The return of Jill Halfpenny - and we hope to see more from the Newcastle lass!

Geordie icon Jill Halfpenny burst onto our screen at the age of 14, back in 1989 when she starred in the first ever series of Byker Grove as Nicola Dobson.

The role led to Jill’s talent being recognised and was integral in the breaking of her career. From there, she went on to land huge roles, such as in Coronation Street as Rebecca Hopkins, in Eastenders as Kate Mitchell and in Waterloo Road as Izzie Redpath.

She also competed in the second series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, going on to win the glitterball trophy with her dance partner Darren Bennett.

But in recent years, aside from a few supporting roles and voice-over work, Jill has seemed to take a step back from the spotlight.

Now though, you’ll find Jill’s face all over your Netflix home page, as she has landed main roles in thrillers such as The Holiday which is based on a book of the same name, The Drowning and Dark Money. Most of the shows were broadcast on channels such as BBC and Channel 5 but have became big hits since their arrival on Netflix.

Jill also starred as a straight-talking TV executive and landlord on BBC’s Everything I Know About Love, a TV show based on journalist Dolly Alderton’s best-selling memoir. The show premiered on BBC in June, and was met with a positive response.

We hope to continue to see more from Jill soon!