The Feud's Jill Halfpenny has very famous niece you never knew about

Jill Halfpenny has graced our screens for decades and first garnered attention playing Nicola Dobson in the coming-of-age drama Byker Grove. She became widely known for her roles as Rebecca Hopkins on ITV soap Coronation Streeet, Kate Mitchell on BBC soap EastEnders and Izzie Redpath in Waterloo Road.

Jill's roles transcends from soaps to big TV dramas from The Drowning to The Long Shadow. She is set to appear in a new Channel 5 drama called The Feud which centres around a neighbour war. But it appears some fans didn't realise that the talent runs in her family.

Chelsea Halfpenny, the former Emmerdale star known for her role as Amy Wyatt in the Yorkshire-set soap, boasts connections to a slew of beloved TV stars including the EastEnders actress.

Chelsea is the niece of EastEnders actress Jill, but is also engaged to James Baxter, known for his appearance alongside Only Fools and Horses icon David Jason in Still Open All Hours. The happy couple announced their engagement in 2021 and welcomed their first child together last year.

James, who also had a stint on Emmerdale before joining BBC's Still Open All Hours as Leroy opposite David Jason, continuing his beloved Granville role from the original hit series Open All Hours.

Although she portrayed Amy Wyatt in Emmerdale from 2010 to 2013, Chelsea never crossed paths on screen with James, who played the soap's charmer Jake Doland from 2006 to 2009, reports .

Chelsee isn't shy of an impressive TV repertoire either. She made a name for herself on Casualty where she portrayed doctor Alicia Munroe for a solid three years, until her departure from the drama in January 2019.

Meanwhile, Jill will appear in the Channel 5 drama The Feud.

According to the official synopsis, "laced with menace, The Feud reveals how Emma's aspirational dream turns sharply into obsession, paranoia, and fear. One decision sets in motion events that have unforeseeable consequences for both her and the people living on her street."

Jill said of her role: "The spiral that we see Emma's world take in The Feud, from one seemingly innocent situation to life altering revelations, is something I can't wait to dive into!"

The Feud airs Monday 14th April at 9pm on Channel 5. All episodes will also be available to stream on service My5.