Davinia Taylor

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Davinia Taylor (real name Davinia Murphy) is a British actress, born in Wigan, Lancashire, England on 11 November 1977.

After attending Winstanley Sixth Form College from 1994, studying Theatre and performing arts A-levels ^[1] she left before finishing her course to act on the soap opera series Hollyoaks in 1997, playing party girl Jude Cunningham on the soap. During her time on the show, Jude set up a fake wedding before leaving the country using her dead sister's passport. She was sacked after one year for "persistent bad timekeeping". ^[2] In 2006, The Sunday Mirror reported that Taylor was returning to the cast of Hollyoaks in the cast as a super-bitch ^[3], but has since withdrawn from the opportunity due to "personal problems" ^[4]

The original Hollyoaks part led to roles in the television movies Bostock's Cup, Is Harry on the Boat?, and the comedic film, Soul Patrol, as well as a spot on an episode of Urban Gothic.^[5] She appeared in Maxim magazine in February of 2003^[6], and has been named in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" list in 1996 (56), 1997 (97), and 1998 (86).

[edit] Personal life

Her father, Alan Murphy, sometimes referred to as "The Bog Roll King", is one of the UK's wealthiest men.^[7] he ran the AM Paper toilet roll factory in Skelmersdale. She has a tattoo on her left forearm.

After numerous tabloid reported romances, including Ryan Giggs and James Gooding (Kylie Minogue's ex-boyfriend), she married football agent Dave Gardner (best friend of David Beckham) in a lavish £875,000 wedding in July, 2003. Beckham was best man, while Taylor (in a £50,000 gown) arrived with bridesmaid Jenny Frost, singer in Atomic Kitten. Sister Sledge performed at the reception, and Gardner showered his new bride with gifts, including a £40,000 engagement ring and a £89,000 Mercedes-Benz ^[8] They separated for a third time in 2005.^[9] but may now be back together, looking to move to Worsley, Manchester ^[10]

Taylor has been frequently a target of the British tabloids, being part of the Primrose Hill party set with Sadie Frost (actress and ex-wife of Jude Law), and supermodel Kate Moss. Moss's boyfriend Pete Doherty was photgraphed smoking cocaine on Taylor's fathers yacht in Summer 2005 ^[11] In early 2006 Moss was exposed by the Sunday Mirror for taking cocaine with then boyfriend Pete Doherty, Taylor was mentioned as one of those that had been involved in drug fueled lesbian sex sessions with Moss and Frost at Claridges hotel at the models 31st birthday, and had become a "Moss Disciple"^[12] ^[13] In September 2005, Taylor booked into rehab suffering from "acute depression", after tabloids reported that Taylor had slept with Frost's boyfriend Barry Smith ^[14] ^[15]