Jill Halfpenny joins ITV drama Wild at Heart

Former EastEnders actress Jill Halfpenny is joining the cast of popular ITV drama Wild at Heart as Ed Lynch’s estranged ex wife.

Jill commented: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the cast of Wild at Heart in Africa. Fiona Lynch is certainly a fun and feisty character and will no doubt cause quite a few headaches for Ed and Danny, I can’t wait!”

Halfpenny will play Fiona Lynch who arrives at Leopard’s Den, a lost and lonely character. We quickly discover that she’s the reason her husband, Ed (Robert Bathurst) is as sour, grumpy and emotionally in denial as he is! Fiona is a tremendous flirt and she’s also used to getting her own way, she left Ed for a younger model – which is something he’s unable to forgive her for – but now she’s intent on winning Ed back.

Fiona brings disharmony and conflict to Leopard’s Den and shakes up all the character dynamics. However the one thing the family all agree on is she brings real energy and life into their lives, she’s funny and inventive, and the only person who has ever been able to drink Du Plessis under the table!

“Extremely intelligent and sharp witted, Fiona has a medical background and proves more than a match for Danny and Ed. She is capable and independent, and her skills prove invaluable but despite all her bravado she’s terrified of being alone. Hurt and humiliated from her disastrous affair, there’s more to her than meets the eye and she may discover that what she wants isn’t exactly what she needs. In short, she’s a broken character seeking redemption and a new start but can Ed ever forgive her or is she destined for more heartbreak?” ITV say.

The ten hour-long episodes from Company Pictures films for six months on location at Glen Afric on the borders of Gauteng Province and North West Province.

Jill Halfpenny earlier this week joined the ‘Get On’ campaign. The Olivier-award winning actress said,I was already a scooter rider before I was approached by the Get On campaign as I found it such a useful way to get through the city traffic and so much cheaper. My boyfriend rides bikes and I’d always fancied giving it a go but wasn’t really sure how to go about it. I think as a girl getting into biking can be a bit intimidating.”

The Get On campaign is the Motor Cycle Industry’s (MCIA) official campaign to get more people onto motorbikes and scooters. The dedicated site provides a one-stop-shop on all you need to know about how to get into riding and also offers anyone aged 16 or over a free one hour taster lesson.