Emma Rigby

Rigby left De La Salle High School in St Helens in 2006 to take up her role in Hollyoaks. Her portrayal of Hannah's battle with anorexia drew praise, with Daily Mail TV critic Jaci Stephen writing in 2007 that the storyline taught her more than any drama or documentary on anorexia. Rigby's performance won her the Best Actress award at the British Soap Awards in 2008. She also won Best Storyline at the Hollyoaks awards for the eating disorder plot, and the 'I'm a Survivor - Bravest soul in soap' award at the All About Soap Bubble awards in April 2008.

Beyond Hollyoaks, Rigby has appeared in other productions. She was a series main cast member as Anastasia Tremaine/The Red Queen on ABC's Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. She also made her TV presenting debut in 2008 with The Race Against Cancer, a European broadcast covering an international motorsport race. Earlier in her career, in 2007, she was nominated for Best Actress at the British Soap Awards and Most Popular Actress at the National Television Awards. She remained with Hollyoaks for an extended contract, leaving after October 2009 as originally planned. She is friends with co-stars including Loui Batley, Jessica Fox, and Chris Fountain.