Fair City star reveals she was homeless for a year after leaving the show

Stephanie Kelly, who plays Sash Bishop, says she was left without a home in 2012 after she welcomed her first child.

The new mother was living in emergency accommodation for a year after her first stint on the RTE soap, Fair City. Now, Stephanie finds herself in a similar situation as her character Sash is caring for Nikki Duff’s children as their mum is forced into emergency accommodation. Stephanie returned to Fair City two years ago and says that the current storyline has brought back memories of a more difficult time.

“I’m not sure if the production team or writers even know this, but I went through that myself,” she told RSVP. “Not long after I left Fair City the first time, everything fell apart. I had to register homeless for a whole year with my newborn baby and live in emergency housing. “It was a difficult time.”

The actress said she struggled to find her feet with no landlords willing to accept the rent supplement. Stephanie was eventually rehoused in a council apartment and says she feels “lucky to have it”.