Tameka Empson (born 16 April 1977) is an English actress and comedian. She appeared as one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show ''

3 Non-Blondes ''3 Non-Blondes'' is a British hidden camera comedy show (and the group name given to the three comedians who star in it), distributed by the BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation on the BBC Three digital network channel, first aired in 2003. ...

''. In 2009, she began portraying the role of Kim Fox in the BBC soap opera ''

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 ...

''.

Career

As well as her television work, Empson has appeared in a number of films. In 1996, she appeared in the film '' Beautiful Thing'' as Leah Russell, the next-door neighbour of the main characters. Empson worked alongside

Linda Henry Linda Varilis (''née'' Henry; born 24 August 1959) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV drama '' Bad Girls'' and Shirley Carter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she has played since 200 ...

, both of whom would eventually join the cast of ''EastEnders''; in 1998 she appeared as the love rival to the main character in the film ''Babymother''. Empson is an experienced theatre actress having performed as Billie in the original cast of '' Our House'', a musical featuring songs from the ska/pop band

Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...

, which premiered at The Cambridge Theatre in October 2002 and ran on until August 2003. She has since been a mainstay of the

Hackney Empire Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as ‘the most beautiful theatre in Lon ...

annual pantomimes. In 2008, Empson appeared in the BBC sitcom '' Beautiful People'' and in the

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...

thriller ''

Whitechapel Whitechapel is a district in East London and the future administrative centre of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a part of the East End of London, east of Charing Cross. Part of the historic county of Middlesex, the area formed ...

''. In 2009, she joined the cast of ''

'', playing Kim Fox, the half-sister of

Denise Fox Denise Fox (also Wicks and Johnson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Diane Parish. She made her first appearance on 11 May 2006 and temporarily left ''EastEnders'' in early 2008 to give birth to her ...

(

Diane Parish Diane Parish (born 1 November 1969) is an English actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006 Born in Chelsea, London and a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Pari ...

). As a result, she has won several awards including an Inside Soap award in 2012 for "Funniest Female Performance". She took maternity leave from ''EastEnders'' and returned to screens August 2014. On 16 July 2019, it was announced that Empson would be temporarily leaving the series, with her return set to air in 2020. Empson confirmed on ''

Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...

'' that the break was her maternity leave for her second child, and that she did not deliberately keep it a secret, but that she "just wanted to enjoy it". Empson is a regular performer at the

starring in the theatre's annual pantomime since 2004; she has also starred in ''Anansi and the Magic Mirror'' and has a live sketch and comedy show (''The Kat and Tameka Show'') with

Choice FM Capital XTRA (formerly Choice FM) is a Global-owned radio station that broadcasts on 96.9 FM and 107.1 FM in Greater London. Nationally, it is heard on DAB Digital Radio, Freesat, Sky, Virgin Media and Global Player. It specialises in hip ...

DJ Kat B. She has also voiced Tickbird in ''

Tinga Tinga Tales ''Tinga Tinga Tales'' is a British flash animated children's television series based on African folk tales and aimed at 4 to 6-year-olds. It was commissioned by the BBC for its CBeebies channel, and by Disney Channel for its Disney Junior bl ...

''. On 22 August 2016, Empson was revealed as a contestant participating on the fourteenth series of ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 ...

''. She was partnered with professional dancer

Gorka Márquez Gorka Márquez (; born 4 September 1990) is a Spanish professional dancer, best known for appearing on the British dance show ''Strictly Come Dancing''. Early life Márquez began dancing at the age of 12, and in 2010 he represented Spain at the ...

. They were the second couple to leave the competition. In 2019, she appeared on ''

Comic Relief Does The Apprentice ''Comic Relief Does The Apprentice'' (also known as ''The Celebrity Apprentice for Comic Relief'') is a special celebrity version of British reality television series ''The Apprentice (British TV series), The Apprentice'', initially produced to ...

'' to raise money for

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...

. Later that year, she appeared as a panellist on '' The Apprentice: You're Fired'', and voiced the role of Pearl the Police Horse on the

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

series ''

101 Dalmatian Street ''101 Dalmatian Street'' is an animated television series created by Miklos Weigert that aired on Disney Channel in the UK and Ireland from 18 March 2019 to 22 February 2020, and released on Disney+ in Canada and the United States on 28 Februar ...

''.

Filmography

*2019: ''

'' – Pearl the Police Horse *2016 ''

'' – Participant *2014: '' Lily's Driftwood Bay'' – Hatsie (2014) *2011: '' EastEnders: E20'' – Kim Fox *2010: ''

StreetDance 3D ''StreetDance 3D'' (also called ''StreetDance'') is a 2010 British 3D dance comedy-drama film which was released on 21 May 2010. The film was released in RealD 3D, XpanD 3D, and Dolby 3D with Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini directing it. ''Britain's ...

'' – Sharonda *2009: ''

'' – Kim Fox (653 episodes, 2009–present) *2008: '' Beautiful People'' – Tameka/Johoyo (6 episodes, 2008–2009) *2009: ''

Skellig ''Skellig'' is a children's novel by the British author David Almond, published by Hodder in 1998. It was the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year and it won the Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's outstandi ...

'' – Nurse 1 *2009: ''

'' – Mrs. Buki (3 episodes, 2009) *2007: ''

Learners ''Learners'' is a British comedy drama television film starring David Tennant and Jessica Hynes. The film was announced by the BBC on 3 April 2007 and was broadcast on 11 November 2007. The DVD was released on 12 November 2007. Synopsis The fil ...

'' – Gloria *2007: ''

Mi High ''M.I. High'' is a British Action film, action television series produced by Kudos (production company), Kudos for CBBC and created by Keith Brumpton. The series focuses on a team of undercover teenage spies working for a fictional version of the ...

'' - Sergeant Raynor *2006: ''

Notes on a Scandal ''Notes on a Scandal'' (''What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal'' in the U.S.) is a 2003 novel by Zoë Heller. It is about a female teacher at a London comprehensive school who begins an affair with an minor (law), underage pupil. Heller sai ...

'' – Antonia Robinson *2003: '' 3 Non Blondes'' – Herself *2002: '' Babyfather'' – Sherene (3 episodes, 2002) *2002: ''

Silent Cry ''Silent Cry'' is the sixth studio album by Welsh rock band Feeder. It was released by Echo, on 16 June 2008, on CD, deluxe CD, vinyl, and digital download. It was the follow-up to 2005's ''Pushing the Senses'' and in terms of all albums, the ...

'' – Hairdresser *2002: ''

Out of the Game ''Out of the Game'' is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada in April 2012 and in the United States on May 1, 2012 through Decca Records/Polydor Records. The album was ...

'' – Karen *2002: ''

Long Time Dead ''Long Time Dead'' is a 2002 British horror film, co-written and directed by Marcus Adams in his directorial debut. Set in the United Kingdom, the film follows a group of college students in which they experiment with an Ouija board and inadv ...

'' – Girl student *2001: ''

The Martins ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' – Mo *2001: ''

Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

'' – Maxine *2001: ''

Sam's Game ''Sam's Game'' was a celebrity poker program on Playboy TV. It featured a lineup of comedians, Playmates, and professional Texas Hold 'Em players and was hosted by '' Simpsons co-developer, Sam Simon. Format Shot at Hugh Hefner's private sk ...

'' – Marcia (6 episodes, 2001) *2001: ''

Goodbye Charlie Bright ''Goodbye Charlie Bright'' is a 2001 comedy-drama film directed by Nick Love and starring Paul Nicholls, Roland Manookian and Danny Dyer. The film is also known by the U.S. title ''Strong Boys''. Plot Charlie drifts through life as he and ...

'' – Kay *1998: ''

Babymother ''Babymother'' is a 1998 British musical comedy drama film directed by Julian Henriques and released by Channel 4 Films. It is considered to be the first Black British musical and captures the British Caribbean dancehall cultural scene of London ...

'' – Dionne – her rival *1998: '' I Want You'' – Cut Ear Salon Woman *1997: '' Food of Love'' – Alice *1996: '' Beautiful Thing'' – Leah Russell

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Empson, Tameka 1977 births Alumni of the Anna Scher Theatre School English stage actresses English women comedians Living people Actresses from London English television actresses English soap opera actresses English voice actresses Black British actresses English people of Jamaican descent 20th-century British actresses 21st-century British actresses 20th-century English women 20th-century English people 21st-century English women 21st-century English people