Natalie Gumede

Last updated

Natalie Gumede
Born (1984-03-20) 20 March 1984 (age 40)
Burnley, Lancashire, England
Alma mater Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
OccupationActress
Television

Natalie Gumede (born 20 March 1984) [1] [2] is an English actress. She is known for playing Kirsty Soames in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street , from 2011 to 2013. She previously played China in BBC Three comedy show Ideal . [3] She has also appeared in The Persuasionists , Emmerdale and Doctor Who among other television shows. Gumede was also runner-up in the 2013 series of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One. From 2017 to 2019, Gumede began appearing in Netflix original Free Rein as Maggie Steel Phillips. [4]

Contents

Early life

Gumede was born in Burnley, Lancashire and lived in Colne during her early life, attending first Christ Church C of E Primary School and then Park High School. [5] Her father is Zimbabwean and her mother is English. Her grandfather Josiah Gumede was the only President of the short-lived Zimbabwe Rhodesia. [6] At the age of 11 while attending Pendle Hippodrome Youth Theatre, she was picked by BBC producers to help present the north-west regional insert for Children in Need in 1995. [7] From aged 4 to eleven, Gunmede attended the Chippendale School of Dancing in Colne, [8] and later furthered her arts career at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. [8]

Career

From 2004 until 2007, Gumede played China in the dark-comedy sitcom series, Ideal , who along with her friend Asia (Rebecca Atkinson), was one of Moz's regular clients. Her character featured in the pilot episode, and was a regular in the first three series. In 2008, she featured in her first full-length film, Clubbed , a British drama about a 1980s factory worker who takes up a job as a club doorman. In 2005, Gumede made a guest appearance in the ITV soap opera, Emmerdale , portraying Tania Coles. In 2010, Gumede featured in the sitcom The Persuasionists , broadcast on BBC Two, set in the world of advertising, starring Iain Lee, Simon Farnaby, Adam Buxton, Jarred Christmas and Daisy Haggard.

In September 2011, Gumede made her first appearance in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street , portraying Kirsty Soames, who became the domestic abusive love interest to mechanic Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall). She had previously tried out for the part of Kelly Crabtree, but lost out to Tupele Dorgu. [9] For her portrayal of the character, Gumede had received the Best Newcomer accolade at the 2012 British Soap Awards. [10] She was later nominated for Best Soap Newcomer at the TV Choice Awards and voted Most Popular Newcomer during the 18th National Television Awards. [11] [12] In Digital Spy's end of year reader poll, Kirsty's domestic abuse storyline with on-screen boyfriend Tyrone won Best Storyline with 28.3% of the vote. [13] On 21 February 2013, it was announced that she would leave the soap after a year-and-a-half, and departed when her character, Kirsty, went to prison on 3 April 2013. In June 2021, her character was revealed to have died from an aneurysm.

In 2015, she played the role of Bella in the ITV series Jekyll & Hyde .

Strictly Come Dancing

In 2013, Gumede was a runner-up on the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing . Her professional partner was the eighth series champion, Artem Chigvintsev. They quickly became the early favourites for the title after a strong start. [14] In the Final, she lost out to Abbey Clancy & Aljaz Skorjanec and came joint second along with Susanna Reid & Kevin Clifton.

Week No.Dance/SongJudges' scoreResult
HorwoodBussellGoodmanTonioliTotal
1 Cha-cha-cha – "Rasputin"888731No elimination
2 Waltz – "If I Ain't Got You"898934Safe
3 Rumba – "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)"999936Safe
4 Quickstep – "Yeah!"998935Safe
5 Samba – "Bamboléo"899935Safe
6 Viennese waltz – "Devil in Me"91091038Safe
8 Charleston – "Bang Bang"910101039Safe
9 Tango – "Where Have You Been"9991037Safe
10 American Smooth – "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"9981036Safe
11 Paso doble – "El Gato Montes"998935Safe
12 Salsa – "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
Argentine tango – "Montserrat"
10
9
10
9
10
10
10
10
40
38
Bottom two
13 Cha-cha-cha – "Rasputin"
Freestyle – "Steppin' Out with My Baby"
American Smooth – "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
9
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
39
40
40
Runner-up

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004Von TrappedMadison AvenueTelevision film
2005–2007, 2010 Ideal ChinaSeries regular
2005 Emmerdale Tania Coles2 episodes
2005 Wire in the Blood Hotel Receptionist1 episode
2006 Doctors Jenny Benjamin2 episodes
2008 Clubbed JoFilm
2009DoctorsCeline King1 episode
2010 The Persuasionists Susie3 episodes
2011–2013 Coronation Street Kirsty Soames 192 episodes
2013 Moving On Jo1 episode
2013 Strictly Come Dancing HerselfContestant
2013 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two Herself
2014Sally the Life CoachSallyWeb miniseries
2014 Doctor Who Ashley CarterEpisode: "Last Christmas"
2015 Death in Paradise Lucy Thomson1 episode
2015 Jekyll and Hyde Isabella "Bella" CharmingSeries regular
2017–2019 Free Rein Maggie Steel-PhillipsMain role
2019 Vera Megan Sibisi1 episode
2019 Titans Mercy Graves 6 episodes
2019 Midsomer Murders Rachel Stevenson1 episode
2020 Strike Lorelei3 episodes
2021 McDonald & Dodds Deborah Winwick1 episode
2022 Your Christmas or Mine? Kaye TaylorFilm
2023 Your Christmas or Mine 2 Kaye TaylorFilm

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YearTitleRole
2005 National Lottery Euromillions Rollover Woman
2006 Coke Zero Girlfriend
2006 Admiral Car Insurance Jane

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryResultRef.
2012 The British Soap Awards Villain of the Year Nominated [15]
2012The British Soap Awards Best Newcomer Won [10]
2012 TV Choice Awards Best Soap NewcomerShortlisted [11]
2012 Inside Soap Awards Best NewcomerShortlisted [16]
2013 18th National Television Awards NewcomerNominated [12]
2013 All About Soap Awards Best Wedding (shared with Alan Halsall)Won [17]
2013The British Soap AwardsVillain of the YearWon [18]
2013The British Soap AwardsBest Dramatic PerformanceWon [18]
2013Inside Soap AwardsBest BitchWon [19]

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References

  1. Gumede, Natalie (20 March 2017). "I never knew I shared a birthday with Dame Vera Lynn! 💯 today! I have two more lifetimes to live to reach her grand age and her legendary status - cheers to us Vera! #birthdaygirl #pisces #birthday #dameveralynn #cheers". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  2. "BBC Strictly - Natalie Gumede". BBC . 8 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  3. "Press Office – Ideal supporting female cast". BBC. 13 December 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  4. Whelan, Zara (27 September 2018). "Everything you need to know about Free Rein - the Netflix show filmed in N Wales". northwales. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  5. Cree, Jessica (20 May 2013). "Glory night for East Lancashire Corrie star Natalie Gumede at British Soap Awards". This is Lancashire (News Archive).
  6. "Strictly Come Dancing 2013: Natalie Gumede reveals "My grandfather Josiah was a President!"". Unrealitytv.co.uk. 15 October 2013. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  7. "TV debut as Natalie helps kids". This is Lancashire. 10 November 1995. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014.
  8. 1 2 "'Strictly fair and square' says Natalie Gumede's dance teacher". Lancashire Telegraph. 10 September 2013.
  9. People, Sunday (1 January 2012). "Corrie babe Natalie Gumede: I was an estate agent three days before joining the cobbles". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  10. 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (29 April 2012). "British Soap Awards 2012 – the winners". Digital Spy . Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  11. 1 2 Daniels, Colin (10 September 2012). "TVChoice Awards 2012: The winners – In full". Digital Spy . Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  12. 1 2 "National TV Awards 2013: The nominees". BBC News. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  13. Kilkelly, Daniel (22 December 2012). "'EastEnders', Corrie, 'Hollyoaks' all win in Digital Spy's 2012 poll". Digital Spy . Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  14. Buchanan, Daisy (3 September 2013). "Strictly Come Dancing: Natalie Gumede already favourite to win". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  15. Kilkelly, Daniel (27 February 2012). "British Soap Awards 2012 voting opens, nominations revealed". Digital Spy . Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  16. Kilkelly, Daniel (17 September 2012). "'Coronation Street' leads Inside Soap Awards 2012 shortlist". Digital Spy . Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  17. "'Hollyoaks' leads 2013 All About Soap Award winners". Digital Spy. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  18. 1 2 Kilkelly, Daniel (18 May 2013). "British Soap Awards 2013 – winners in full". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  19. Kilkelly, Daniel (21 October 2013). "Inside Soap Awards 2013 - winners list in full". Digital Spy . Retrieved 22 October 2013.