Tricia Penrose

Who is Tricia Penrose?

Patricia "Tricia" Penrose is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Gina Ward in ITV1's long-running 1960s drama Heartbeat, a role she played continuously from 1993 to 2010. She has also appeared in The Royal, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Boon, Justice and Dancin' Thru the Dark.

Penrose was born in Kirkby, Lancashire. Although primarily focused on her acting career, she has also had an interest in the music industry, releasing two singles – "Where Did Our Love Go?" and "Don't Wanna Be Alone". In 2002, she reached the final of A Song for Europe but did not win. In 2004, however, she won a Christmas edition of the ITV show Stars in Their Eyes, performing as Brenda Lee and singing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree". She has also sung a number of times on Heartbeat. In 2006 she signed a new contract with the show, thought to be worth £100,000. The final series of Heartbeat aired in 2009–2010.

In 2007, Penrose came second in the third series of Comic Relief Does Fame Academy on BBC1, beaten by Tara Palmer-Tomkinson. In 2008 she released an aerobics DVD.