Bowens attended Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, graduating in 2021.
[1] Her stage work has included playing Mamie in Marys Seacole by Jackie Sibblies Drury at the Donmar Warehouse in London in 2022[2][3] Bowens made her television debut playing the lead role of singer-songwriter Vita Champion in the 2023 Candice Carty-Williams television series Champion for BBC One.
Prior to the series, Bowens had only previously publicly sang as part of her church choir.
[4] She told The Evening Standard she was not fully prepared for how much music she would have to perform on the show,[5] but Hollie Richardson in The Guardian described it as “an exciting screen debut” for Bowens,[6] and Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph notably singled out Bowens for praise from a “talented cast”.
[7] Morgan Cormack writing for The Radio Times said “You wouldn't think Champion was the TV debut for leading actress Déja J Bowens” adding “she artfully manages to capture the audience's sympathy while also pulling off the performance of someone who has had to embody years of conflicting feelings”.