Hollie-Jay Bowes Explained

Hollie-Jay Bowes
Birth Date:17 January 1989
Birth Place:Oldham, Greater Manchester, England
Birth Name:Hollie Jean Bowes
Occupation:Actress
Television:Grange Hill
Hollyoaks
Waterloo Road
Yearsactive:2005–present

Hollie-Jay Bowes (born 17 January 1989) is an English actress, known for her roles as Dawn O'Malley in the BBC drama Grange Hill and Michaela McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.Since 2023, she has appeared in the BBC drama Waterloo Road as Debs Rafferty.

Life and career

Bowes' parents changed her name from Billie Jean to Hollie Jean as her father thought she would get bullied at school and be called 'Billie Bowes', and at 13, she changed her name to Hollie-Jay.[1] In 2009, Bowes stated in an interview with Inside Soap that she is a distant relation to Hollyoaks co-star Tony Hirst, who plays Mike Barnes.[2]

On 24 June 2010, Bowes announced on Twitter that she was fired from Hollyoaks after four years.[3] In September 2011, Hollie-Jay reprised her role as Michaela McQueen in the series Hollyoaks Later[4] and returned to the main series in October,[5] but departed again in August 2012.[6]

In 2023, Bowes began appearing in the BBC drama Waterloo Road playing suffering mother Debs Rafferty.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Programmes - Most Popular - All 4. November 24, 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091018143943/http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/H/hollyoaks/video/backstage/ . October 18, 2009 .
  2. Inside Soap, 28 July 2009
  3. Web site: Published Friday, Jun 25 2010, 00:02 BST . Hollie-Jay Bowes sacked from 'Hollyoaks' - Hollyoaks News - Soaps . Digital Spy . 2010-06-25 . 2012-12-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101114042127/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/news/a232110/hollie-jay-bowes-sacked-from-hollyoaks.html . 2010-11-14 . live .
  4. Web site: Kilkelly. Daniel. 'Hollyoaks' return for Michaela McQueen. Digital Spy. (Hachette Filipacchi UK). 10 June 2011. 29 August 2011.
  5. Web site: Kilkelly. Daniel. 'Hollyoaks': Loads of gossip and teasers from the set. Digital Spy. (Hachette Filipacchi UK). 9 October 2011. 5 September 2011.
  6. 21–27 July 2012. Stars in our eyes!. Inside Soap. Hearst Magazines UK. 29. 50.