Samantha Womack
Samantha Zoe Womack (née Janus; born 2 November 1972) is an English actress, singer, model and director who has worked in film, television and stage. Womack initially planned a career in singing and she represented the United Kingdom in the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest. Her song for the contest, "A Message to Your Heart", was released as her first (and only) single in April 1991 and reached number 30 in the UK Singles Chart. Womack made her name in the mid-1990s with her role as Mandy Wilkins in Game On (1995–1998), leading on to roles in the BBC One drama Pie in the Sky (1995–1996) and the sitcom Babes in the Wood (1998). She has since become known for playing the role of Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders (2007–2011, 2013–2017). Her portrayal of Ronnie gained her more prominence and acting roles after some time out of the limelight. She also played Tanya Porter in Sky One comedy-drama Mount Pleasant from 2013 until the final episode in 2017. Womack has also toured across the United Kingdom playing Morticia Addams in the stage musical The Addams Family. Early life Womack was born in Brighton. Her singer-songwriter father, Noel Janus (born Janes), left the family when she was six, and soon after, her model-actress mother, Diana O'Hanlon, married a doctor and the family moved to Edinburgh. Womack lived on the QE2 with her choreographer grandmother, Sheila Holt (a former actress and choreographer to magician David Nixon for a short time). Womack has a younger half-sister, Zoe. During an appearance on Big Star's Little Star in 2014, it was revealed that she attended the same school as members of All Saints, sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton, before going to the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, where she met future EastEnders co-star Danniella Westbrook. At the age of 15, as a self-confessed "wild child", she left home for a life squatting, drinking, smoking and taking drugs. Womack is the niece of Angie Best, her father's sister and former wife of footballer George Best. Angie's son, Calum Best, is Womack's cousin. As revealed on an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? in 2012, Womack's great-great-grandmother Jessie Ryder was an actress in New York City in the early 20th century. Career Eurovision and early career The actress first came to prominence in March 1991 aged 18, when she won the annual A Song for Europe competition to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest. She finished joint tenth and the song, "A Message to Your Heart", peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart. Despite her achievements, her Eurovision entry is frequently remarked upon. She has said regarding the experience that her failure in the contest "devastated" her at the time and thought it would spell the end of her career. She has also called her appearance "ridiculous", in that she was dressed in a pink mini dress while singing about starving children and said the lyrics of the song are "burned