Sarah Manners

Last updated

Sarah Manners
Sarah Manners.png
Manners in 2011
Born (1975-08-25) 25 August 1975 (age 49)
Harborne, Birmingham, England
Education
Occupations
  • Actress
  • businessowner
Years active1997–present
Television
Spouse
Ben O'Sullivan
​
(m. 2003⁠–⁠2009)​

Sarah Manners (born 25 August 1975) is a British actress and businessowner, known for her roles as Joanna Helm in the BBC soap opera Doctors , Bex Reynolds in the BBC medical drama Casualty and Kirsty Knight in the ITV procedural drama The Bill . Manners competed in the second series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, where she finished in sixth place, and has gone on to develop a Pilates app, Pilates On Tap.

Contents

Early and personal life

Manners was born on 25 August 1975 and grew up in Harborne, Birmingham. [1] Her father was a classic car dealer, whilst her mother was a headmistress of a school in Handsworth. She was educated at King Edward VI Handsworth, where she obtained 10 GCSEs and four A-levels. She later studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. [1] She married computer salesman Ben O'Sullivan in 2003 in Lickey, Worcestershire. Manners revealed in an interview that the two had divorced in 2009. She said: "we spent 10 years together and are still close. He's a lovely man". [2]

Career

Manners began her career in 1997, appearing in an episode of the BBC soap opera EastEnders . In 2000, Manners was cast in the role of Joanna Helm in the BBC medical soap opera Doctors . She was one of the original nine regulars cast for the soap. [3] Of her role, she said: "I got the best storylines in the world in Doctors, my nan died of a brain tumour then it came out I killed her. I went mad and was addicted to anti-depressants, forged signatures and tried to kill myself". [4] She later went on to appear as K.C. Gregory in Sky One's Mile High and Bex Reynolds in the BBC medical drama Casualty . In 2004, it was announced that Manners was to participate in the second series of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing . She was paired with dancer Brendan Cole and the pair finished in sixth place. [5]

Manners appeared in ITV's The Bill as Kirsty Knight. [6] After six months on-screen, it was announced that the show was to be cancelled. [2] Of this, she said: "I’m heartbroken. Not just for myself, but for everyone on the show. It’s a real loss for the industry. Everyone is really upset about it. All the big wigs came down to break the news to us at a meeting. We knew straight away when we saw the look on their faces. But what can you do? C’est la vie! I’ve had a fabulous time and we’re trying to remain positive. We’ve enjoyed every last minute of filming and had a laugh. I'm proud to be part of the last cast of The Bill". [2] Of her time on the show, she said, "I loved all the action and the stunts on The Bill, and the subject matter – it’s a lot more serious than some of the TV I’ve done. In Casualty I had a rape storyline, but mainly I’ve been the light relief, so this has been a nice change". [2] Manners qualified as a Pilates instructor in 2014, and in 2022, she designed and launched a Pilates app, Pilates On Tap. She was named an "Inspirational Woman In Tech" by We Are Tech Women in December 2022. [7]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997 EastEnders Airport Attendant1 episode
1998 Sugar, Sugar Sugar Sugar1 episode
1998Touch and GoSue1 episode
2000–2001 Doctors Joanna Helm Regular role
2002 Real Crime Tracie Andrews 1 episode
2001Combat Sheep1 episode
2001 Hollyoaks: Movin' On Sam MarsdenMain role
2003 Mile High K.C. GregoryMain role
2003 The Afternoon Play Dawn1 episode
2003–2005 Casualty Bex ReynoldsMain role
2004 Holby City Bex Reynolds 1 episode
2006 Mayo Laurie Voss1 episode
2009To Cancer and BeyondAlexandra1 episode
2010 The Bill Kirsty Knight Main role
2013 The Job Lot Jane1 episode
2015IdenticalsJanet Phone VoiceFilm; voice role
2016SistersDarylShort film
20197 Days: The Story of Blind Dave HeeleyDebbie HeeleyFilm

References

  1. 1 2 Laws, Roz. "7 things you never knew about Sarah Manners". Birmingham Mail . Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Laws, Roz (20 June 2010). "Sarah Manners on her heartbreak at the end of The Bill and her marriage". Sunday Mercury . Trinity Mirror . Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  3. ↑ Doctors [@BBCDoctors] (23 March 2020). "How many of our original cast did you remember? Don't forget - Doctors is 20 on Thursday, and we're celebrating with an explosive hour long episode..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ Hendry, Steve (2 February 2003). "Television bad bedside manners; Doctors star Sarah joins Casualty as trouble-making receptionist". Sunday Mail . Trinity Mirror . Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  5. ↑ Laws, Roz (13 September 2009). "Casualty, Strictly Come Dancing star Sarah Manners hits tough times". Birmingham Mail . Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Fletcher, Alex (23 October 2009). "Sarah Manners joins 'The Bill'". Digital Spy . Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "Inspirational Woman: Sarah Manners". We Are Tech Women. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
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