Kara Tointon | |
|---|---|
 Tointon filming on the set of EastEnders in 2008 | |
| Born | 5 August 1983 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Television | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Hannah Tointon (sister) |
Kara Louise Tointon (born 5 August 1983) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Dawn Swann in the BBC soap opera EastEnders . In 2010, she won the BBC competition series Strictly Come Dancing , and in 2015, she appeared as Maria in the ITV live production of The Sound of Music Live .
Tointon was born to parents Ken (b. 1948) and Carol Tointon (1957–2019). [1] Together with her actress sister, Hannah (born 1987), Tointon was brought up in Leigh-on-Sea. Both sisters attended St Michael's School, Leigh, and St Hilda's School, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. [1] Tointon was diagnosed with dyslexia at age seven. She had speech and drama lessons. [1] Tointon's debut in acting was when she played Brigitta in the local amateur dramatic society's version of The Sound of Music at the Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff-on-Sea. [1]
Tointon was a paid professional child dancer at age 11 for Snow White pantomime at the Cliffs Pavilion. [1] Her first appearance on television was as a school friend of Sonia Fowler in EastEnders in 1994. [1] She played the part of student Pauline Young in 2001's first series of Teachers on Channel 4. [1] She also starred in BBC's Curriculum Bites as a presenter in 2002. [2]
In 2005, Tointon joined the cast of the BBC soap EastEnders as Dawn Swann, [2] a role she played for 4 years until being written out, along with co-star Ricky Groves, in August 2009. [3]
In January 2010, she made a guest appearance in the 26th and final series of ITV's long-running police drama The Bill in "Duty Calls" as Ami Ryan.
In July 2010, she recorded a documentary for BBC Three called Kara Tointon: Don't Call Me Stupid. [4] The programme examined the impact dyslexia can have on people's lives and the difference different learning styles can have on dyslexic people. [4] Tointon revealed that she struggles as a dyslexic person, and had a reading age of 12. [4] During the programme, Tointon visited Shapwick School in Somerset, which specialises in the education of dyslexic pupils, and talked with the pupils about their experiences. [5]
In 2008, Tointon won the Sport Relief special edition of Strictly Come Dancing with Mark Ramprakash. Her samba was enough to get her the Glitterball Trophy. [6]
In September 2010, Tointon was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing Series 8, partnered with Artem Chigvintsev. [7] The pair achieved good scores in the first five weeks of 30, 31, 31, 32 and 37. In week 5, Tointon was awarded the first 10 of the series by Alesha Dixon for her Paso doble. [6] In week 6 she was top of the leaderboard with her Salsa. She also had good scores for the next five weeks of 37, 38, 36, 33 and 38. In week 11, she got her highest score of 39 for the Viennese waltz and Rumba and got the maximum 5/5 for the swing-a-thon. [6] Tointon made it to the final along with Matt Baker and Pamela Stephenson. In her final dance, her week 8 Blackpool American Smooth, she got her 1st 10 from Craig Revel Horwood, but got a 7 from Len Goodman, the lowest score he has given out in the final. She then went on to win and be crowned champion. [6]
| Week # | Dance / Song | Judges' scores | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Goodman | Dixon | Tonioli | Total | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "I Like It" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 30 | No elimination |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "From Russia with Love" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 31 | Safe |
| 4 | Charleston / "Put a Lid on It" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 5 | Paso doble / "The Phantom of the Opera" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 37 | Safe |
| 6 | Salsa / "Conga" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 37 | Safe |
| 7 | Argentine tango / "Los Vino" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 38 | Safe |
| 8 | American Smooth / "Cry Me a River" | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 36 | Safe |
| 9 | Jive / "Runaround Sue" | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 33 | Safe |
| 10 | Tango / "El Tango de Roxanne" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 38 | Safe |
| 11 | Viennese waltz / "Stop!" Rumba / "Samba Pa Ti" | 9 9 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 10 10 | 39 39 | Safe |
| 12 | Rumba / "Samba Pa Ti" Freestyle / "Don't Stop Me Now" Waltz / "If You Don't Know Me by Now" American Smooth / "Cry Me a River" | 9 9 9 10 | 10 9 9 7 | 10 9 10 10 | 10 9 10 10 | 39 36 38 37 | WINNER |
From May to September 2011, Tointon played Eliza Doolittle in the West End production of Pygmalion at the Garrick Theatre, opposite Rupert Everett as Professor Higgins. [8] In spring 2012, Tointon played the role of Evelyn in Alan Ayckbourn's revival of the 1974 play Absent Friends , alongside Reece Shearsmith at the Harold Pinter Theatre, directed by Jeremy Herrin, which received critical acclaim. [9] [10] Following this she played Giny in Ayckbourn's Relatively Speaking , with Felicity Kendal, Jonathan Coy, and Max Bennett at the Wyndham's Theatre in 2013. [11]
In August 2009, she was unveiled as the new face of Michelle for George underwear at Asda. [12]
In February 2011, Tointon took part in the BT Red Nose Desert Trek for Comic Relief 2011. [13] Tointon also guest starred in an episode of Sky's “Bedlam” playing Leah (Kerry) Cole. In September, it was announced that Kara would play a lead role in the new film Last Passenger , opposite Dougray Scott and directed by Omid Nooshin. [14]
In 2015 and 2016, Tointon played Rosalie Selfridge in the television drama series Mr Selfridge , the semi-fictional story based on the life of Harry Selfridge. Tointon played the part of Maria in The Sound of Music Live in the UK, broadcast on 20 December. [15]
In January 2017, Tointon appeared in the ITV period drama The Halcyon , which was set in 1940 at a five-star hotel "at the centre of London Society and a world at war". [16] From November, Tointon played the role of Olivia in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Twelfth Night . [17]
In 2018, Tointon joined 26 other celebrities at Metropolis Studios, to perform an original Christmas song called Rock With Rudolph, written and produced by Grahame and Jack Corbyn. The song was released in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital and was released digitally on independent record label Saga Entertainment on 30 November 2018 under the artist name The Celebs. The music video debuted exclusively with The Sun on 29 November 2018 and had its first TV showing on Good Morning Britain on 30 November 2018. The song peaked at number two on the iTunes pop chart. [18] [19] [20]
In 2004, Tointon dated Busted band member James Bourne. Their relationship was depicted in the TV series America or Busted but ended in January 2005, shortly after the band split up. [21]
In September 2014, Tointon took part in the Great North Run to raise money for Share A Star, a charity set up to help severely unwell children and teenagers. [22]
In November 2018, Tointon gave birth to her first child, a boy, with her then fiancé Marius Jensen. [23] In January 2021, their second son was born. [24]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999, 2004–2005 | Dream Team | Gina Moliano | |
| 2001 | Teachers | Pauline Young | 8 episodes |
| Never Play with the Dead | Victoria | ||
| 2002 | Harry and Cosh | Gabby | 14 episodes |
| Dinotopia | 18-year-old Le Sage | ||
| 2003 | Boudica | Poppaea | |
| 2004 | Keen Eddie | Sarah Friedman | |
| Mile High | Geneveve | ||
| The Football Factory | Tameka | ||
| The Fete | Lizzie | ||
| America Or Busted | Herself | ||
| 2005–2009 | EastEnders | Dawn Swann | 337 Episodes |
| 2010 | The Bill | Ami Ryan | 1 episode, "Duty Calls" |
| Strictly Come Dancing | Herself | Winner | |
| Kara Tointon: Don't Call Me Stupid | Herself | Main role; reality series | |
| 2011 | Bedlam | Leah Cole | 1 episode, "Driven" |
| Ideal | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2012 | The Sweeney | Megan Barret | Main role |
| 2013 | Last Passenger | Sarah Barwell | Main role |
| 2014 | Lewis | Erica Stoke | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | The Sound of Music Live | Maria | UK version of The Sound of Music Live! broadcast 20 December 2015 |
| 2015–2016 | Mr Selfridge | Rosalie | Series 3 & 4 |
| 2016 | Let's Be Evil | Tiggs | Main role |
| 2017 | The Halcyon | Betsey Day | |
| Henry IX | Serena | ||
| 2018 | RSC Live: Twelfth Night | Olivia | Special |
| Great Performances | Maria | 1 episode | |
| The Keith & Paddy Picture Show | Kate Beringer | 1 episode | |
| Rock With Rudolph [20] | Herself | Music Video | |
| 2019 | The Crystal Maze | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2023 | Father Brown | Elizabeth Barnes | 1 episode, "The Royal Visit" |
| Archie | Young Elsie | ||
| 2024 | Too Good to Be True | Rachel | Lead role |
| The Teacher | Dani Oxley | Lead role |
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The British Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Nominated | [25] |
| Inside Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Won | [25] | |
| 2007 | The British Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Nominated | [26] |
| Inside Soap Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [27] | |
| Inside Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Nominated | [27] | |
| Inside Soap Awards | Best Dressed Soap Star | Won | [28] | |
| 13th National Television Awards | Most Popular Actress | Nominated | [29] | |
| 2008 | Digital Spy Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Nominated | [30] |
| Inside Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Won | [31] | |
| 2009 | The British Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Nominated | [32] |
| Inside Soap Awards | Sexiest Female | Nominated | [33] | |
| Inside Soap Awards | Best Dressed Soap Star | Won | [34] |
Tina Michelle O'Brien is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Sarah Platt in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She also appeared in the BBC One drama series Waterloo Road (2010–2011).
Tanya Christine Franks is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Rainie Cross in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.
Tiana Opium Benjamin is an English actress, known for originally playing Chelsea Fox in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
Rosie Swann is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gerry Cowper. Her first appearance was 6 September 2004 and she was axed in 2006, with her final scenes airing July 2006.
Dawn Swann is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kara Tointon, who first appeared on 26 September 2005. It was reported on 26 March 2009 that Tointon and co-star Ricky Groves, who plays Garry Hobbs, would be written out of the soap and the character made her final appearance on 27 August 2009. Dawn has been described as a "tart with a heart" character. In 2007, the character was involved in a storyline where Dawn was kidnapped and held hostage by Dr. May Wright and Rob Minter ; their intention being to give her a forced caesarean section and take the baby. Originally, the storyline would have included a child abduction; however, due to the real-life suspected kidnapping of a 3-year-old girl, Madeleine McCann, who went missing in the Algarve in May 2007, the BBC removed the child abduction from the scripts.
Zöe Elizabeth Lucker is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Turner in the ITV drama series, Footballers' Wives; Vanessa Gold in the long-running BBC One soap opera, EastEnders; Carol Barry in the BBC One school-based drama series, Waterloo Road; and Reenie McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks.
Roxanne McKee is a Canadian-born British actress. She is best known for playing Louise Summers in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks (2005–2008), Lou Foster in the BBC Three drama series Lip Service (2010), Doreah in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011–2012) and Lady Claire Riesen in the Syfy apocalyptic supernatural series Dominion (2014–2015). She has also starred in films including Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines (2012), Vendetta (2013) and The Legend of Hercules (2014).
Charlene Joanne Webb, commonly known as Charley Webb, is an English actress. From 2002 to 2021, she portrayed the role of Debbie Dingle in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. In 2014, she was nominated for Best Female Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards.
Hannah Tointon is an English actress. She is best known for playing Katy Fox in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks and Tara Brown in sitcom The Inbetweeners.
Nick Pickard is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member and, in 2017, won the British Soap Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Jennifer Joanne Metcalfe is an English actress. She is known for her role as Mercedes McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, which she has appeared in since 2006. Her portrayal of the character has led to her reprising the role in the programme's spin-off series Hollyoaks Later between 2008 and 2020. She appeared as a contestant in the sixth series of Dancing on Ice in 2011, where she finished in tenth place.
Stephanie Louise Waring is an English actress, known for her roles in the Australian soap opera Crash Palace (2001–2002), the BBC1 drama series Nice Guy Eddie (2001–2002), and Channel 4's Hollyoaks (1996–2024), where she appeared for almost three decades as Cindy Cunningham. Her other television work includes guest appearances on Merseybeat, Holby City, Doctors, and Coronation Street, as well as competing in the tenth series of Dancing on Ice in 2018.
Zoe Carpenter is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Zoë Lister. The character first appeared on-screen on 1 September 2006, as one of three new students at Hollyoaks Community College. It was announced in 2009 that Lister had quit her role in order to pursue other projects; she subsequently left the series in January 2010. During Zoe's time in Hollyoaks she has been portrayed as a bubbly tomboy who often makes the wrong choices in life and has had a number of failed relationships. In March 2017, it was reported that Lister would be reprising the role and it was later confirmed that she would return for Amy Barnes' funeral. Her return aired on 24 April 2017.
Jamie Simon Borthwick is an English actor. He rose to prominence for his portrayal as Jay Brown in the BBC soap opera EastEnders which he has starred in since 2006. His role on EastEnders earned him a British Soap Award for "Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress" in 2008.
Jase Dyer is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Stephen Lord between 19 July 2007 to 29 August 2008. The character and his casting was announced mid 2007. Lord, in his first role, began filming for EastEnders in June 2007 one month before his casting announcement, and made his first episode broadcast on 19 July 2007. The character was introduced and created by Diederick Santer the executive producer of EastEnders. Beginning in the serial on July as a man in his mid-thirties, Jase arrives as the father of Jay Brown. Jase is also described a love interest for Roxy Mitchell and Dawn Swann.
Cheryl Fergison is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Heather Trott in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role in which she starred in from 2007 until 2012.
Maisie Louise Collender Smith is an English actress and singer. She appeared in the feature film The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2008 to 2014. In November 2016, Smith temporarily returned to EastEnders for a guest stint, before making a full-time return in January 2018. In October 2021 it was announced that she would once again be leaving EastEnders and her final scenes aired in December of that year; she made a one-off appearance in March 2022 to aid the departure of Keegan Baker. In 2020, she competed in the eighteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing alongside partner Gorka Marquez, reaching the final but losing out to Bill Bailey.
Manda Best is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Josie Lawrence. Manda was introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer, and made her first appearance on 6 March 2009 and her last on 12 February 2010.
Alexander Anthony Keith Bain is an English actor. He plays Simon Barlow in Coronation Street, a role he has portrayed from 2008 to 2024.
Natalie Ann Cassidy is an English actress. She has played Sonia Fowler in EastEnders since 1993, appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror Psychoville and was a contestant on the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing and the ninth series of Celebrity Big Brother.
