Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola ( born May 1968 ) is a Welsh actress , best known for her role as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City . She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation . Ayola has worked in theatre , film and television , appearing in a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances , Hollywood films The i Inside and Sahara , and British television shows including Soldier Soldier , EastEnders , Sea of Souls and Doctor Who . She appeared in Holby City from its eighth to eleventh series , from 2006 to 2008 , and in 2009 starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family .