Rachel Adedeji
{{Short description|British singer and actress}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rachel Adedeji
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|08|22}}
| birth_place = Barking, England
| occupation = {{Hlist|Singer|actress}}
| years_active = 2008–2009, 2016–present
| spouse = {{Marriage|Jason Finegan|2015}}
| children = 1
| label_name = RAM Records
| television = The X Factor
Hollyoaks
}}
Rachel Adedeji is a Nigerian-British singer and actress. She became the fourth contestant eliminated on sixth series of The X Factor in 2009, having previously appeared on the fifth series. From 2016 to 2020, she appeared in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as Lisa Loveday.
She was referenced as one of the greatest "UK Queens of Pop" on Rupaul's Drag Race UK Series 6, Episode 7 Rusical "Pop of the Tops".
Career
Adedeji began her career as a singer, beginning singing at the age of eight, later studying musical theatre in college. She performed in many musical productions and had a role in the musical Mamma Mia!.{{cite web |url=http://www.tellyzone.com/xfactor/2009/10/011-rachel-adedeji-x-factor-2009.html| title=Rachel Adedeji – X Factor 2009|publisher=Telly Zone|first=Mike|last=Stewart|date=7 October 2009|access-date=17 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012192737/http://www.tellyzone.com/xfactor/2009/10/011-rachel-adedeji-x-factor-2009.html|archive-date=12 October 2009}}
In 2008, Adedeji entered the fifth series of The X Factor, where she made it to bootcamp. Adedeji later returned to the programme for the sixth series, where she became the fourth contestant eliminated.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/entertainment-arts-52970205|title=Hollyoaks launches investigation after Rachel Adedeji racism claims|work=BBC News|access-date=8 June 2020}}
On 21 March 2016, it was announced that Adedeji had joined the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as Lisa Loveday, the long-lost daughter of Simone Loveday (Jacqueline Boatswain) and Louis Loveday (Karl Collins).{{cite web |url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/rachel-adedeji-joins-hollyoaks-former-7602946|title=Former X Factor star Rachel Adedeji joins Hollyoaks|first=Danny|last=Walker|date=21 March 2016|website=mirror}} She made her on-screen debut in April 2016.{{Cite news |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hollyoaks/news/a787602/hollyoaks-casts-x-factor-star-rachel-adedeji-as-the-real-lisa-loveday-and-you-can-expect-fireworks/|title=Hollyoaks casts X Factor star Rachel Adedeji as the REAL Lisa Loveday... and you can expect fireworks|last=Kilkelly|first=Daniel|date=21 March 2016|work=Digital Spy}}{{Cite news |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/news/a790746/soap-spoilers-coronation-street-death-eastenders-kiss-emmerdale-romance-hollyoaks-lisa/|title=Soap spoilers: Coronation Street death, EastEnders kiss, Emmerdale romance, Hollyoaks Lisa|last=Kilkelly|first=Daniel|date=17 April 2016|work=Digital Spy}} For her performance as Lisa, she was longlisted for Best Actress at The British Soap Awards in 2017.{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/a826184/british-soap-awards-2017-nominations-announced-longlist/|title=British Soap Awards 2017: the longlist is revealed|first=Sophie|last=Dainty|date=18 April 2017|website=Digital Spy}} On 30 August 2017, it was announced that Adedeji was expecting her first child and would take maternity leave.{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/hollyoaks-star-rachel-adedeji-announces-13550047|title=Hollyoaks star Rachel Adedeji announces pregnancy weeks after co-stars give birth|first1=Sophie|last1=McCoid|first2=EMMELINE|last2=SAUNDERS|date=30 August 2017|website=liverpoolecho}} Her return to the programme aired on 13 November 2018.{{Cite journal|date=3–9 November 2018|title=In and out|journal=Inside Soap|issue=44|page=92}} In June 2020, it was announced that Adedeji had quit the programme, with her final scenes airing later in the year.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/breaking-rachel-adedeji-quits-hollyoaks-22169127.amp|title=Rachel Adedeji quits Hollyoaks after 4 years amid Black Lives Matter anger|work=Daily Mirror|access-date=10 June 2020}}
In October 2021, Adedeji portrayed the role of April Lewin in an episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors.{{cite news |last1=Lamacraft |first1=Tess |title='Doctors' spoilers: Daniel Granger is angry with Al |url=https://www.whattowatch.com/spoilers/doctors-spoilers-daniel-granger-is-angry-with-al |access-date=13 October 2021 |work=What to Watch |publisher=(Future plc)}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2008
| Herself | Fifth series; eliminated at bootcamp |
| rowspan="3"| 2009
|The X Factor | Herself | Sixth series; 9th place |
| The Xtra Factor
| Herself | 11 episodes |
| Ant & Dec's Christmas Show
| Herself | 1 episode |
| 2016
| Lorraine | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2016–2020
| Series regular |
| 2020
| Lisa Loveday |
| 2021
| Doctors | Episode: "Deadname" |
| rowspan="3"| 2022
|R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned | Avatar Roy | |
| The Almond and the Seahorse
| Billie | |
| Whitstable Pearl
| Sky Tomlin | Episode: "Babylon" |
| rowspan="3"| 2023
| Champion | Yemi | 8 episodes |
| Dreaming Whilst Black
| Funmi | 6 episodes |
| Alice & Jack
| Donna | |
| 2024
| Monette Gilbert | Episode: "#13.8" |
Personal life
In 2015, Adedeji married Jason Finnegan; she announced she was pregnant with the pair's first child in 2017, taking maternity leave from Hollyoaks.{{Cite news|url=https://www.her.ie/amp/celeb/hollyoaks-rachel-adedeji-announces-shes-pregnant-feel-ready-362055|title=Hollyoaks' Rachel Adedeji announces she's pregnant... 'I feel ready'|work=her|access-date=8 June 2020}}
In 2020, Adedeji took to social media to open up about racism she has encountered while working on Hollyoaks. She stated she was told "You're all the same" by a make-up artist, and said that black actresses on Hollyoaks were "forced to drastically change their hair" after being told viewers wouldn't be able to tell them apart, and that in her four years on the soap, she had only worked with one black director. She added: "Working at Hollyoaks is mostly positive, but the experiences I have encountered are a constant reminder of how difficult it is being a black woman in the industry. I am no longer standing for it."{{Cite news|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hollyoaks/a32788032/hollyoaks-response-rachel-adedeji-criticism-black-lives-matter/|title=Hollyoaks are investigating after Rachel Adedeji's allegations following response to Black Lives Matter|work=Digital Spy|access-date=8 June 2020}} A few days later, the soap launched an investigation into her claims, with producers stating that they were "deeply shocked and saddened" by the issues that she had addressed. The investigation included a multi-step action plan to root out any further instances of racism.{{Cite news|date=2020-06-09|title=Hollyoaks launches investigation after Rachel Adedeji racism claims|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52970205|access-date=2021-02-21}}
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| Year
! Organisation ! Award ! Work ! Result ! Ref. |
|---|
| 2017
| Hollyoaks | {{longlisted}} |
| 2017
| Sexiest Female | Hollyoaks | {{longlisted}} | {{Cite news|last=Kilkelly|first=Daniel|title=Inside Soap Awards 2017 shortlist revealed – which Corrie, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks stars are up for prizes?|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/news/a841879/inside-soap-awards-2017-shortlist/|access-date=8 June 2020|work=Digital Spy|date=31 October 2017}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|3638183}}
{{The X Factor contestants}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adedeji, Rachel}}
Category:21st-century Black British women singers
Category:Actors from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
Category:Black British actresses
Category:English people of Nigerian descent
Category:English soap opera actresses
Category:English women pop singers
Category:People from Barking, London
Category:Singers from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham