Chizzy Akudolu facts for kids

Andrea Chizoba "Chizzy" Akudolu is a British actress. She was born on October 7, 1973, in London, England. Chizzy is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows like Holby City, where she played surgeon Mo Effanga. She has also appeared in children's shows and even competed on Strictly Come Dancing.

Chizzy Akudolu's Acting Journey

Starting Out in TV

Chizzy Akudolu began her acting career in 2002. She was one of eight new comedy performers chosen by the BBC. They all put on a comedy show for BBC producers. Her very first TV appearance was in the BBC sitcom 15 Storeys High. After that, she had a small part in EastEnders.

She then worked on several shows for CBBC, which is a channel for kids. These included Stupid! and Roman's Empire. She also appeared in shows like Green Wing and Dustbin Baby. Chizzy played Miss Kanouti in The Complete Guide to Parenting. She continued to work on CBBC shows such as Nuzzle and Scratch, Scoop, and Gigglebiz.

Becoming a TV Star

In 2008, Chizzy played Angel in Dead Set. This was a zombie show that made fun of the reality TV show Big Brother. In 2009, she had a guest role in Hollyoaks Later. She also starred in the CBBC show Jinx. In Jinx, she played the main role of Cookie, a unique Fairy Godmother.

Later, Chizzy appeared in shows like The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret and Twenty Twelve. She also had a role in The Inbetweeners. From May 2012, Chizzy Akudolu became very well known for playing the surgeon Mo Effanga in the medical drama Holby City. She was on the show for five years.

Awards and Recognition

Chizzy's acting earned her some awards. She won "Best Newcomer" at the Black International Film Festival. She also won "Best Actress" at the BEFFTA Awards in the same year. She was nominated for the "Emerging Talent" award too.

Fun TV Appearances

In 2017, Chizzy took part in Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief. She performed with two actors from the show Casualty. They danced and sang "Uptown Funk" and came in second place.

Later in 2017, she joined the popular dance competition Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One. She was the first celebrity to leave the show that season. Chizzy also appeared on The Weakest Link for a special Children in Need episode. She did very well, winning £1,130 for charity, which the show then doubled!

In 2018, Chizzy competed on Richard Osman's House of Games. She won one of the episodes and later returned for a special "House of Champions" show in 2020. In January 2019, she played Butterfly Brown in the mystery series Death in Paradise. In 2022, Chizzy took part in Celebrity Hunted to raise money for Stand up to Cancer. She was caught during the series. She also made a guest appearance in the ITV sitcom Kate and Koji.

Chizzy's Personal Life

Outside of acting, Chizzy Akudolu has some interesting hobbies. She has a brown belt in karate. She is also a skilled calligrapher, which means she is good at beautiful handwriting. Her mother used to work as a midwife.

Notable Roles

Chizzy Akudolu has appeared in many TV shows and films. Here are some of her notable roles:

• 15 Storeys High (2004) - Melinda
• EastEnders (2004) - Mattie George
• Stupid! (2004) - Various roles (series regular)
• The Complete Guide to Parenting (2006) - Miss Kanouti (series regular)
• Dead Set (2008) - Angel (series regular)
• Jinx (2009) - Cookie (series regular)
• Gigglebiz (2009) - Various roles (series regular)
• Campus (2011) - Grace 2 (series regular)
• Holby City (2012–2017, 2018, 2022) - Mo Effanga (series regular)
• Strictly Come Dancing (2017) - Herself (contestant)
• Death in Paradise (2019) - Butterfly Brown
• Kate and Koji (2022) - Lisa
• Criminal Record (2024) - Jasmine Peters