From South London, Purvis was born on 2 June 2003 to an urban planner mother and a business coach father.
[3] She was diagnosed with autism at the age of 17 and has said the diagnosis helped her, because she realised "that's why I need to do this or that” and that with it, life became "a lot easier to navigate because you don’t blame yourself".
[7] Carol Midgely in The Times said that Purvis does not "overact" the character's condition, "showing it in overt and subtle ways".
[8] Purvis herself is autistic and has ADHD, which she was quoted as saying could "bring a level of authenticity to the narrative that would otherwise be lacking, which just makes for a more engaging and meaningful story".
[9] She had upcoming roles in romantic comedy film CC: Emily and the 2025 reboot of crime drama Bergerac.