Elizabeth Estensen

Last updated

Elizabeth Estensen
Born (1949-08-10) 10 August 1949 (age 74)
OccupationActress
Years active1974–2022 [1]
Television The Liver Birds
T-Bag Series
Coronation Street
Emmerdale
Spouse
Philip Allen
(m. 1983)
Children1

Elizabeth Estensen (born 10 August 1949) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Diane Sugden on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 1999 to 2021, with a guest stint in 2022. She has also made appearances in various British television series, including The Liver Birds , T-Bag and Coronation Street .

Contents

Early and personal life

Estensen was born on 10 August 1949 and had a Norwegian grandfather, from whom she inherited her surname. She grew up in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. Her mother was a primary school teacher, and her father was a merchant seaman and solicitor's clerk. Estensen considered becoming a speech therapist, but signed up for a Drama and English teaching course at Manchester Polytechnic instead. [2] Estensen has been married to husband Philip Allen since May 1983, and the pair have a son together, James Otto Allen. [3]

Career

Following graduation from Manchester Polytechnic, she moved to Liverpool and joined the Everyman repertory company. While appearing in a production of John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert , she was noticed by actress Nerys Hughes, who was looking for a replacement for Polly James in her sitcom, The Liver Birds . Estensen was cast as Carol Boswell, her debut television role, in 1975. [2] After The Liver Birds concluded in 1979, Estensen made appearances in films and series including T-Bag and Far from the Madding Crowd . [2] Between 1996 and 1998, she appeared in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Pam Middleton. [4] Then in 1999, she was cast in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale as series regular Diane Sugden, a role she has portrayed since. [4] In 2007, she won a shared award at the British Soap Awards for Spectacular Scene of the Year, which saw a house collapse that her character was involved in. [3] In September 2021, Estensen confirmed that she had filmed her final scenes as Diane in Emmerdale. [5] Her final episode was broadcast on 29 October. However, Estensen agreed to return to the soap in October 2022 for a guest stint, for the show's 50th anniversary. [6]

Filmography

YearTitleRole
1975–1979 The Liver Birds Carol Boswell
1977 Our Day Out Susan
1980 The Adventure Game Herself
1984 Danger: Marmalade at Work Wendy Wooley
1985–1989 T-Bag Tallulah-Bag
1993 The Bill Mrs. Smith
1993 Casualty Madeleine Howard
1993 The Upper Hand Patsy
1995 A Touch of Frost Susan Mackintosh
1995–2000 Mike and Angelo Daphne Fawkes-Bentley
1995 Pie in the Sky Evelyn Wilkes
1995 Cracker Reenie Wise
1996–1998 Coronation Street Pam Middleton
(17 episodes)
1997 Last of the Summer Wine Educational Adviser
1999 Wing and a Prayer Mrs. Hillary Campbell
1999PolterguestsMrs. Swinton
1999–2022 Emmerdale Diane Sugden
(2,860 episodes)
2001 In a Land of Plenty Rachel

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References

  1. Alexandrou, Chloe (9 August 2022). "Elizabeth Estensen talks Emmerdale exit after 22 years: 'It's a younger person's job'". Metro. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Elizabeth Estensen". What's on TV . Time Inc. UK. Archived from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Five Fast Facts About British Soap Star Elizabeth Estensen". SoapHub. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Emmerdale favourites who appeared on other soaps - from Harriet Finch to Tracy Metcalfe". Daily Mirror . 27 September 2019.
  5. Patterson, Stephen (17 September 2021). "Diane Sugden exits Emmerdale as star Elizabeth Estensen retires". Metro . (DMG Media). Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  6. Kilkelly, Daniel (8 August 2022). "Emmerdale announces shock storm disaster for 50th anniversary". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.