Yahoo News Bad Girls ended 11 years ago – where are they now?
As Orange Is The New Black's fifth season lands, we cast our minds back to ITV's flagship drama of the late '90s and early 00s.
Bad Girls was that rare beast: a hugely popular soapy drama which was also a critical success.
Produced by the team behind Footballers' Wives (here's where they are now, by the way) and Waterloo Road, the drama ran for eight series and followed the exploits of a fictional women's prison of Larkhall. It ended in 2006 after 107 episodes (including a Footballers' Wives crossover, no less). But what have the main cast been up to since then?
1. Simone Lahbib (Helen Stewart)
Simone appeared in the first three series as G-Wing governor Helen, who had a fierce rivalry with baddie Jim Fenner, fell in love with prisoner Nikki and ended up resigning before Jim could have her sacked.
While Bad Girls remains Simone's biggest role to date, she has appeared in the likes of Monarch of the Glen, Downton Abbey, Wire in the Blood and the movie Philomena among others. In 2013, she opened a part-time performing arts school, aimed at children aged 3 to18, at the Bull Theatre in Barnet.
2. Mandana Jones (Nikki Wade)
Mandana also starred in the first three series as Nikki, who was serving a life sentence for killing the policeman who raped her then-girlfriend. She eventually left the prison after winning an appeal, and reunited with Helen on the outside.
Bad Girls is still Mandana's best known role, but she has continued to appear on TV. Her roles have included short stints in Doctors, EastEnders, The Bill, Emmerdale and New Blood.
3. Debra Stephenson (Shell Dockley)
Debra's inmate character Shell featured in the first three series, and returned for a short comeback in series 5. Shell was known as the 'Top Dog' in G-Wing, and was serving life for the kidnap, torture and murder of the woman who stole her boyfriend. Yeesh. After escaping for a couple of series, she eventually returned and was tricked by Fenner, who had her placed in a psychiatric hospital shortly after giving birth.
A year after she left Bad Girls, Debra joined Coronation Street as Frankie Baldwin, a role she kept for over 200 episodes. Having performed comedy from an early age, she returned to her roots as an impressionist in 2009, teaming up with Jon Culshaw for The Impressions Show. She continued to appear in Dead Ringers and Newzoids, and most recently featured in Keeping Up Appearances prequel Young Hyacinth.
4. Jack Ellis (Jim Fenner)
Fenner was the show's big bad for the majority of the series, eventually becoming a full-on deranged prison governor despite having killed numerous people. He was eventually bumped off by Julie J.
A year after leaving Bad Girls, he had a regular role in Where the Heart Is, and later joined Coronation Street as Harry Mason for over 80 episodes. He most recently appeared opposite Richard Armitage on stage for the 2014 adaptation of The Crucible, and in an episode of ITV's Vera.
5. Alicya Eyo (Denny Blood)
Featuring in the first five series, Denny was the thuggish enforcer and Shell's on-off lover. She was eventually sent to an open prison and released altogether after the series ended.
After a number of small TV roles since leaving the show, Alicya was cast as Ruby Haswell in Emmerdale in 2011. She remained on the soap for four years until Ruby was killed off in the epic helicopter crash. She most recently featured in an episode of Little Boy Blue.
6. Joanne Froggatt (Rachel Hicks)
Joanne only appeared in four episodes of the first series, but Rachel's story was one of the more memorable plots in the early years. 19-year-old Rachel was only serving a 12-month sentence for drug possession, but she ended up taking her own life after discovering her mother had put her daughter up for adoption.
Joanne was already known for her role as Zoe Tattersall in Coronation Street before Bad Girls, and she has since become one of the show's biggest exports. After various TV roles, she landed the part of Anna Bates in Downton Abbey in 2010, winning a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination for the role. She most recently appeared in the ITV drama Liar.
7. Luisa Bradshaw-White (Lorna Rose)
Lorna featured in the first series as a young prison officer who was blackmailed by Shell and Zandra, which eventually got her sacked from the prison.
Already something of a TV veteran thanks to Grange Hill and This Life, Luisa landed a major role in Holby City in 2001 as Lisa Fox, and in 2013 joined EastEnders as Tina Carter.
8. Victoria Alcock (Julie Saunders)
Victoria played ex-prostitute Julie S, one of the 'Two Julies', and was one of three characters to appear in all eight series.
Since Bad Girls, Victoria has popped up in episodes of Doctor Who, EastEnders and Birds of a Feather. She currently stars in People Just Do Nothing as Miche's mum Carol.
9. Kika Mirylees (Julie Johnston)
Kika was already known for her roles in The Darling Buds of May and Red Dwarf before playing the other Julie for all eight series of Bad Girls.
She has continued to act since then, featuring in the likes of EastEnders (as Hazel in 2007), New Tricks, Doctors and Holby City. She currently works as an acting coach and as a councillor for Waverley Borough Council.
10. Helen Fraser (Sylvia Hollamby)
"Bodybag" was the only other character to feature in all eight series, and was the longest-serving prison officer in the show. She became something of a gay icon, and the last ever episode centred around the character, after she went through a Scrooge-like dream sequence.
A stage and screen actress since the 1960's, Bad Girls was arguably Helen's most famous role. Since then, she featured in an episode of The Royle Family, played Doris Babbage in Coronation Street, and provided various background voices in Minions.
11. Lara Cazalet (Zandra Plackett)
Zandra had a pretty tough time during the two series she appeared in. Jailed for credit card fraud after taking the rap for her rich boyfriend, she later discovered he jilted her to marry someone else, found out her baby boy was being taken away, and eventually died from a brain tumour. Her final episode was the highest-rated of the entire episodes, attracting 9.4 million viewers.
Since Bad Girls, Lara has had various roles on TV, including episodes of Judge John Deed, Hustle and as a regular in John Hannah's New Street Law in 2006. She dated celebrity chef Mark Hix until 2013, and appears in the ITV drama Fearless.
12. Sharon Duncan Brewster (Crystal Gordon)
Sharon played Crystal for the first four series of the drama, who was known for her self-righteousness and devout religious faith. She fell in love with prison technician Josh, and was briefly released until returning to prison due to harbouring escapee Shell.
Sharon later played Trina Johnson in EastEnders, where she was infamously killed by being impaled on a rake. She played Maggie Cain in an episode of Doctor Who, and had a small role as Senator Pamlo in Rogue One. She also voices Alex Hunter's mum in FIFA 17: The Journey.
13. Linda Henry (Yvonne Atkins)
Linda joined Bad Girls in the penultimate episode of series 1, and later became the new 'Top Dog' of G-Wing until her death at the hands of Fenner in series 5.
A couple of years after leaving Bad Girls, Linda joined the cast of EastEnders as Shirley Carter, a role she has kept for over a decade. Eventually, fellow Bad Girls star Luisa Bradshaw-White joined as Shirley's sister Tina.
14. Tracey Wilkinson (Di Barker)
Di was the most caring of the prison officers, though she tried to seduce all her male colleagues before eventually marrying Fenner. She became the prime suspect in his murder due to their tricky divorce.
The stage and screen actress has featured in various TV projects since then, most notably in the US drama Outlander as Mrs Graham in four episodes. She most recently appeared in an instalment of Casualty.
15. Claire King (Karen Betts)
Claire joined in series 2 as the new G-Wing governor, and had an on-off relationship with Fenner before he framed her for a hit and run.
Claire was already a familiar face thanks to playing Kim Tate in Emmerdale for a decade until 1999. She has since gone on to appear in pretty much every British drama you can think of. Since 2014, she has appeared in Coronation Street as Erica Holroyd. She's also dabbled in reality TV, coming 6th in Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 and as a housemate in Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, though she walked out the house after 16 days.
16. Victoria Bush (Tina O'Kane)
Appearing from series 3, Victoria played the naive inmate Tina, who at one stage renamed herself Julie to become the "Third Julie". She became so institutionalised, that each time she got released she would commit a petty crime to return "home".
Six years after leaving the show, Victoria landed the role of Sonya in Waterloo Road, a part she kept for over 60 episodes. She most recently featured in an episode of Coronation Street.
17. James Gaddas (Neil Grayling)
First appearing in series 4, James played closeted G-Wing governor Neil, until his death of a heart attack in series 8.
James has had various roles in stage musicals since then, including Billy Elliot, Mamma Mia! and Spamalot in the West End. He has also had regular parts in Emmerdale, Waterloo Road and Doctors.
18. Kellie Bright (Cassie Tyler)
Kellie only appeared in series 4 as gay inmate Cassie, who was released from prison after saving Neil Grayling in a fire incident.
After various small roles in TV and film (including Me Julie in Ali G Indahouse), Kellie landed the role of Danny Dyer's onscreen wife Linda Carter in EastEnders in 2013. Two years later, she took part in Strictly Come Dancing, finishing as a runner-up.
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