Victoria Ekanoye

{{Infobox person

| name = Victoria Ekanoye

| image = Victoria Ekanoye 2013.png

| caption = Ekanoye in Elle Fatale 2013

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|12|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bury, England{{cite web|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/my-dream-madonna-celebrity-x-17108913|title="My dream was to be Madonna" - Celebrity X Factor star Victoria Ekanoye on her love of music|work=Manchester Evening News|first=Katie|last=Fitzpatrick|date=18 October 2019 |access-date=3 November 2019}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse =

| children = 1

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 2010–present

}}

Victoria Ekanoye (born 11 December 1981){{Cite web|url= https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/03BNppdrHAejOitqo7do43vkTSE/appointments|title=Adebisi Ekanoye}} is an English actress. She began her career in theatre. On television, she is best known for her roles in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2017–2019) and the E! drama The Royals (2015–2018).

Early life and education

Ekanoye was born in Bury, Greater Manchester and grew up in Stockport and Rochdale. She is of Nigerian, English and Irish descent, the latter through her maternal grandmother.{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/coronation-street-star-victoria-ekanoye-13144774|title=Coronation Street star Victoria Ekanoye vows to return to Ireland after visiting Dublin and drinking Guinness|work=Irish Mirror|first=Jim|last=Gallagher|date=26 August 2018|accessdate=8 March 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/coronation-street-star-who-beat-27031026|title=Coronation Street star who beat breast cancer is aiming to save lives by travelling the globe to break taboo|work=Manchester Evening News|first=Katie|last=Fitzpatrick|date=31 May 2023|accessdate=8 March 2025}} Ekanoye studied musical theatre at Oldham College.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smoothradio.com/news/entertainment/victoria-ekanoye-x-factor-celebrity-age-boyfriend/|title=Who is Victoria Ekanoye? Meet the Corrie star and X Factor Celebrity 2019 contestant|work=Smooth Radio|date=1 November 2019|accessdate=8 March 2025}}

Career

In 2017, Ekanoye played Angie Appleton in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, for 94 episodes over three years.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a25859881/coronation-street-victoria-ekanoye-angie-appleton-return/|title= Coronation Street star Victoria Ekanoye hints Angie Appleton could still return|work=Digital Spy|first=Chris|last=Edwards|date=11 January 2019 |access-date=3 November 2019}}

She has also played Rachel in The Royals,{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-10-03/victoria-ekanoye-x-factor-celebrity/|title=Who is Victoria Ekanoye? The X Factor: Celebrity contestants|work=Radio Times|first=Kimberley|last=Bond|date=3 October 2019|access-date=3 November 2019}} and has appeared in The Chase: Celebrity Special,{{cite web|url=https://www.whatsontv.co.uk/events/chase-celebrity-special-itv-14-oct-18/|title=The Chase Celebrity Special|work=What's on TV|access-date=3 November 2019}} The Big Quiz{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/a25658499/emmerdale-coronation-street-the-big-soap-quiz-2018/|title=Emmerdale triumphs over Coronation Street in The Big Soap Quiz 2018|work=Digital Spy|first=Chris|last=Edwards|date=21 December 2018 |access-date=3 November 2019}} and The X Factor: Celebrity.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a29675035/the-x-factor-celebrity-second-live-show-elimination/|title=X Factor Celebrity reveals latest stars booted out of competition|work=Digital Spy|first=Dan|last=Seddon|date=2 November 2019}}

She also appeared in series two of Almost Never{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2019/50/almost-never-christmas-special|title=Almost Never Christmas Wonderland|work=BBC|access-date=27 August 2020}} and two episodes of Doctors as Kate Bennett.{{Cite episode|title=Chronicle of Shak's Death Foretold|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000pbnz|series=Doctors|series-link=Doctors (2000 TV series)|credits=Writer: Stephen McAteer; Director: Daniel Wilson; Producer: Dawn Coulson-Beckett|network=BBC|station=BBC One|airdate=10 November 2020}}

In 2022, she appeared in the fourth episode of Series 11 of the BBC crime drama series Death in Paradise, as Miranda Priestley. The same year, she starred as Megan in Lionsgate Films' Christmas in Paradise, with a cast that included Kelsey Grammer, Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus.{{Cite web|title= Christmas in Paradise |url= https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/christmas-in-paradise |work=lionsgate.com|date=2022}}

Personal life

Ekanoye has sickle cell anaemia. On 8 November 2021, Ekanoye announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.{{cite web |title= Ex-Coronation Street star Victoria Ekanoye has breast cancer |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c166r3rerg1o |website=BBC News |date=8 November 2021}} After undergoing a double mastectomy, and a year out, she was able to resume acting, returning to television in 2022, as Miranda Priestley in Death in Paradise.{{cite web |title= Former Corrie star Victoria Ekanoye stars in Death In Paradise after gruelling breast cancer fight - Victoria's had a tough 12 months |url= https://www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/tv/former-corrie-star-victoria-ekanoye-stars-in-death-in-paradise-after-gruelling-breast-cancer-fight/ |author=Nancy Brown |work= entertainmentdaily.co.uk |date=28 January 2022}}