Lisa Riley facts for kids

Lisa Jane Riley (born 13 July 1976) is an English actress and television presenter. She is famous for playing Mandy Dingle in the popular ITV soap opera Emmerdale. She is also known for hosting the funny clip show You've Been Framed!.

Lisa has appeared on many other TV shows. She was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing and a panellist on the daytime show Loose Women.

Acting Career

Early Life and First Roles

Lisa Riley started acting at a young age. When she was nine, she began training at the Oldham Theatre Workshop. By the time she was twelve, she already had an agent to help her find acting jobs.

Her first roles were small parts as an extra in shows like Coronation Street. She also had a role in the movie Butterfly Kiss.

Becoming Famous with Emmerdale

In 1995, Lisa got a guest role as Mandy Dingle in the soap opera Emmerdale. People loved her character so much that she was asked to join the main cast the next year.

Her role as Mandy was a big hit. In 1996, she won a National Television Award for "Most Popular Newcomer." She played Mandy until 2001, when she decided to leave to try other acting jobs.

Hosting and Other TV Shows

From 1998 to 2002, Lisa became the host of You've Been Framed!. She took over from Jeremy Beadle and made the show even more popular, with over 13 million people watching at its peak. In a funny twist, one of Lisa's old school friends sent in a clip of her, which was shown on the programme as a surprise!

Between 2002 and 2005, Lisa starred in the drama series Fat Friends as Rebecca Patterson. She also appeared in many other popular British shows, including Scott & Bailey, Waterloo Road, and the children's show Young Dracula.

Strictly Come Dancing

In 2012, Lisa joined the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with professional dancer Robin Windsor. The pair did very well and made it all the way to the semi-finals.

Lisa was praised for her fun and energetic performances. After the show, she took part in the Strictly live tour and a backstage show called Strictly Confidential.

Return to Emmerdale and Recent Work

In 2017, Lisa appeared in the BBC drama Three Girls. The next year, she starred in another BBC drama called Age Before Beauty.

Fans were thrilled when it was announced in 2018 that Lisa would be returning to Emmerdale. She came back as Mandy Dingle for a short time in January 2019 and then returned as a full-time cast member in September 2019.

Personal Life

In 2016, Lisa decided to focus on her health and made some positive lifestyle changes. A year later, she had surgery to remove the extra skin that was left after her transformation.

Selected Roles

Lisa has had a long career on stage and screen. Here are some of her most well-known roles.

Television

• Emmerdale (1995–2001, 2019–present) as Mandy Dingle
• You've Been Framed! (1998–2002) as Presenter
• Fat Friends (2002–2005) as Rebecca Patterson
• Waterloo Road (2011–2013) as Tina Allen
• Strictly Come Dancing (2012) as a Contestant
• Loose Women (2016–2018) as a Panellist
• Three Girls (2017) as Lorna Bowen
• Age Before Beauty (2018) as Tina Reegan

Stage

Lisa has performed in many pantomimes, which are fun plays often shown around Christmas. She has played characters like the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, the Slave of the Ring in Aladdin, and the Spirit of the Beans in Jack and the Beanstalk.

Awards and Nominations

Lisa has been nominated for many awards for her acting. She won the "Most Popular Newcomer" award in 1996 for her role in Emmerdale.

See also

• List of Strictly Come Dancing contestants