Diane Parish
Birth nameDiane Carol Richards
Birth date6 November 1969 (age 56)
Birth placeTottenham, London, England
OccupationActress
Years active1991–present

Diane Carol Richards (born 6 November 1969), known professionally as Diane Parish, is a British actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera EastEnders since 2006.[1]

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Parish has acted on British television for over two decades. She has appeared in a number of TV shows over the years, including the ITV dramas The Bill and M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team playing Detective Eva Sharpe. She is also known for appearing in two series of the BBC One comedy drama Lovejoy (1993–1994).

Early life

Parish was born on 6 November 1969 in Tottenham, London and attended Kingsmead School in Enfield, where she wrote and performed in school drama productions before graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[2][3]

Career

After graduating from London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she worked mainly in theatre, including playing Cordelia in Talawa Theatre Company's 1994 production of King Lear.[4][5]

Parish has appeared in various television roles. In Lovejoy, she played Beth Taylor, the replacement for the character Eric Catchpole. Another television role was in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Lola Christie, the girlfriend of Mick McFarlane (Sylvester Williams) and manager of the night café, in 1998.[6]

Parish has also appeared in television dramas including The Bill and its spin-off M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team, playing DC Eva Sharpe. Before The Bill she starred in Babyfather, for which she received the Royal Television Society's best actress award in 2001, becoming the first black actor to win a major RTS award.[6] Parish returned to EastEnders in May 2006, but this time playing regular character Denise Fox.[7] She departed from the soap opera temporarily in January 2008 in order to give birth to her daughter, returning in June that year.[8] Parish appeared as Millie in the 1996 film Indian Summer (also released under the title Alive And Kicking).[9] In September 2025, Parish was announced to appear in the seventh series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK as a special celebrity guest during a makeover challenge (episode "The Hun Makeover").[10]

Personal life

Parish is of Dominican and Montserratian descent. She has two daughters with her former partner, Sebastian Hagemeister.[11]

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
1993Frank Stubbs PromotesReceptionistEpisode: "Starlet"
Screen OneBlackpool WaitressEpisode: "Wide-Eyed and Legless"
1993–1994LovejoyBeth TaylorMain role
1996The Final PassageMilkieTelevision film
Indian SummerMillieFilm; also marketed as Alive and Kicking
1997CasualtyDonnaEpisode: "Déjà Vu"
Holding OnJanetMain role
1998Picking Up the PiecesLisa GeeMain role
Driving Miss Daisy CrazyDaisyShort film
EastEndersLola ChristieRegular role
1999Real WomenRachelRecurring role
2000The ViceShirley RobinsonMain role
2000–2001Clocking OffSylvia RobinsonMain role
2001Comedy LabJacksEpisode: "Turn the World Down"
2001–2002BabyfatherLesley BaileyMain role
2002–2004The BillEva SharpeMain role
2005Holby CityLucy FauldsEpisode: "Live and Let Die"
Murder Investigation TeamEva SharpeRecurring role
Waking the DeadSheryl PalliserEpisodes: "Black Run: Parts 1 & 2"
2006–presentEastEndersDenise FoxRegular role
2010East StreetCharity crossover between Coronation Street and EastEnders
2010EastEnders: Farewell StaceyTelevision film
2012The B&B: Kim's Place2 episodes: "The Deadline" and "Branching Out"
2014EastEnders: The Ghosts of Ian BealeCharity special
2020The Queen Vic Quiz NightCharity crossover between Coronation Street and EastEnders
EastEnders: Secrets from the SquareHerselfEpisode: "Denise and Kim"
2023EastEnders: The Six2 episodes
2025EastEnders Investigates: The ManosphereDocumentary
RuPaul's Drag Race UKSpecial guest; Series 7

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2002Royal Television Society Programme AwardsActor: FemaleBabyfather[12]
8th National Television AwardsMost Popular NewcomerThe Bill[13]
2007The British Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders[14]
201015th National Television AwardsSerial Drama PerformanceEastEnders[15]
Inside Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders[16]
201116th National Television AwardsSerial Drama PerformanceEastEnders[17]
20132013 British Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders[18]
TV Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressEastEnders[19]
201419th National Television AwardsSerial Drama PerformanceEastEnders[20]
2014 British Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders[21]
TV Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressEastEnders[22]
20162016 British Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders[23]
TV Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressEastEnders[24]
201722nd National Television AwardsSerial Drama PerformanceEastEnders[25]
2017 British Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders[26]
2017 British Soap AwardsBest Female Dramatic PerformanceEastEnders[27]
Inside Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders[28]
Digital Spy Reader AwardsBest Soap ActressEastEnders[29]
201823rd National Television AwardsSerial Drama PerformanceEastEnders[30]
2018 British Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders[31]
2020I Talk Telly AwardsBest Soap PerformanceEastEnders[32]
2021Best Soap Partnership (with Tameka Empson)EastEnders[33]
20232023 British Soap AwardsBest Leading PerformerEastEnders[34]
28th National Television AwardsSerial Drama PerformanceEastEnders[35]
Inside Soap AwardsBest ActressEastEnders[36]
202429th National Television AwardsSerial Drama PerformanceEastEnders[37]

References

  1. ^ "Diane Parish age and career before playing EastEnders' Denise Fox". Metro. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  2. ^ "EastEnders' Diane Parish pays sweet tribute to on-screen sister". Digital Spy. 7 November 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  3. ^ "It's play time at Kingsmead". Enfield Gazette. 11 April 1985.
  4. ^ David Jays (1 February 2016). "Yvonne Brewster: Nobody was offering black actors Shakespeare so we staged our King Lear". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  5. ^ "EastEnders star Diane Parish shares hair transformation". Digital Spy. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  6. ^ Webb, Alex (2002). "Changing the scenery". BBC News. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Kellie Shirley and Diane Parish to join EastEnders". BBC. 7 November 2005. Archived 18 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  8. ^ Green, Kris (18 August 2007). "'Kevin Wicks' quits 'EastEnders'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  9. ^ "Indian Summer (1996)". – via www.filmaffinity.com.
  10. ^ "Iconic group of celebrities set for the drag makeover of their lives on RuPaul's Drag Race UK: Series 7". BBC Media Centre. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  11. ^ "Actress Diane Parish says she has 'shut up shop'". Peoplemag. 26 June 2008.
  12. ^ "RTS 2002: The winners". news.bbc.co.uk. 20 March 2002. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  13. ^ "National TV awards: 2002 shortlist". BBC News. BBC. 15 October 2002. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  14. ^ "The British Soap Awards 2007: The Winners". Digital Spy. Archived 4 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  15. ^ "National Television Awards 2009". EastEnders. BBC. 7 September 2009. Archived 10 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  16. ^ Wightman, Catriona (13 July 2010). "In full: Inside Soap Awards 2010 nominees". Digital Spy
  17. ^ Wightman, Catriona (21 September 2010). "National Television Awards 2011 - Nominees". Digital Spy. Archived 25 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  18. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (11 March 2013). "British Soap Awards 2013 voting opens, nominations revealed". Digital Spy. Archived 1 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  19. ^ "Diane Parish - Nominated for Best Soap Actress - The TVChoice Awards 2013 - EastEnders - BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  20. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (17 September 2013). "Corrie, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks stars up for NTAs - full list". Digital Spy. Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  21. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (17 March 2014). "British Soap Awards 2014 voting opens, longlist announced". Digital Spy. Archived 17 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  22. ^ "TV Choice Awards 2014". EastEnders. BBC. 27 May 2014. Archived from the original on 2 June 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  23. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (4 April 2016). "British Soap Awards 2016 nominations: Which Corrie, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks stars are up?". Digital Spy. Archived 6 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  24. ^ "Tv Choice Awards 2016- The Longlist". digitalspy.co.uk. 17 May 2016. Archived 5 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  25. ^ Deene, Sarah (11 October 2016). "This is the BBC's last chance to bag an National Television Award for The Great British Bake Off/". Metro. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  26. ^ Dainty, Sophie (18 April 2017). "British Soap Awards 2017: the longlist is revealed". Digital Spy. Archived 22 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  27. ^ "British Soap Awards 2017: Full list of winners". Belfast Telegraph. Archived 5 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  28. ^ Harp, Justin (22 August 2017). "Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks all make the Inside Soap Awards longlist". Digital Spy. Archived 22 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  29. ^ Sandwell, Ian (29 December 2017). "Emmerdale almost achieves clean sweep at the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2017". Digital Spy. Hearst Communications. Archived 22 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  30. ^ McCreesh, Louise (10 October 2017). "Here are all the nominees for the National TV Awards 2018". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  31. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (10 April 2018). "British Soap Awards 2018 nominations revealed: Which Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Doctors stars are up?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  32. ^ Gonzalez, Elliot (8 November 2020). "I TALK TELLY AWARDS 2020 Nominees". I Talk Telly. Archived 27 February 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  33. ^ "I TALK TELLY AWARDS 2021 Nominations". italktelly.com. 14 November 2021. Archived 14 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  34. ^ Cormack, Morgan (11 April 2023). "British Soap Awards 2023 longlist: EastEnders' Ravi vs Corrie's Stephen". Radio Times. Archived 3 June 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  35. ^ Cormack, Morgan (23 May 2023). "NTAs 2023 longlist revealed – SAS Rogue Heroes, Call the Midwife and more". Radio Times. Archived 3 June 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  36. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (4 July 2023). "Inside Soap Awards 2023 announces full list of nominees". Digital Spy. Archived 19 August 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  37. ^ Hibbs, James (21 May 2024). "NTAs 2024 longlist revealed – Mr Bates, Death in Paradise and more". Radio Times. Archived 20 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 May 2024.