Jill Halfpenny recently portrayed a grief-stricken mum onscreen and, at the time, she admitted that she’d channeled her real life grief from the death of her partner into the role.
Sadly, the actress knows first hand how it feels to lose someone close after the sudden death of her long-term partner Matt Janes in 2017.
Speaking of the tragic event afterwards, she described the “unbearable grief” she felt when the tragedy happened. Matt’s death bought back traumatic memories for Jill, whose dad died in a similar way when she was younger.
Here’s everything you need to know about Jill Halfpenny, the death of her partner, and what she’s doing now.
Who was Jill Halfpenny’s partner and how did he die?
Actress Jill Halfpenny’s partner tragically died in 2017 after suffering a heart attack. Her long-term boyfriend Matt Janes tragically fell ill at the gym. He was just 43 years old at the time.
Several years later, Jill revealed the “unbearable grief” she felt when her boyfriend died. She broke down as she spoke for the first time about her partner Matt’s tragic death.
Talking to Line of Duty actor Craig Parkinson on The Two Shot Podcast, Jill revealed her boyfriend had died in a horribly similar way to her beloved dad years before.
She said: “Something happened a couple of years ago. I experienced something I’ve never ever spoken about. In January 2017, my partner went to the gym, had a heart attack and died – in very similar circumstances to my dad [in 1979].”
She continued: “My grief at losing Matt, my partner, was so brutal, and so shocking, but then what happened was it brought out all of my grief from my dad as well. It was like dealing with a double loss – a loss I’d never dealt with.”
She added: “I found myself thinking ‘oh my god, this is unbearable, what am I going to do? I cannot cope with these feelings’. I just want cessation: the feeling to stop.”
Newcastle-born Jill described how her father Colin went to play a football match and suffered a heart attack when she was just four. Her mum then married her uncle Derek.
Admitting she often bottled up her feelings, she told Craig: “It’s been a rough few years but I’m here and talking to you. Weirdly grieving has given me more confidence. To survive that level of brutality, you think, ‘there is nothing you can throw at me that isn’t going to be okay now’.”
Jill Halfpenny channeled grief of partner into The Drowning role
Talking about her role in The Drowning in 2021, the actress opened up about channelling her feelings of loss into her role of a grieving mum. She told Love Sunday Magazine: “I haven’t experienced the same loss, but loss is loss and I believe people can grieve just as heavily over the loss of a relationship as of a person.
“And as I bring up feelings for the role, I think inevitably some of my own are going to come up as well.”
She added: “But some aren’t useful for the character and I have to figure out which are mine and which are Jodie’s.”
Jill didn’t open up about her grief for two years after her partner Matt’s tragic death.
She said: “It seems quite obvious to me that everything is interlinked. So when my partner died, I just made a decision to be with it, to invite it in, to let it crush me.
“Because pain doesn’t kill you. But I think denying pain can possibly lead you to darker places than if you just face the pain.”
Jill has described how her partner’s death felt like a “double loss” as it mirrored the circumstances of her father’s death in 1979 when she was just four years old.
Does Jill Halfpenny have a son?
Jill Halfpenny has one child from her marriage to Craig Conway. She married fellow actor Craig in 2007, but they divorced in 2010. In 2005, they appeared in the play The Bodies together.
They share a son called Harvey Reece, who was born in 2008. Harvey is now 15. After her divorce, Jill Halfpenny’s partner Matt Janes became like a second dad to Harvey before his tragic death.
Jill and Harvey both appeared together on Your Home Made Perfect in 2023 (see below). They were renovating their new home in Tynemouth, where they live together.
What else has Jill Halfpenny starred in?
Jill began her acting career at the age of 14, when she played Nicola Dobson in the BBC One children’s drama Byker Grove. She went on to star in Peak Practice, Dalziel and Pascoe, Heartbeat and Coronation Street.
However, Jill is probably most famous for her role of Kate Mitchell in EastEnders. She went on to take part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 and won the competition with professional Darren Bennett.
Jill has starred as drama teacher Izzie Redpath in Waterloo Road, Emma in Mount Pleasant and Davina in Babylon. In 2019, she portrayed mum Sam in Dark Money, who is horrified to discover her son has been sexually molested. She also starred as Jennifer Robertson in Liar.
Her many stage roles have included Roxie Hart in the West End musical Chicago.
Most recently, Jill has found somewhat of a niche in Channel 5 thrillers, starring in both The Holiday, The Drowning, and Cuckoo. She also played Roisin in Everything I Know About Love, and Doreen Hill in the crime drama The Long Shadow, based on the devastating crimes of Peter Sutcliffe.
In 2024, Jill Halfpenny joins the cast of Alibi drama The Red King.
What is Jill Halfpenny doing now?
Jill’s latest TV role is in Alibi’s The Red King, which premieres on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 9pm. She plays Ann Fletcher in the new police drama.
The series follows police sergeant Grace Narayan (Anjli Mohindra), who is sent on a “punishment posting” to the island of St Jory. There, she’s met with hostility from the locals, and the unsolved case of a missing boy.
As she digs deeper into the investigation, she comes to suspect that the town’s past devotion to a pagan God called the Red King could have some ties to everything.
Bridgerton‘s Adjoa Andoh, Van Der Valk’s Marc Warren, and The Reckoning star Mark Lewis Jones also star. Jill’s character Ann is a Detective Chief Inspector who is sent to St Jory to investigate a missing body found on the island. She also knows the real reason why Grace has been sent to St Jory.
Why did Jill leave EastEnders?
Jill portrayed Kate Mitchell in EastEnders from 2002 to 2005. The character was introduced as a police officer sent to spy on Phil Mitchell. After her cover was blown, she quit the police force, married Phil and opened a nail salon.
Her final scenes were broadcast in January 2005 after her character was axed. A BBC spokeswoman said: “Jill’s contract has come to an end but that is no reflection on her as an actress, producers just felt there was nowhere left for the character to go.
“She won’t be killed off and the door will be left open for her to return.”
Who did she play in The Drowning?
Jill portrayed Jodie in C5 identity thriller The Drowning. Jodie was the devastated mum of son Daniel, who was missing, believed to have drowned.
Ever since losing her son nine years before, Jodie had been attempting to rebuild her life. When she saw teenager Daniel, she became convinced he was her missing child, and it threatened to up-end the life that she had carefully pieced back together. But was he really who she thought he was?
Jodie embarked on a dangerous journey that took her to the edge of reason. How far would she go to find a missing child?
Jill said at the time: “Jodie does become somewhat erratic, but her intention becomes clearer. She is so sure of what she is doing and why she is doing it and that Daniel is her son.
“I imagine losing a child has to be the most awful loss one could suffer, that seems very obvious to me. I think losing a child under circumstances where you do not fully know what happened is another layer of torture.”
At the time, Jill admitted she’d drawn on her own experiences of grief after losing her partner.
Did Jill win Strictly Come Dancing?
Jill Halfpenny took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 – the second ever series of the BBC One dance show.
She was paired with former professional dancer Darren Bennett. The couple were crowned the winners of the competition during its live final on 11 December 2004, after receiving the maximum 40 marks from the judging panel.
That same week, it was announced that Jill Halfpenny would star as Roxie Hart in the West End musical Chicago, beginning in January 2005.
How old is Jill Halfpenny? Where is she from?
Jill was born on July 15 1975. She is currently 48 years of age.
The actress was born in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.
How are Jill and Chelsea Halfpenny related?
Jill’s niece is fellow actress Chelsea Halfpenny. Casualty star Chelsea is the daughter of Newcastle DJ Paula Halfpenny, who is Jill’s sister!
Former Emmerdale star Chelsea Halfpenny recently welcomed her first baby, with her soap co-star James Baxter.
The couple, who are engaged, shared the happy news on their Instagram accounts. They also revealed the tot’s very unique name.
Jill Halfpenny partner: Appearance on Your Home Made Perfect on BBC Two
Actress Jill Halfpenny made a surprising appearance on Your Home Made Perfect series 4, episode 3 (July 4, 2o23). The show, which promises to “transform problematic pads into heavenly homes” featured a rare appearance from a celeb!
After renting for many years in London, Jill and her then 13-year-old son Harvey made the big decision to start a new life in the North East, where Jill was brought up. They both love the sea views from their new split-level flat in Tynemouth, but the layout wasn’t conducive for a relaxing home.
The tiny kitchen was right at the back of the property, making it feel dark and disconnected, and the bathroom had no windows. The only outside space was a tiny balcony. Using virtual reality techniques, architects Will Foster and Lynsey Elliot competed to remodel the property.
Read more: Easter Journeys host Jill Halfpenny on mum guilt and blended families
The Red King premieres on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 9pm on Alibi, with all episodes available to stream on Sky, Virgin and NOW.
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