Velile Tshabalala

Velile Tshabalala (born 9 March 1984)[1][2] is an English actress, known for portraying Kareesha Lopez in Kerching! and Rosita in the 2008 Doctor Who special "The Next Doctor".

Velile Tshabalala
Velile Tshabalala at the Doctor Who 50th anniversary celebration on 22 November 2013
Born (1984-03-09) 9 March 1984
Whitechapel, London, England
OccupationActress
Years active2003–present

Background

Born in Whitechapel, London, Tshabalala was raised in Ilford.[3] She is of Zimbabwean descent.[2] Her father is a mechanical engineer and her mother is a health visitor.[2] She has one sister and two brothers.[1] She trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School,[3] where she attended weekend classes from the age of 14.[2] For higher education, she attended sixth form and completed her A - Levels.

Career

Tshabalala made her professional debut at the age of 18, in the CBBC sitcom Kerching!.[4] She played waitress Kareesha Lopez, who did very little work and was a stereotypical teenage girl. She played several roles in all three series of the BBC Three sketch comedy Tittybangbang. She appeared as a prostitute in the 2004 short film Streets. In January 2008, she played a librarian in the ChuckleVision episode "Jumping Jackpot". She played Rosita in that year's Doctor Who Christmas special "The Next Doctor".[5] She made her pantomime debut in the 2008 production of Dick Whittington's Cat at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham.[6] In 2011, Tshabalala very briefly appeared in the penultimate episode of series three of the E4 series Misfits as the gangs' newest probation worker, Laura. However, she only lasted for a matter of seconds after arriving at the community centre, ultimately being killed after being bitten by a zombie. In July 2014, she completed filming on the feature film The Journey.[7] In November 2021, it was announced that Tshabalala had been cast in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as Viv, the mother of established character DeMarcus Westwood (Tomi Ade).[8] In February 2022, she starred as Gloria in Running with Lions at the Lyric Theatre, London.[9]

Filmography
YearTitleRoleNotes
2003–2006Kerching!Kareesha Lopez
2004StreetsProstituteFilm
2006TittybangbangVarious characters
2008ChuckleVisionLibrarianEpisode: "Jumping Jackpot"
2008Katy Brand's Big Ass ShowVarious characters
2008Doctor WhoRositaEpisode: "The Next Doctor"
2009The Legend of Dick and DomCheryl1 episode
2011MisfitsLaura1 episode
2012The Secret of Crickley HallTeacher1 episode
2013Call the MidwifeMonique Hyde1 episode
2016–2017Class DismissedVarious12 episodes
2021HollyoaksViv3 episodes
2023Death in ParadiseBarbara Carter1 episode
2023CasualtyCaroline Pickard1 episode

References
  1. Martin, Will (26 November 2008). "Velile Tshabalala (Doctor Who) Interview". LastBroadcast.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  2. Collins, Robert (16 December 2008). "Doctor Who: Velile Tshabalala". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  3. "Former toilet cleaner Velile Tshabalala on landing starring role in this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special". Daily Mirror. 23 December 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  4. Hewitt, Phil (24 September 2008). "Who's that girl? New assistant for the Doctor lands in West Sussex". West Sussex Gazette. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  5. Wilkes, Neil (17 December 2008). "Velile Tshabalala ('Doctor Who')". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  6. Coombs, Dan (16 December 2008). "Who's that girl?". Uxbridge Gazette. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  7. thejourneythemovie.com
  8. Anderton, Joe (2 November 2021). "Hollyoaks to bring in DeMarcus Westwood's mother as his future comes under threat". Digital Spy. (Hearst Magazines UK). Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  9. "Running With Lions". Lyric Hammersmith. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
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