Tameka Empson

Tameka Lydia Empson (born 15 April 1977)^[3] is an English actress and comedian. She appeared as one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non-Blondes. In 2009, she began portraying the role of Kim Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Tameka Empson
Empson in 2022
Born	Tameka Lydia Empson (1977-04-15) 15 April 1977 (age 47) London, England[1]
Occupations	Actress comedian
Years active	1986, 1996–present
Notable work	3 Non Blondes Beautiful Thing Beautiful People EastEnders
Children	2[2]

Career

Empson at the EastEnders Meet and Greet event in 2016

As well as her television work, Empson has appeared in a number of films. In 1996, she appeared in the film Beautiful Thing as Leah Russell, the next-door neighbour of the main characters. Empson worked alongside Linda Henry, both of whom would eventually join the cast of EastEnders; in 1998 she appeared as the love rival to the main character in the film Babymother. Empson is an experienced theatre actress having performed as Billie in the original cast of Our House, a musical featuring songs from the ska/pop band Madness, which premiered at The Cambridge Theatre in October 2002 and ran on until August 2003. She has since been a mainstay of the Hackney Empire annual pantomimes.

In 2008, Empson appeared in the BBC sitcom Beautiful People and in the ITV1 thriller Whitechapel. In 2009, she joined the cast of EastEnders, playing Kim Fox, the half-sister of Denise Fox (Diane Parish).^[4] As a result, she has won several awards including an Inside Soap award in 2012 for "Funniest Female Performance".^[5] She took maternity leave from EastEnders and returned to screens August 2014.^[6] On 16 July 2019, it was announced that Empson would be temporarily leaving the series, with her return set to air in 2020.^[7] Empson confirmed on Loose Women that the break was her maternity leave for her second child, and that she did not deliberately keep it a secret, but that she "just wanted to enjoy it".^[8]

Empson is a regular performer at the Hackney Empire starring in the theatre's annual pantomime since 2004; she has also starred in Anansi and the Magic Mirror and has a live sketch and comedy show (The Kat and Tameka Show) with Choice FM DJ Kat B. She has also voiced Tickbird in Tinga Tinga Tales. On 22 August 2016, Empson was revealed as a contestant participating on the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with professional dancer Gorka Márquez. They were the second couple to leave the competition. In 2019, she appeared on Comic Relief Does The Apprentice to raise money for Comic Relief.^[9] Later that year, she appeared as a panellist on The Apprentice: You're Fired,^[10] and voiced the role of Pearl the Police Horse on the Disney Channel series 101 Dalmatian Street.^[11]

Filmography

• 2019: 101 Dalmatian Street – Pearl the Police Horse
• 2016 Strictly Come Dancing – Participant
• 2014: Lily's Driftwood Bay – Hatsie (2014)
• 2011: EastEnders: E20 – Kim Fox
• 2010: StreetDance 3D – Sharonda
• 2009: EastEnders – Kim Fox (653 episodes, 2009–present)
• 2008: Beautiful People – Tameka/Johoyo (6 episodes, 2008–2009)
• 2009: Skellig – Nurse 1
• 2009: Whitechapel – Mrs. Buki (3 episodes, 2009)
• 2007: Learners – Gloria
• 2007: MI High - Sergeant Raynor
• 2006: Notes on a Scandal – Antonia Robinson
• 2003: 3 Non Blondes – Herself
• 2002: Babyfather – Sherene (3 episodes, 2002)
• 2002: Silent Cry – Hairdresser
• 2002: Out of the Game – Karen
• 2002: Long Time Dead – Girl student
• 2001: The Martins – Mo
• 2001: Lava – Maxine
• 2001: Sam's Game – Marcia (6 episodes, 2001)
• 2001: Goodbye Charlie Bright – Kay
• 1998: Babymother – Dionne – her rival
• 1998: I Want You – Cut Ear Salon Woman
• 1997: Food of Love – Alice
• 1996: Beautiful Thing – Leah Russell

Awards and nominations

Empson at the Inside Soap Awards in 2010

Year	Award	Category	Result	Ref.
2011	British Soap Awards	Best Comedy Performance	Nominated	[12]
2011	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Performance	Won	[13]
2012	British Soap Awards	Best Comedy Performance	Nominated	[14]
2012	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Female	Won	[5]
2013	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Female	Won	[15]
2014	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Female	Shortlisted	[16]
2015	British Soap Awards	Best Comedy Performance	Nominated	[17]
2015	TV Choice Awards	Best Soap Actress	Nominated	[18]
2015	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Female	Won	[19]
2016	British Soap Awards	Best Comedy Performance	Nominated	[20]
2016	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Female	Won	[21]
2017	2017 British Soap Awards	Best Comedy Performance	Nominated	[22]
2017	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Female	Shortlisted	[23]
2018	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Female	Shortlisted	[24]
2019	2019 British Soap Awards	Best Comedy Performance	Nominated	[25]
2019	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Female	Nominated	[26]
2021	Inside Soap Awards	Funniest Performance	Nominated	[27]
2021	I Talk Telly Awards	Best Soap Partnership (with Diane Parish)	Nominated	[28]
2022	2022 British Soap Awards	Best Comedy Performance	Won	[29]
2022	Inside Soap Awards	Best Comic Performance	Shortlisted	[30]
2022	I Talk Telly Awards	Best Soap Partnership (with Delroy Atkinson)	Nominated	[31]
2023	TVTimes Awards	Favourite Soap Actor	Nominated	[32]
2023	I Talk Telly Awards	Best Soap Partnership (with Atkinson)	Nominated	[33]