Shebah Ronay was the original Hollyoaks poster girl, but her character Natasha Andersen was tragically killed off after just a few months on the Channel 4 soap
Former Hollyoaks star Shebah Ronay, who portrayed the legendary Natasha Andersen, has embarked on a striking career transformation three decades after the soap launched.
Natasha served as Hollyoaks’ original pin-up – alluring, spirited and tragically, the first main character to meet her demise in a shocking death plot.
Her devastating end unfolded in March 1996 when she suffered a fatal overdose after her beverage was laced with ecstasy during a house party. She later collapsed and died in hospital leaving fans of the Channel 4 soap in shock.
Shebah, now 53, initially appeared on our television screens as Natasha on October 23, 1995, when the soap launched on television. But her character’s death was announced in January 1996.
The sequence was branded a “sensational scene in an attempt to boost ratings” at the time, crafted to elevate viewing figures and provide a sharp departure from the “softer stories about teen romances and spots”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
During its first year, Hollyoaks encountered backlash for its absence of socially conscious storylines, prompting producers to develop a powerful narrative centred around Natasha’s drug-induced death.
This plot generated significant media attention and represented a pivotal moment for the programme as it started addressing weightier topics.
Looking back on Natasha’s departure, series creator Phil Redmond commented: “Natasha’s death depicts the stark reality of unnecessary death coming very close to one group of friendly and fun-loving people for the first time in their lives and how this is bound to change their outlook in many ways”, reports the Mirror.
After her departure from the show, Shebah didn’t linger in the acting industry. She featured in the short film The Things We Do For Love before shifting her focus to modelling, presenting, and journalism.
The soap star spent a number of years as a film columnist for the weekly newspaper News of the World, before taking on the role of stylist editor at the glamorous Wedding Day magazine.
She is wedded to artist Jonathan Yeo, with whom she shares two children. The artist specialises in portraiture, with his celebrated work including King Charles III and Sir David Attenborough.
Shebah also has notable family connections, being the granddaughter of Hungarian-born food critic Egon Ronay and the daughter of fashion designer and former actress Edina Ronay.
Elsewhere, Hollyoaks will celebrate its 30th birthday in October, with the soap due to crossover with Brookside.