Danielle Harold
{{short description|English actress (born 1992)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Danielle Harold 2023.jpg
| caption = Harold in 2023
| birth_name = Danielle Amy Harold
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1992|5|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = Lewisham, London, England
| occupation = Actress/Producer
| years_active = 2010–present
| known_for = Lola Pearce in EastEnders
| television = Jamie's Dream School
EastEnders
}}
Danielle Amy Harold (born 30 May 1992) is an English actress and producer.{{cite web | url=https://www.haroldhillproductions.com/team | title=Team }} She rose to prominence playing Lola Pearce in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Her portrayal of Lola's glioblastoma brain tumour storyline, that ultimately resulted in the character's death, earned her a win at the National Television Awards for Serial Drama Performance and three nominations at the British Soap Awards, of which she won Best Leading Performer, as well as a TRIC award for Soap Actor and the Inside Soap award for Best Actress. Following her exit from the soap, she became a contestant on the twenty-third series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.
Early life
Danielle Amy Harold was born on 30 May 1992 in Lewisham, Greater London.{{cite tweet |last=Harold |first=Danielle |user=DHaroldOfficial |number=340046919206334464 |date=30 May 2013 |title=21 today !!! :) |access-date=31 May 2013}}{{cite web |title=I'm A Celebrity Danielle Harold: Age, Boyfriend And TV Shows |url=https://www.capitalfm.com/news/tv-film/danielle-harold-age-boyfriend-tv-shows/ |website=Capital |access-date=29 November 2023}} Before Harold's acting career began, she was featured in the television series Jamie's Dream School. Harold got one GCSE as she had lost a year of school due to an illness and missed out on being able to study for exams. On Jamie's Dream School, she was seen as one of the brightest of the students, and was rewarded by Jane Poynter and Robert Winston with the chance to stay in the biosphere which Poynter had lived in for two years. She was also given a tour of Cambridge University by David Starkey as he found her to be very intelligent and thought that it might be a good choice of university. However, she decided to study acting and auditioned for several roles.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a331390/danielle-harold-eastenders-has-been-a-whirlwind.html |title=Danielle Harold: 'EastEnders has been a whirlwind'|publisher=Digital Spy |date=24 July 2011 |access-date=12 August 2011}}
Career
=''EastEnders''=
In June 2011, EastEnders producers announced that Harold had been cast as Lola Pearce, the granddaughter of established characters Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) and Julie Perkins (Cathy Murphy).{{cite web
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/06_june/07/eastenders.shtml
|title=Press Office – Danielle Harold joins the cast of EastEnders
|publisher=BBC |access-date=12 August 2011
}} She made her first appearance in EastEnders on 12 July 2011.{{cite web
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters/lola-pearce.shtml
|title=EastEnders – Lola Pearce played by Danielle Harold |publisher=BBC |access-date=12 August 2011
|url=http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/tv-news/520361/jamie-oliver-s-dream-school-pupil-danielle-people-think-we-re-scum-but-we-re-not/1/
|title=Jamie Oliver's Dream School pupil Danielle: People think we're scum but we're not
|work=Now|date=25 March 2011|access-date=12 August 2011
}} Harold's first major storyline involved her character's pregnancy at the age of 15. In July 2012, the character gave birth in a special live broadcast, coinciding with her on-screen grandfather carrying the Olympic Torch through Walford. Harold is the first EastEnders actress to portray giving birth live on air, and the second British soap actress, after Coronation Street actress Jennie McAlpine.{{cite web
|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a393535/eastenders-lola-to-give-birth-in-live-olympics-episode.html
|title='EastEnders' Lola to give birth in live Olympics episode – EastEnders News – Soaps
|publisher=Digital Spy |date=16 July 2012 |access-date=13 November 2012
}} In June 2015, it was announced that Harold would be leaving EastEnders later that year.{{cite web | url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a652770/eastenders-danielle-harold-is-leaving-lola-pearce-role-ill-miss-everyone-here.html#~pfz1LRm7WhyKO8 | title=EastEnders' Danielle Harold is leaving Lola Pearce role: "I'll miss everyone here" | work=Digital Spy | date=13 June 2015 | access-date=14 June 2015 | author=Fletcher, Harry}}
In December 2018, it was announced that Harold would reprise her role of Lola Pearce. She returned to the series with her on-screen daughter, Lexi Pearce, in April 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/a25633974/eastenders-lola-pearce-return-danielle-harold/|title=EastEnders confirms return for Danielle Harold as Lola Pearce|last=Harp|first=Justin|date=20 December 2018|website=Digital Spy|language=en-GB|access-date=20 December 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/eastenders-spoilers-lola-pearce-set-15576036|title=EastEnders' Lola set for explosive return – and she's not alone|last=Rodger|first=James|date=20 December 2018|website=Birmingham Mail|access-date=20 December 2018}} Then in 2022, it was announced that Harold would be starring in a brain cancer storyline for Lola, which resulted in the character's death on 31 May 2023. After which, Harold continued to appear as Lola sporadically via the character's video diaries until 25 December 2023, and made further appearances via video footage on 20 June 2024 and 11 September 2024.{{cite news |last1=Knight |first1=Lewis |title=EastEnders star Danielle Harold explains why Lola's story has changed her |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/a41808958/eastenders-danielle-harold-lola-cancer-story/ |access-date=14 May 2023 |work=Digital Spy |publisher=(Hearst Communications) |date=29 October 2022}}
=Other ventures=
In November 2023, Harold appeared in an EastEnders special of The Weakest Link alongside several of her co-stars.{{cite web |title=EastEnders special confirmed as The Weakest Link returns |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/a45821155/eastenders-special-weakest-link-new-series/ |website=Digital Spy |date=13 November 2023 |access-date=29 November 2023}} The same month, she was announced as a contestant on the twenty-third series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She was the fifth celebrity to be eliminated, finishing in sixth place.{{cite web |title=Who is Danielle Harold? I'm a Celebrity 2023 contestant and EastEnders actress |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/danielle-harold-im-a-celebrity-2023-contestant/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=29 November 2023}} Harold is also set to participate in the sixth series of Celebrity Hunted in 2024, which she filmed in 2023 following her exit from EastEnders.{{cite web |title=EastEnders favourite Danielle Harold to star in Celebrity Hunted for special cause |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/eastenders-danielle-harold-celebrity-hunted-newsupdate/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=29 November 2023}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Film ! Year ! Title ! Role |
| 2017
| Fanged Up | Katie Makepeace |
| rowspan=4 | 2018
| Pleasureland | Dina |
| Two Graves
| Leanne |
| Monster
| Sarah |
| Dead Ringer
| Melissa Prince |
| 2019
| The Tombs | The Presenter |
| 2020
| Next Door | Dani |
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Television ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |
| 2011
| Herself | Main role |
| 2011–2015, 2019–2024
| rowspan=2|Lola Pearce | Regular role |
| rowspan="2" | 2012
| Television special |
| Pointless Celebrities
| Herself – Contestant | Children in Need Special |
| 2013
| Street Dancer | 1 episode |
| 2017
| Casualty | Georgie Manning | Episode: "Roadman" |
| rowspan="2" | 2023
| rowspan="7" | Herself – Contestant | EastEnders Special |
| I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! |
| rowspan="2" | 2024 |
| Celebrity Bridge of Lies |
| rowspan="3" | 2025
| Series 6, Stand Up to Cancer |
| Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
| Series 13, Episode 11 |
| Richard Osman's House of Games
| Series 8 |
Awards and nominations
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name}}
{{NTA Outstanding Serial Drama Performance}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harold, Danielle}}
Category:21st-century English actresses
Category:Actresses from London
Category:British Soap Award for Best Leading Performer winners
Category:English film actresses
Category:English soap opera actresses
Category:English television actresses
Category:National Youth Theatre members