Bio
Zöe Lucker is an English actress best known for her television roles as Tanya Turner in Footballers' Wives (2002-2006) and as Vanessa Gold in EastEnders, from 2010-2011.
Lucker was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. She is one of the four children of Paul and Judith Lucker. Her parents spent a year and a half in Zambia doing voluntary service, before becoming school teachers in Yorkshire. Later, they started their own business, where they design, manufacture, restore and install stained glass.
Lucker has always been passionate about acting and was inspired by her primary school teacher Tony Walker, who scripted a role for her in a school play.
She attended Huddersfield New College, where she met her mentor, Liz Hayward, a theatre studies teacher. It was Hayward who inspired her to apply for the Ardent School of Theatre, Manchester, England.
After her graduation, she became a part of the Hull Truck Theatre Company. She exhibited her talent in stage plays while touring with the Hull Truck Theatre Company and played a vital role in Dracula and The New Office Party plays written by John Godber.
After spending a brief period with the Hull Truck Theatre Company, Lucker moved to London to act in television. Initially, she got chances to act in TV advertisements and corporate videos.
She also made appearances in many TV serials including Doctors, Holby City, Lynda La Plante's Killer Net, Boyz Unlimited, Trial and Retribution, Where the Heart Is, Coronation Street and Brazen Hussies.
Lucker became popular when she got a chance to play the role of Tanya Turner in the Footballers' Wives drama series. In 2004, she was nominated for the Most Popular Actress Award at the National Television Award ceremony for her performance in Footballers' Wives.
She continued to play the role of Tanya Turner in the sixth season of the ITV soap opera Bad Girls.
Lucker toured New Zealand in the play Then Comes Love, in 2005. Apart from acting, she has also been a presenter at GMTV.
In 2007, she was selected to play an important role in the police drama series, Holby Blue, aired on BBC. In it she portrayed a Station Reception Officer, named Kate Keenan, co-starring with Kacey Ainsworth.
Lucker hosted the home makeover TV show Love the Place You're In, along with Gordon Whistance, a prominent designer and Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, a psychologist. This show was aired on UKTV in October 2008 with the aim of helping the property owners.
Lucker was inspired by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, when she toured to Dharmasala in Northern India to film a documentary named A Date With The Dalai Lama for ITV2.
Lucker has two brothers, Richard and Steven and a sister, Suzy. She was engaged to James Herbert and gave birth to a girl baby named Lilly Alabama Herbert on 2 September 2008.