Jennie Elizabeth McAlpine (born 12 February 1984) is a British television actress and comedienne. She is best known for her role as Fiz Stape in the soap opera Coronation Street.



Early life

McAlpine was born and bred in Bury, Greater Manchester. She is of Scottish and Irish descent, with a grandfather from County Kerry and a grandmother from County Sligo. As a young girl she used to put on shows on the patio for the neighbours, charging them 50 pence apiece. She did song and dance routines, copying groups like Bananarama.

Her father Tom McAlpine works in mental health and was recently awarded the OBE for services to mental healthcare. With his encouragement she took up amateur dramatics at the age of eight,[1] when father and daughter appeared together in a pantomime by the Bury Parish Players. She was the fairy and he was the dame.As a teenager she joined the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop.

She had a difficult time at school and did not like teachers: 'My reports always said I talked too much and made me think I was crap. I wasn't in the popular group at school and I didn't especially get on with the girls ... All through school I was going for parts. They wouldn't give me time off for the auditions, so I used to end up wagging it.

Career

McAlpine's big break came in 1997 when at the age of 13 she did stand-up comedy in London and came second in a Young Comedian Of The Year competition run by Fanta. At the grand final at Comedy Store in London she met TV presenter Jonathan Ross and comedian Peter Kay, and was so inspired that she entered a second time in 1998, coming second again. She spent four years (1997–2001) doing stand-up comedy at charity nights, galas and pub nights with her father in Bury.

McAlpine played Michelle Morley in Emmerdale from 1999 to 2001. After leaving school she enrolled in her local college, Holy Cross, and began studying for A-levels. At the age of 17 she auditioned for the part of Fiz Brown ( now Fiz Stape) on Coronation Street, a role she has played since 2001. McAlpine drew inspiration for Fiz from her father's work with troubled children. She was originally hired for just five episodes,and went back to studying for her A-levels and working part-time in Boots The Chemist. However her comic timing had so impressed Coronation Street producers that they offered her a long-term contract.

In 2008, McAlpine went to South Africa to film Coronation Street: Out of Africa.

In 2008 she appeared in a Freeview advertisement promoting its PVR service. She has been a narrator for the Royal Festival Hall.

Additionally she has made a variety of television appearances notably on Big Brother's Big Mouth, F*** Off, I'm Ginger, 8 out of 10 Cats, The Xtra Factor and The Door.

In December 2009, she appeared on the Christmas special of Podge & Rodge's Stickit Inn for RTE in Ireland with Johnny Vegas, where she revealed her Irish ancestry.

In November 2010, Jennie appeared as a guest panellist on ITV's flagship show Loose Women, in celebration of the 50 Years that Coronation Street has been on air.

Game shows

Who Wants to be a Millionaire (16 August 2008) - Conestant, won £50,000 for charity
The Cube (2 January 2011) - Contestant, won £1,000 for Mood Swings
All Star Family Fortunes (11 September 2011) - Contestant
The Chase (16 September 2012) - Contestant, won £15,750 for Mood Swings
All Star Mr & Mrs (22 May 2013) - Contestant
Tipping Point: Lucky Stars (28 July 2013) - Contestant, won £6,700 for Mood Swings
Pointless Celebrities (30 November 2013) - Contestant
All Star Family Fortunes (28 December 2013) - Contestant, on the Coronation Street team, won £30,000 for Mood Swings and The Albert Kennedy Trust

Awards

Year Ceremony Award Result
2002 The British Soap Awards 'Best Newcomer' Won
2008 TV Quick Awards 'Best Soap Actress' Nominated

Personal life

McAlpine has been in a relationship with Chris Farr, a restaurant manager, since 2005. On the subject of her Scottish ancestry, and famous red hair she said:
“ I'm very proud of my Scottish roots and definitely love coming up to Scotland. When I'm in England I really stand out because of my red hair but when I come up to Scotland I feel normal because there are so many people with my colouring. I definitely feel different having red hair, but in a good way. Even though I may sound it, I am no way English. My granddad Alan was Scottish and my grandmother was Irish. My other granddad was born in England but his parents were Scottish.
”
Other projects

Since the age of 17 McAlpine has devoted her spare time to helping deprived children in Egypt through the Thebes Project in Luxor. She has also opened a restaurant in Manchester city centre, Annie's, with her boyfriend Chris Farr. The restaurant serves modern British cuisine.