Career
Simons is the niece of multi-millionaire businessman Lord Sugar, who is best known in the British Broadcasting Corporation reality series The Apprentice. She has an older brother, Ben Simons. In March 2008, The Sun reported that Simons was diagnosed with scoliosis disorder, which causes the spine to bend side to side, and is the reason why Simons is two inches shorter than she should be.
Simons has made appearances in the Sky1 dramas Mile High and Dream Team, as well as the Independent Television drama London"s Burning.
On 11 May 2007, it was announced that she would be joining the cast of EastEnders as Roxy Mitchell, alongside Samantha Womack who played Roxy"s sister Ronnie Mitchell. Of her role, Simons said: "I"ve always watched EastEnders and it"s been my dream to become part of the Mitchell family." Before her acting career, Simons was in the band GirlsPlay, who had a couple of hit singles before splitting up.
Their songs included "Airhead" and a cover of Mel and Kim"s "Respectable". Simons then joined a different group called Charli with three other members, including Shar from the Paradiso Girls, and released a single titled "Feel Maine".
Simons appeared on a Big Star"s Little Star episode, which aired on April 1, 2015.
Simons temporarily departed from EastEnders on 1 January 2016, allowing the actress to take part in a Snow White pantomime at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, over the 2015/16 Christmas and New Year period.After it was announced that Simons would star in the ninth series of Independent Television"s Benidorm, she returned to EastEnders to film two episodes, which will air in late spring. After filming Benidorm, Simons will make a full return to the soap in July 2016, appearing on-screen from September. In December 2009, Simons visited her old secondary school, Watford Grammar School for Girls to open the Christmas fair.
In December 2010, Simons launched the RNID Christmas Concert where she announced that her five-year-old daughter, Maiya is deaf.
In July 2011, Simons held an autograph session at the Street Nicholas Primary School summer fair in Elstree. In December 2011, Simons hosted the annual Action on Hearing Loss concert along with the Mayor of Camden.