Elizabeth Estensen | |
---|---|
Born | Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England | 10 August 1949
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1974–2022 [1] |
Television | The Liver Birds T-Bag Series Coronation Street Emmerdale |
Spouse | Philip Allen (m. 1983) |
Children | 1 |
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 .
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]
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]
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1975–1979 | The Liver Birds | Carol Boswell |
1976 | Within These Walls | Lorna Rogers |
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 |
1999 | Polterguests | Mrs. Swinton |
1999–2022 | Emmerdale | Diane Sugden (2,860 episodes) |
2001 | In a Land of Plenty | Rachel |
Emmerdale is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale, a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale Farm was first broadcast on 16 October 1972. Interior scenes have been filmed at the Leeds Studios since its inception. Exterior scenes were first filmed in Arncliffe in Littondale, and the series may have taken its name from Amerdale, an ancient name of Littondale. Exterior scenes were later shot at Esholt, but are now shot at a purpose-built set on the Harewood estate.
Valerie "Val" Pollard is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Charlie Hardwick. She made her first screen appearance in the episodes broadcast on 1 February 2004. Val was introduced as the sister of established character Diane Sugden. She later married Eric Pollard. Hardwick took a three-month break from Emmerdale to appear in a play and the character left on 10 February 2012. Val returned in June 2012 and was surprised to learn that Eric had begun in a relationship with Brenda Walker. She moved into Diane's pub after her marriage breakdown and helped to run it while Diane was away visiting her daughter.
Diane Sugden is a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale, played by Elizabeth Estensen. Since her first appearance in 1999, she has been involved in several high-profile storylines, including her marriage to Jack Sugden and his subsequent death, a battle with colon cancer, the revelation that her ex-husband Rodney Blackstock fathered her sister Val Lambert's son, being held hostage in a siege at the Woolpack, sleeping with Val's husband Eric Pollard, being involved in a helicopter crash which kills Val, being stabbed by Chas Dingle, and a feud with Chrissie White. In September 2021, it was announced that Estensen had made the decision to take a break from acting and her initial final appearance as Diane aired on 29 October 2021. However, the following year, Estensen returned to the role of Diane for a guest stint from 12 to 20 October 2022 to celebrate Emmerdale's 50th anniversary.
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