Phina Oruche

Phina Oruche
Born	(1972-08-31) 31 August 1972 Liverpool, England
Children	1

Phina Oruche (born 31 August 1972) is a British actress, radio presenter and former model best known for her performances as Liberty Baker in ITV's Footballers' Wives, for which she won a Screen Nations Award for Favourite TV Star.

Early life

Oruche was born in Liverpool, England, to Nigerian parents.

Early career

Oruche began her career as a fashion model. In London before she emigrated to NYC. She represented Gap for five years in the United States, and was featured as a cover model on many US magazines. But had a special relationship with Essence magazine and was often featured on its pages and doing a cover. She was discovered for the TV screen by British commercial turned film director Tony Kaye he featured her in many of his TV commercials and her desire to be an actress was born.

Acting

Oruche started her acting career in the states after an education in the Actors Studio in Los Angeles. Best Known for her role Of Liberty Baker in Footballers Wives for which she won a Screen Nations award. She has appeared in American and British television shows including The Bill, Nip/Tuck, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Diagnosis Murder, NYPD Blue and The Unit. Her film credits include The Forsaken (2001) and Happy Ever Afters (2009).

She made a cameo appearance in a January 2008 episode of the British sketch comedy show Little Miss Jocelyn.

On 29 March 2010, it was revealed she was cast to play a mother of a new family in teen soap Hollyoaks.

Nov 1st 2012 she made a return to TV on BBC1 drama Doctors, after taking time off to raise her son.

Other television appearances

In 2012 she featured as the celebrity bedtime story reader reading a story a day for children the week of the Queens Diamond jubilee. Also featured as a special correspondent on North West tonight reporting on the 30 year anniversary of the Toxteth riots.

In Dublin, Oruche presented a show three days a week on Ireland AM for TV3 and in London as a continued regular panellist (The Wright Stuff) she was the "Babe in the Booth" for the week starting 29 April 2008 on the morning discussion programme, The Wright Stuff she was 36 weeks pregnant.

Oruche now lives in her native Liverpool where she is presenting and producing the Saturday night radio programme Upfront on BBC Radio Merseyside. Oruche has recently produced and hosted six Upfront Live shows for BBC Merseyside in Liverpool, at The Brink a non alcoholic bar in Liverpool, that she is in support of. Local singers such as Kof, Chelcee Grimes, Mic Lowry, Chi Temu and Jamie Broad performed on the show

Other professional activities

Recently hosted Merseyside Black History Month Achievers Awards at St Georges Hall Liverpool and a Mobo music panel, featuring local artists Eddie Amoo of The Real Thing, Kof. A published writer, Oruche had a weekly column in the Liverpool Echo. She had an autobiography "Liberating Character" published April 2012

She also has a film company called Ibo Girl Films Ltd., for which she directs, edits and produces digital shorts and videos.

Personal life

Oruche was married in August 2007, they have one child.

Oruche ran the 2007 and 2006 London Marathons, raising £35,000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust.

External links

• Phina Oruche at the Internet Movie Database
• http://www.phinaoruche.com