Inside the Private World of This City Is Ours Star James Nelson-Joyce and His Singer Girlfriend

Aurora Skye9 April 2025Last Updated: 15 May 2025

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This City Is Ours star James Nelson-Joyce's private life with singer girlfriend

Actor James Nelson-Joyce gained a significant following last month with the debut of BBC One’s crime drama series, *This City Is Ours*. In the show, the Liverpudlian rising star takes on the role of Michael Kavanagh, a gang leader trying to balance his criminal activities with family responsibilities.

The series, directed by Saul Dibb, is set in Liverpool and features a talented cast including Sean Bean as Ronnie Phelan, Hannah Onslow as Diana Williams, and Jack McMullen as Jamie Phelan. As the show continues to attract attention, we delve into James Nelson-Joyce’s personal life, particularly his relationship with singer-actress Olivia Frances Brown.

James, 36, is currently in a relationship with jazz singer Olivia Frances Brown. The couple has been spotted at various events together in recent months, with James making appearances on Olivia’s Instagram. Their recent outings include high-profile events such as the BFI London Film Festival, multiple premieres, a BRITs after-party, and the gala screening of *A Thousand Blows*.

Olivia, who is also from Liverpool, is both an actress and singer-songwriter based in Manchester. She has appeared in the Channel 4 drama series *The Gathering*, as well as in *Archie* and BBC’s *Boiling Point*. She received her training at LIPA and the Institute of the Arts Barcelona. Musically, Olivia is a jazz singer who debuted her single “Shade of Red” earlier this year. Her style has been described as a blend of classic Motown influences with modern sensibilities.

In discussing her latest release, Olivia expressed, “I wanted to capture that feeling of being utterly consumed by something you know you shouldn’t want, yet can’t escape… There’s a raw, almost frantic energy in it—the way desire twists into something darker, something that haunts you.” Her track “You’ll Just Have To Do” was featured on Radio 1’s BBC Introducing, while her song “She Knows” received airplay on BBC Radio Merseyside.

James has built an impressive career, appearing in several notable productions such as ITV’s *Little Boy Blue*, Stephen Merchant’s *The Outlaws*, and Martin Freeman’s *The Responder*. He has also been part of *Industry* and *The Gold*.

In a previous interview, James credited fellow actor Stephen Graham for inspiring his acting journey. He shared, “Growing up, I didn’t know a single actor. The people in my life were brickies, builders, people who wanted to be footballers and boxers. It wasn’t until I saw Stephen on telly and he had an accent like mine that I realised it was achievable. It was that thing of, if you see it, then you can believe it.”

He added, “I know how lucky I am. I’ve got parents who’ve worked all their lives, slogged and slogged, and their son says, ‘I think I want to have a go with this acting.’ And their response was, ‘OK, son, go do it.'”