Hayes portrayed Abi Harper a
student in the
British sitcom My Family, a role she held between 2002 and 2008, when the character became a nun. She has also made guest appearances in
Little Britain,
Paul Merton: The Series, ''
Agatha Christie's Marple, Birds of a Feather, and The Bill. Her early appearances included portraying a pupil of Class 5C onwards from 1991, in the series Up the Garden Path''. In 2005, she was a contestant on the
third series of the
BBC competition
Strictly Come Dancing, paired with professional
Matthew Cutler. The couple were the first to be eliminated. On 1 February 2008, it was announced that Hayes would be joining
EastEnders, in the role of
Melinda, the partner of the show's returning
Ricky Butcher portrayed by
Sid Owen. This was Hayes' second role in
EastEnders, as she portrayed Jane on 4 July 1991. Hayes starred in the
2011 British live action
3D family comedy film
Horrid Henry: The Movie, portraying the role of the titular character's mother. In 2022, Hayes appeared in an advert for
Specsavers and also featured in the Christmas advert for
McDonald's. ==Filmography==