Background information

Some figures from the programme

• At the age of thirteen Lesley began her modeling career
• Beat 5,000 hopefuls to land lead role in Hollyoaks
• On contract worth £100,000 per year

Early life and education
Born in 1982 in Jordanstown, a suburb of Belfast. Attended Victoria College but with GCSEs looming she dreamt of a wider world outside school. By the age of thirteen Lesley had begun modeling. She left school by the age of sixteen.

First career decision
After winning a cover girl competition and against her mother's wishes, Lesley left home to pursue a professional modeling career in London. She quickly built a reputation as a young and promising model with a series of high profile advertisements.

The turning point
On a whim, Lesley and a friend auditioned along with 5,000 other hopeful actors for a part in the new television programme Hollyoaks. To her surprise she was offered a lead role and the opportunity to experience a high-profile lifestyle.

Conflict: the major and the minor
Three months into her contract, Lesley discovered a dark and unattractive side to her personality. Though earning a lot of money, she was not emotionally prepared to cope with the demands and temptations of being a celebrity. Coupled with anxiety and mounting depression, Lesley decided she would have to change her life. After announcing her departure from Hollyoaks, she began the long journey of going back to school to study for a degree in midwifery.

Resolution
After sitting a one-year access course, Lesley secured one of fifteen coveted spots to study in Liverpool. Getting accustomed to being a student again was difficult and the long hours of study challenging. But Lesley now has a career which has given her more out of life and has made her much happier.