, the well-intended but hugely incompetent manager of the fictional Whitbury New To ...

'' (1994) as Philippa Belmot * '' McCallum'' (1997) as Social Worker * '' Bugs'' (1997) as Doctor * '' Strange But True?'' (1997) as Reconstruction Cast: Twins * ''

'' (1997) as Dr. Ericson * ''

'' (1990–1998) (1990) as Babs, (1998) as Janice Fields * '' Jonathan Creek'' (1998) as Second Therapist * '' Dangerfield'' (1998) as 1st Academic * '' Kiss Me Kate'' (1999) as Emma * ''

'' (TV series) (1999) as First Woman Officer * '' Where There's Smoke'' (2000) as Reverend Wilmore * '' Murder in Mind'' (2002) as DS Jane Shepherd * ''

'' (2003) as Maisie Cullen * '' Footballers' Wives'' (2004) as Doctor * '' Murder in Suburbia'' (2004) as Anne James * ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', and pr ...

'' (2005) as Karen Hames * ''

Heartbeat A heartbeat is one cardiac cycle of the heart. Heartbeat, heart beat, heartbeats, and heart beats may refer to: Computing *Heartbeat (computing), a periodic signal to indicate normal operation or to synchronize parts of a system *Heartbeat, clus ...

'' (2006) as Stella Hill * ''

'' (2007) as Obstetrician * '' Waterloo Road'' (2009) as Ms Fellows * ''Beached'' (2011) as Mum * ''

'' (3 episodes, 2010–2012) as Nanny Lyons * ''

'' (2013) as Jemma Churchill * ''Burn the Clock'' (2013) as Woman in crowd * ''

'' (2002, 2010, 2014, 2022) as Eleanor Wainwright, Angela Pike, Sheila White, Aileen McAllister * '' Agatha Raisin: The Quiche of Death'' (2014) as Freda * ''Between Places'' (2014) as Cheryl * '' Deny Everything'' (2015) as the Boss

References

* http://www.newvichoardfestival.org.uk/people/people/ * https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33109263 * https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/pauline-yates-actress-who-was-rarely-out-of-work-for-40-years-and-was-best-known-for-the-fall-and-9999566.html * https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2015/84-charing-cross-road/ * https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/jan/26/pauline-yates * http://www.maureenobrien.co.uk/plays.php * http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00bpm0x * http://sfcrowsnest.org.uk/the-judgement-of-sherlock-holmes-by-jonathan-barnes-cd-review/ * http://www.midsomermurders.org/birds.htm * http://shfff.co.uk/

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Churchill, Jemma 1960 births Living people English stage actresses English television actresses Actresses from London Actors from Hampstead