For Savannah Kunyo’s most recent screen role, she played Hope Drake in Series 16 of Waterloo Road, working with her on-screen family – Lindsey Coulson as headteacher and grandmother Dame Stella Drake and Fintan Buckard as brother Ben Drake, and her final scenes involved her character having a severe allergic reaction resulting in her passing away. Over three years, Savannah played the recurring character Eliza Woodrow in Coronation Street, working closely with Bill Fellows and Shelley King as Stu and Yasmeen, and alongside her younger sister Paris, she filmed Series 1 of The Curse. Savannah will be filming around Europe for an unannounced project, and alongside acting, she performs as a singer. Speaking with Savannah, we found out from her about what it was like playing Hope Drake in Waterloo Road, her time as recurring character Eliza Woodrow in Coronation Street and working on the TV series The Curse alongside her younger sister Paris.

Most recently on screen, you have been seen playing Hope Drake in Series 16 of Waterloo Road; how much did you know about Hope’s storyline before booking the role and what was it like preparing for filming?

Before getting the role of Hope Drake, I knew nothing really about the part, I only knew that I was going to be the headteacher’s granddaughter, who loved to sing and act, and that I would be involved in a big storyline.

Once I was told about the storyline involving allergies and how dangerous (fatal) they can be, I was able to prepare for the role. My cousin suffers from a severe nut allergy, and I’ve seen first-hand what happens during anaphylactic shock, and so I also had a reasonable understanding of using an EpiPen, which really came in handy during filming.

What was it like filming Hope’s final scenes, and how was it knowing you were part of an important storyline?

Filming Hope’s final scenes was very emotional, and I felt quite anxious during takes. Firstly, as I had loved working with all of the cast and crew and I didn’t want it to come to an end, but also because I knew it was such an important storyline, and I really wanted to do it justice. The filming was quite overwhelming as it felt so real, and it made me extremely sympathetic for people who actually have to go through this in real life.

How would you describe Hope, and how was it seeing the viewers’ response to your character?

I would describe Hope as being confident and outgoing, with very similar interests to myself… She was a lot of fun to play, and getting to sing was one of the highlights for me. I’m glad that most viewers liked Hope and were able to relate to her in some ways.

Do you have any stand-out memories from working with Lindsey Coulson (Dame Stella Drake – Waterloo Road headteacher and Hope’s grandmother), Fintan Buckard (Ben Drake – Hope’s brother), and with the rest of the cast that you can tell us about?

I really loved working with Lindsey Coulson and Fintan Buckard. It was like working with real family, and we got on really well. I’ve learned a lot from them both, and I hope we can work together again at some point in the future.

What was it like finding out you’d booked the recurring role of Eliza Woodrow in Coronation Street, and how did you feel joining a long-running soap opera?

Being cast as the role of Eliza Woodrow in Coronation Street was like a dream come true. It took a while for the news to sink in that I would be joining this fantastic long-running soap. I kept thinking someone would call me up to say it had been a mistake and that I didn’t really get the role, so I decided not to tell anyone until the day my first scene was aired on TV. My nan and grandad were in complete shock when they saw me on the cobbles.

What was Eliza like to play and what was it like being part of the show across three years?

Playing Eliza was fun because she’s very different to me. She started out quite sweet but ended up being quite spoilt and entitled. Although this was a good character to play, she didn’t gain herself many fans, and I’ve heard she was often referred to as a brat on social media.

Did you have any favourite or most challenging scenes to film as Eliza?

My favourite scene playing Eliza was when I got knocked over by an oncoming car. I got to experience how green screen works and, even though I had a stunt double, I was able to film the scene myself, which was so much fun.

What did you learn from your time filming for Coronation Street and is there anything you miss most about working on the series?

Although I’d had some small parts on TV before Coronation Street, getting the part of Eliza gave me my first real taste of stardom. I started getting recognised everywhere I went, even when I was on holiday, and I also got my first lot of fan mail, which felt crazy to me.

How did you find the experience on set of both Waterloo Road and Coronation Street, and how different were each to film?

Although I loved working on both Coronation Street and Waterloo Road, they were both very different experiences for me. On Coronation Street, I acted mostly with adults, so I found I had to be more mature on set. I was able to observe and learn from the adults around me (mostly Bill Fellows and Shelley King, who played Stu and Yasmeen). It was a fantastic learning curve.

Yet in Waterloo Road it was mostly kids and people my age, so we could have a lot of fun during takes and on breaks.

We understand you were also involved with The Curse, what was this like?

One of my favourite acting roles was playing twins in The Curse with my younger sister Paris. Even though there’s nearly two years between us in age, we were a similar height and looked a lot alike, so easily passed as twins. We had so much fun.

We were also asked to film the second series in Spain, but unfortunately I was unable to commit after landing the role in Coronation Street. It was bittersweet because, even though I loved being part of the soap, Paris and I would have loved to film together again… abroad.

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

I started acting at around six years old when I got the role of Chip in Beauty and the Beast – a stage production with my local drama school.

Even at that young age, I loved the attention it brought. I was very quick at learning lines and dance routines, and knew it was something I’d like to do for the rest of my life.

You also perform as a singer, can you tell us about this?

As well as acting, I’ve been singing from as young as I can remember, winning national talent competitions, and performing for charity events.

During the COVID lockdown, my mum set up a singing page on social media for me and my sister. We sang songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and we had millions of viewers and followers. We were also recognised by the Pride of Britain.

Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch?

I love anything Disney, and I’m a big lover of horror films. It would be my dream to be cast in a horror movie. I also love K-dramas and K-pop.

How do you like to spend your free time?

In my free time, I love to dance and regularly perform at my local dance school. I also love to sing and, when my family go out and I’m home alone, I do my own private karaoke in my front room. I’m sure my neighbours love me.

What are you hoping the rest of 2026 brings you, and do you have any upcoming acting plans that you can talk about?

I’m currently about to start filming around Europe on an exciting project, but there’s not much more I can tell you about my upcoming work for this year…

What I will say is: Watch This Space.

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