School Days: 1997-1999 Bright, sparky, precocious and with a wicked sense of adventure - that's Gemma Lyons. From a middle-class background Gemma was academically brilliant and always at the top of her class. Her dad thought Gemma was too good for Grange Hill and was always looking for the perfect excuse to withdraw her from the school. The Double Dare gang was a perfect outlet for Gemma's frustration at not being challenged academically. Fun-loving, extrovert and with a nose for mischief, she was a brilliant schemer but often found herself hauled up before Mr Robson, along with her friends.

Gemma knew how to get what she wanted and relished the challenge of pulling the reluctant Matt Singleton. By the time of her departure the pair had grown close. However, their friendship was not enough to stop Gemma leaving Grange Hill amid her parents' break-up in Year 9.

	GEMMA'S SCHOOL REPORT
	Year 7: Gemma is involved with the school magazine and helps Jessica take the centrefold pics of Jamie. Her dad is furious when he sees the magazine and makes a formal complaint, almost costing Mr Robson his job. Gemma is furious with her dad's reaction. Gemma joins Tracy and Janet in looking for evidence that Miss Carver is pregnant. Year 8: Matt tries unsuccessfully to spurn Gemma's advances but eventually they become an item. She persuades Matt to speak up when she uncovers his involvement in Sean's web of deceit. Gemma is involved in numerous Double Dare scams including the snakeboard race and mouse-racing. Year 9: Gemma's world falls apart when her parents announce their divorce. Dad wants to send her to boarding school, prompting her friends to stage a demo which gains the support of Mrs Holmes. However, Gemma is sent away and when the Double Dare Gang attempt to "rescue" her, she surprises them by adapting to her new school.

FAMILY: Mum and Dad were seperated; Gemma lived with her strait-laced father. Gemma hated her mum's new family.

ASSOCIATES: Matt Singleton, Lisa West, Tom Smith, Cracker Bacon, Tracy Long, Janet Hunt, Jessica Arnold.

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