Holly Quin-Ankrah

Holly Quin-Ankrah
Quin-Ankrah performing at Dockyard Bar in Salford on 15 January 2015
Born	1987 (age 29–30) Warrington, Cheshire, England
Nationality	English
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2003–present

Holly Quin-Ankrah (born 1987) is an actress from Warrington, England. She began her acting career as a teenager, playing Karen Young in the long-running CBBC drama series Grange Hill. She is also known for her lead role on the talent show drama Rock Rivals and a regular role as Cheryl Gray on Coronation Street between 2010 and 2011.

Holly Quin-Ankrah is originally from Warrington, Cheshire. She did not receive any formal acting training, having started filming as Karen Young on the CBBC drama Grange Hill as a teenager. Whilst a cast member on Grange Hill she engaged in philanthropic ventures. In December 2004 she visited St. Francis Xavier's College, Woolton, Liverpool to promote MEND, a national mobile phone database for stolen or lost equipment. In April 2006 she visited Alder Hey children's hospital to donate Easter Eggs to sick children.

Following Grange Hill, Quin-Ankrah played a lead role in the 2008 ITV talent show drama Rock Rivals as "contestant" Bethany Hopkins. The character was loosely based on X-Factor series three winner Leona Lewis: Quin-Ankrah also took inspiration from former Big Brother contestant, Nikki Graham in her characterisation of Bethany. Unlike co-star Sol Heras, who had his character's singing voice provided by a session singer, Quin-Ankrah both acted and sang during the series. In 2009 she appeared in an episode of the sixth series of Shameless as Geena. In February 2010 it was reported that Quin-Ankrah had been cast in the soap-opera Coronation Street as Cheryl Gray, a love interest for established character Lloyd Mullaney (Craig Charles). Quin-Ankrah was 22 at the time of joining the soap but did not reveal her age at the casting as Cheryl was intended to be significantly older, with a ten-year-old son. Of her audition, Quin Ankrah recalls: "My agent told me not to say how old I was. I wore tweed flares and a highnecked top so I looked older!" In July 2010, Quin-Ankrah received a nomination in the "Best Newcomer" category at the 2010 Inside Soap Awards for her portrayal of Cheryl. She departed the serial in November 2011.