Zaraah Clover Abrahams (born 7 January 1987) is a British actress and voiceover artist. She is known for her roles as Magda in Girls in Love from 2003 to 2005, Michaela White in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road from 2008 to 2010, Joanne Jackson in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 2005 to 2007 and Chelsea Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2020 onwards. She has also competed in the third series of the ITV talent show Dancing on Ice, and later returned as a contestant for the "All Stars" series in 2014.
Early life Abrahams was born in a hospital in Lambeth, London of Iraqi and Barbadian descent on her mother's side and of Jamaican descent on her father's side. She grew up in Brixton, South London and is the eldest of three siblings. She attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts for her secondary education, landing the role of Magda in the TV Adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's Girls in Love while still a pupil there. At the age of 17, she left London to pursue a career in acting in Manchester after landing the role of Joanne Jackson in Coronation Street.
Career Abrahams starred as Magda in the CITV show Girls in Love from 2003 to 2005 and as Joanne Jackson in the ITV soap Coronation Street from 2005 to 2007. In 2008, Abrahams participated in the third series of ITV's celebrity skating series Dancing on Ice, joining the series late in week 3, as a replacement for the injured Michael Underwood who had been forced to withdraw. Her partner was skater Fred Palascak. The pair landed in the skate-off four times, ultimately winning them all and reached the final, before finishing in third place. The same year, she joined the cast of Waterloo Road in a recurring role as student Michaela White, which she played until 2010. The character became part of the core cast for the fourth series in 2009 and remained with the show until her exit at the end of the fifth series in 2010. She starred in the 2013 short film Black Girl in Paris on HBO which was nominated for short film of the year, and where she was seen by Spike Lee. In 2014, Lee cast her as the female lead, Ganja Hightower in the Ganja & Hess homage Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, in her first Hollywood film debut.
In 2014, she returned for the "All Stars" series of Dancing on Ice, this time paired with Andy Buchanan and was sixth to be eliminated in week 4. In 2015, she joined the cast of the Cinemax series The Knick, a medical drama directed by Steven Soderbergh, set around a New York hospital in the early 20th century. She portrayed the role of Opal. In October 2020, it was announced that Abrahams would be taking over from Tiana Benjamin in the role of Chelsea Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Her first episode as the character was broadcast on 25 December 2020.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2003–2005 Girls in Love Magda Main cast 2005–2007 Coronation Street Joanne Jackson 214 episodes 2008–2010 Waterloo Road Michaela White Recurring (Series 3), Main cast (Series 4–5) 2008 Dancing on IceHerself Contestant; series 3 2009 Hole in the Wall Contestant 2011 Waterloo Road Reunited Michaela White Main cast (web series)2012 Payback Season Clarissa Film Scott & Bailey Daysha Kaye 1 episode Bedlam Laura Episode: "The Long Drop" 2013 Black Girl in Paris Luce Short film 2013–2015 Secret Dealers Narrator Game show (Series 4–5)2014 Dancing on Ice Herself Contestant; series 9 Da Sweet Blood of Jesus Ganja Hightower Film Holby City Alisa Cole Episode: "Captive" 2015 The Knick Opal Edwards Main cast (Season 2) 2020–present EastEnders Chelsea Fox Regular role 2021 The Bay DS Emma Ryan 2 episodes
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2021 Inside Soap Awards Best Newcomer 2022 2022 British Soap Awards Best Leading Performer 2022 27th National Television Awards Serial Drama Performance 2022 Inside Soap Awards Best Actress 2022 Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap Actor (Female)
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