Emmerdale star Roxanne Pallett: ‘punch’ scandal, Corrie toyboy ex, where she is now
Her career nosedived after she appeared in Celebrity Big Brother
Roxanne Pallett played Jo Sugden in Emmerdale for three years from 2005 until 2008.
On-screen Jo was a man-eater, who seduced Andy Sugden and ended his marriage, but became a victim of domestic violence.
Off-screen, though, Roxanne’s personal life was almost as colourful.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Roxanne Pallett’s early years
Roxanne was born in Carlisle, and started her career singing in a girl band – Urban Angel – managed by E17 star Tony Mortimer.
When she landed the role of Jo Stiles – later Jo Sugden – in Emmerdale, she continued to sing. She took part in talent show Soapstar Superstar and came fourth. And while on the show she met Coronation Street star Richard Fleeshman who became her partner for two years.
The pair got together when Richard was just 16, and Roxanne was 23 but split in 2007.
Moving on
After leaving Emmerdale, Roxanne went on to take part in Dancing on Ice in 2009, partnered with Dan Whiston.
She appeared in Casualty and Waterloo Road, as well as taking stage roles in The Vagina Monologues and Rock Around the Clock plus The Rocky Horror Show and The Wedding Singer.
Celebrity Big Brother
In 2018, Roxanne went into the Big Brother house. While in the house she accused her housemate, Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas, of punching her.
During a chat about laundry, Ryan had playfully shadowboxed Roxanne. But later she told Big Brother it had made her uncomfortable and when she told the other housemates about it, she demonstrated by punching one of them hard in the ribs.
Ryan told Big Brother that there was no malice but Roxanne said he was lying and manipulating the others.
When TOWIE star Dan Osborne questioned why Ryan was allowed to remain in the house, Big Brother told him it was “worth thinking about” why Ryan hadn’t been removed.
But when he tackled Roxanne, telling her that the accusations were “career-stopping” for Ryan, she didn’t back down. She eventually walked out of the house.
After Roxanne left, presenter Emma Willis gave her a grilling. “I was wrong, massively wrong,” Roxanne said.
Other people who had worked with Roxanne before her Big Brother appearance told Emma Willis that she had a reputation for lying.
And Roxanne said she was “the most hated girl in Britain”.
Where is Roxanne Pallett now?
Since the Celebrity Big Brother scandal, Roxanne has stepped away from the spotlight.
In 2020 she married firefighter and Married At First Sight contestant Jason Carrion. And in 2021 she announced she was expecting her first baby. Roxanne’s now deleted her social media accounts.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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