| Diane Parish | |
| Birth Name: | Diane Carol Richards |
| Birth Date: | 1969 11, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Tottenham, London, England |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Years Active: | 1991–present |
| Children: | 2 |
Diane Carol Richards (born 6 November 1969), known professionally as Diane Parish, is an English actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera EastEnders since 2006.[1]
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Parish has acted on British television for over two decades. She has appeared in a number of TV shows over the years, including the ITV dramas The Bill and M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team playing Detective Eva Sharpe. She is also known for appearing in two series of the BBC One comedy drama Lovejoy (1993–1994).
Parish was born on 6 November 1969 in Tottenham, London and attended Kingsmead School in Enfield, where she wrote and performed in school drama productions before graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[2] [3]
After graduating from London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she worked mainly in theatre, including playing Cordelia in Talawa Theatre Company's 1994 production of King Lear.[4] [5]
Parish has appeared in various television roles. In Lovejoy, she played Beth Taylor, the replacement for the character Eric Catchpole. Another television role was in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Lola Christie, the girlfriend of Mick McFarlane (Sylvester Williams) and manager of the night café, in 1998.[6]
Parish has also appeared in television dramas including The Bill and its spin-off M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team, playing DC Eva Sharpe. Before The Bill she starred in Babyfather, for which she received the Royal Television Society's best actress award in 2001, becoming the first black actor to win a major RTS award. Parish returned to EastEnders in May 2006, but this time playing regular character Denise Fox.[7] She departed from the soap opera temporarily in January 2008 in order to give birth to her daughter, returning in June that year.[8] Parish appeared as Millie in the 1996 film Indian Summer (also released under the title Alive And Kicking).[9] In September 2025, Parish was announced to appear in the seventh series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK as a special celebrity guest during a makeover challenge (episode "The Hun Makeover").[10]
Parish is of Dominican and Montserratian descent. She has two daughters with her former partner, Sebastian Hagemeister.[11]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Frank Stubbs Promotes | Receptionist | Episode: "Starlet" |
| Screen One | Blackpool Waitress | Episode: "Wide-Eyed and Legless" | |
| 1993–1994 | Lovejoy | Beth Taylor | Main role (series 5–6) |
| 1996 | Milkie | TV film | |
| Indian Summer | Millie | Film; also marketed as Alive and Kicking | |
| 1997 | Casualty | Donna | Episode: "Déjà Vu" |
| Holding On | Janet | TV mini-series | |
| 1998 | Picking Up the Pieces | Lisa Gee | TV series |
| Driving Miss Daisy Crazy | Daisy | Short film | |
| EastEnders | Lola Christie | Regular role | |
| 1999 | Real Women | Rachel | TV series |
| 2000 | Shirley Robinson | Main role in all 8 episodes of Series 2: "Betrayed: Parts 1 & 2", "Walking on Water: Parts 1 & 2", "Betrayed: Parts 1 & 2", "Lovesick: Parts 1 & 2" | |
| 2000–2001 | Clocking Off | Sylvia Robinson | Main role (series 1–2) |
| 2001 | Comedy Lab | Jacks | Episode: "Turn the World Down" |
| 2001–2002 | Babyfather | Lesley Bailey | Regular role |
| 2002–2004 | Eva Sharpe | Regular role (series 18–20) | |
| 2005 | Holby City | Lucy Faulds | Episode: "Live and Let Die" |
| Murder Investigation Team | Eva Sharpe | Episodes #2.1, #2.2, #2.3, #2.4 | |
| Waking the Dead | Sheryl Palliser | Episodes: "Black Run: Parts 1 & 2" | |
| 2006–present | EastEnders | Denise Fox | Regular role |
| 2010 | East Street | Charity crossover between Coronation Street and EastEnders | |
| 2010 | EastEnders: Farewell Stacey | Television film | |
| 2012 | 2 episodes: "The Deadline", "Branching Out" | ||
| 2014 | EastEnders: The Ghosts of Ian Beale | Charity special | |
| 2020 | The Queen Vic Quiz Night | Charity crossover between Coronation Street and EastEnders | |
| Herself | Episode: "Denise and Kim" | ||
| 2023 | EastEnders: The Six | 2 episodes | |
| 2025 | EastEnders Investigates: The Manosphere | Documentary | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race UK | Special guest | Series 7 |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | scope=col class=unsortable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Royal Television Society Programme Awards | Actor: Female | Babyfather | [12] | ||
| 8th National Television Awards | Most Popular Newcomer | The Bill | [13] | |||
| 2007 | British Soap Awards | Best Actress | EastEnders | [14] | ||
| 2010 | 15th National Television Awards | Serial Drama Performance | EastEnders | [15] | ||
| Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | EastEnders | [16] | |||
| 2011 | 16th National Television Awards | Serial Drama Performance | EastEnders | [17] | ||
| 2013 | 2013 British Soap Awards | Best Actress | EastEnders | [18] | ||
| TV Choice Awards | Best Soap Actress | EastEnders | [19] | |||
| 2014 | 19th National Television Awards | Serial Drama Performance | EastEnders | [20] | ||
| 2014 British Soap Awards | Best Actress | EastEnders | [21] | |||
| TV Choice Awards | Best Soap Actress | EastEnders | [22] | |||
| 2016 | 2016 British Soap Awards | Best Actress | EastEnders | [23] | ||
| TV Choice Awards | Best Soap Actress | EastEnders | [24] | |||
| 2017 | 22nd National Television Awards | Serial Drama Performance | EastEnders | [25] | ||
| 2017 British Soap Awards | Best Actress | EastEnders | [26] | |||
| 2017 British Soap Awards | Best Female Dramatic Performance | EastEnders | [27] | |||
| Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | EastEnders | [28] | |||
| Digital Spy Reader Awards | Best Soap Actress | EastEnders | [29] | |||
| 2018 | 23rd National Television Awards | Serial Drama Performance | EastEnders | [30] | ||
| 2018 British Soap Awards | Best Actress | EastEnders | [31] | |||
| 2020 | I Talk Telly Awards | Best Soap Performance | EastEnders | [32] | ||
| 2021 | Best Soap Partnership (with Tameka Empson) | EastEnders | [33] | |||
| 2023 | 2023 British Soap Awards | Best Leading Performer | EastEnders | [34] | ||
| 28th National Television Awards | Serial Drama Performance | EastEnders | [35] | |||
| Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | EastEnders | [36] | |||
| 2024 | 29th National Television Awards | Serial Drama Performance | EastEnders | [37] |
