,

Gemma Merna is an English actress and model born 6 February 1984. She is best known for portraying Carmel McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks ( 2006 - 2014 ).

Merna joined the cast of Hollyoaks in 2006's August, in 2007 won Best Comedy Performance at the British Soap Awards. Next year,( 2008 ) Merna appeared on the game show All Star Family Fortunes in a Hollyoaks v Emmerdale special and appeared in the spin-off show Hollyoaks Later as Carmel in 2009.

On 24th, August 2014, it was announced that Merna had decided to leave Hollyoaks and would leave in November 2014 in one of Hollyoaks' biggest stunts. Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Merna's on-screen sister Mercedes McQueen, announced her decision to leave the soap opera a few days after Merna's announcement. The character was killed off in an explosive train accident on 12 November 2014, with cast members and television critics praising Merna's performance in her final scenes.

In January 2022 Merna announced on an Instagram post that she is returning to filming ans as of April 2024, Merna has joined the cast of Coronation Street as 'Rebecca' and hopes to have an extended stay.