Actor Alexandra Mardell joined the cast of Coronation Street as unlucky-in-love hairdresser Emma Brooker in April 2018 and made a huge impression on viewers during her four years on the cobbles.
Soap fans fell in love with her big heart and witty comments, and the fact that she was at the centre of some huge storylines, including finding out that cobbles legend Steve McDonald was actually her biological dad.
She waved goodbye to Weatherfield in February 2022, full of praise for her co-stars and excited to see what other opportunities are out there.
Alexandra is also set to take to the ballroom for this year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special where she'll be partnered with professional dancer Kai Widdrington. But what else is there to know about the Yorkshire-born actor?
Alexandra Mardell has some VERY famous family friends
Alexandra might have got used to rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous after her stint in Coronation Street, but the actor is actually no stranger to socialising with celebrities. It turns out she has got a family connection to the Spice Girls after growing up alongside Melanie Brown!
Alexandra's mum is good friend's with Mel B's mother, Andrea, and she spent a lot of time with Scary Spice and her bandmates during her childhood. Most recently, Alexandra shared pictures of her enjoying the latest Spice Girls tour, where she spent time with her family friends.
She loves experimenting with different looks
Just a quick glance at Alexandra's Instagram page will tell you that she loves nothing more than experimenting with different looks, and is a bit of a fan of wigs and dying her gorgeous curly locks!
She often shares pictures on social media of her at different parties with various new hair dos... and while we love her gorgeous blonde curls, she also looks fabulous with her long, straight wig, and even the amazing rainbow wig she wore for Pride. Check out the Instagram post below of her with amazing multi-coloured curls…
Her mum was worried she would ruin Coronation Street!
Alexandra once revealed on ITV's Lorraine that her mum is such a huge Coronation Street fan that she was worried her daughter would ruin her viewing by joining the cast.
The actress admitted: "She was worried I was going to ruin her favourite show for her, but after the first episode she watched it and was like, 'Oh, actually no, you haven't ruined it, you're good!'" Thanks mum!
Alexandra Mardell is engaged to fellow actor Joe Parker
Alexandra has been making memories with her boyfriend Joe Parker, who is also an actor, since 2017, moving in together in 2020. Joe is probably best known for his role in BBC1 drama Doctors, where he played Archie Campbell. Alexandra often delights fans by sharing pictures of them together on romantic breaks on social media.
The pair announced their engagement in April, 2021 on Instagram, see below for the post of the happy news.
While there is no date announced yet for the big day, Alexandra has found her dress and is busy planning every detail of her special day.
She has a heartbreaking connection to one of her Coronation Street storylines
Alexandra's Coronation Street character, Emma, was left devastated when her father passed away following a battle with stomach cancer, and it is sadly a storyline that is close to home for the actress after losing her own dad.
Alexandra's dad, Michael, lost his battle with heart disease cardiomyopathy in 2016, and she ran Manchester's Great Run in a bid to raise funds and awareness for such an important cause, Cardiomyopathy UK.
Coronation Street isn't her first acting role
Emma might be fairly new to the world of acting, but before Coronation Street she starred in ITV drama series Vera as character Kelly Horton in 2017, and she has also appeared in the short film Chocolate Pieces.
She is best friends with her Corrie co-stars
Alexandra, or Ali to her friends, has formed some close friendships with the friendly cast of Coronation Street.
She can often be seen on night's out with former co-star Katie McGlynn, who played Sinead Tinker, and Dolly-Rose Campbell, who is better known as Weatherfield's mouthy-but-loveable Gemma Winter.
The decision to leave Corrie was obviously a difficult one, but as the posts on her Instagram account show, it was celebrated with a fun-filled leaving do with many of her cast-mates.
Alexandra Mardell's fact file
Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the star...
How old is Alexandra Mardell?
Alexandra Mardell is 29. She was born on 27th July, 1993.
Is Alexandra Mardell married?
Alexandra Mardell is engaged to long-term boyfriend Joe Parker.
Does Alexandra Mardell have children?
Alexandra Mardell doesn't have any children.
Where was Alexandra Mardell born?
Alexandra Mardell was born in Leeds.
How tall is Alexandra Mardell?
Alexandra Mardell is 5 foot 4 inches tall.
Twitter: @asmardell27
Instagram: @alexandramardell
We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.
