Jill Steps Out ; When Jill Halfpenny Won Strictly Come Dancing, the Soap Actress Gained a Whole New Army of Fans. Now, As She Takes to the West End Stage, She Tells Nick Curtis About the Tragedy That Spurred Her Ambition

Evening Standard - London › January 28, 2005

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Summary

What a difference a dance makes. Until December, Jill Halfpennywas a semirecognisable soap face, a teen star on Byker Grove who'd gone on to two-year stints as a homewrecker in both Coronation Street and EastEnders.

She was cute and talented but nothing overly special. Then came the second series of Strictly Come Dancing, in which the 29-year- old Geordie waltzed (and shimmied, and foxtrotted) off with the title, thanks as much to her effusive personality as her ability to shake a sequinned tailfeather. She went on to beat an apparently furious Natasha Kaplinsky in the SCD Christmas special, secured the role of Roxie Hart in the West End production of Chicago, and it is now whispered that she and Graham Norton will together become the new queens of Saturday-night light entertainment.

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Jill Steps Out ; When Jill Halfpenny Won Strictly Come Dancing, the Soap Actress Gained a Whole New Army of Fans. Now, As She Takes to the West End Stage, She Tells Nick Curtis About the Tragedy That Spurred Her Ambition

'Nah, that's not true,' says Halfpenny, amused blue eyes as big as saucers and an impish grin on her lips. 'I've heard nothing.' She's equally dismissive of the reputed feud with Kaplinsky.

'Natasha and I got on really well,' she insists, 'and anyone can look p...

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