Sunetra Sarker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 June 1973 Liverpool, England |
| Alma mater | Brunel University London |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouses | Nick Corfield (m. 2003;div. 2012)Scott Carey (m. 2018) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Nares Chandra Sen-Gupta (great-grandfather) |
Sunetra Sarker (born 25 June 1973) [1] is an English actress and presenter, known for her roles as Nisha Batra in Brookside , Anji Mittel in No Angels , Zoe Hanna in Casualty , and Kaneez Paracha in Ackley Bridge . In 2014, she took part in the twelfth series of Strictly Come Dancing , partnered with Brendan Cole. Since 2019, she has been a regular participant on Celebrity Gogglebox , partnering with Georgia Taylor, and became a panellist on the lunch time chat show Loose Women in 2021.
Sarker was born in Liverpool into an Indian family. [2] Her father is a retired doctor, [3] and her mother Bisakha taught Indian classical dance, [4] for which she was awarded an MBE in December 2013. [5] Sarker has a degree in Information Systems for Business in Europe from Brunel University London. [6] Her great-grandfather was the lawyer, novelist and political activist Nares Chandra Sen-Gupta. [7] [8] She is of Bengali origin. [9]
Sarker has played a wide variety of roles in her career. Her initial success came when she was cast as recurring character Nisha Batra in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside from 1988 to 1991, before returning as a regular from 2000 until 2003. [10] Sarker also starred in the regional soap opera London Bridge . [11] This was followed by her portrayal of Anji Mittel in No Angels from 2004 to 2006. [12]
Sarker's next notable role was portraying the part of Clare Burns in the BBC drama The Chase , [13] until the show was pulled after its second series. In 2007, Sarker was a contestant on the celebrity cooking series Celebrity MasterChef . [14] Subsequently, Sarker played the role of Dr Zoe Hanna in the BBC medical drama Casualty from December 2007 until May 2016. [15] After her departure was announced, Sarker made a promise to co-star Jamie Davis that she would return for one episode when he decided to leave the programme, a promise she honoured in 2018, appearing in an episode broadcast on 13 January. [16] She later reprised the role for another guest stint, with her return set to air in 2024. [17]
In 2017, she played DCI Jane Burr in the second series of ITV's Safe House . [18] From 2017 to 2022, Sarker starred in the Channel 4 drama series Ackley Bridge as Kaneez Paracha, for which she received the award for Best TV Character at the Asian Media Awards. [19] On 23 July 2021, it was confirmed that Sarker would become a panellist on Loose Women . [20]
In autumn 2014, Sarker competed in the twelfth series of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing , partnered with New Zealand professional dancer Brendan Cole. [21] In the first week, the couple danced a Tango to "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)" by Robert Palmer and scored 24. [22] In the second week, they danced a Cha-cha-cha to "Million Dollar Bill" by Whitney Houston and scored 26. [23] In the third week, the couple danced the American Smooth to "The Way You Look Tonight" from the film Swing Time and scored 40, including a 9 from head judge Len Goodman. [24] Because of Sunetra's filming schedule, the routine had to be learned in a single day. [25]
In the fourth week, the couple danced the Salsa to "Turn the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson and scored 27. [26] In the fifth week, the couple danced the Viennese Waltz to "Anyone Who Had a Heart" by Cilla Black and scored 30. [27] In week six, opening the show, they danced a Jive to "Tainted Love" by Gloria Jones and scored 27. [28] In week seven, they danced a Foxtrot to "All of Me" by John Legend and scored 31. [29] In week eight, at Blackpool, they danced a Samba to "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" by the Scissor Sisters and scored 30. [30] The couple were voted into the dance-off against Judy Murray and Anton du Beke, but were unanimously saved by the judges. In week nine, they danced a Waltz, to "Last Request" by Paolo Nutini, and again scored 30, placing them in one from last place. The couple was voted into the dance-off with Steve Backshall and Ola Jordan, but were saved by three votes to one from the judges. In week ten, they danced a Rhumba to "The Girl from Ipanema" by Michael Bolton. They were again voted into the dance-off, against Mark Wright and Karen Hauer, but were unanimously voted out by the judges. [31]
On 23 February 2017, Sarker and her ancestors were the subject of an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? shown on BBC One in which she traced them to Bengal. [9] She learned about her family's involvement in the struggle for independence in India and one of her ancestors' connection to Gandhi. [9] Travelling next to Bangladesh, she visited her great-grandmother's ancestral village where she discovered the story of how her family were caught up in the Bangladeshi war of independence from Pakistan in 1971. [32]
Sarker married Nick Corfield in 2003 and they have a son, Noah, born in 2001. [33] Sarker and Corfield divorced in 2012. [33] In November 2018, Sarker married Scott Carey, whom she has known since 1991. [33]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Old Man and the Silence | (unknown) | Short film |
| 2016 | Penny from Heaven | Jane | Short film. Also executive producer |
| 2017 | Kin | Becky | Short film |
| You, Me and Him | Carol | ||
| 2023 | Grey Matter | Psychiatrist |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988–1991, 2000–2003 | Brookside | Nisha Batra | Regular role. 155 episodes |
| 1991 | Bread | Nurse | Series 7; episode 5 |
| 1993 | Cracker | Receptionist | Series 1; episode 1: "The Mad Woman in the Attic: Part 1" |
| 1997 | Flight | Virinder | Television film |
| 1999 | Wing and a Prayer | Sameena Kamal | Series 2; episode 3 |
| London Bridge | Jyoti Solanki | Series 4; episode 23 | |
| Cold Feet | Clare | Series 2; episode 5 | |
| Starting Out | Karen | Episodes 2, 4 & 5 | |
| 2000 | Playing the Field | Dr. Meera | Series 3; episode 5, & series 4; episode 7 |
| 2003 | Doctors | Donna Sykes | Series 5; episode 38: "All the Lonely People" |
| Emmerdale | Priti Chowdry | 4 episodes | |
| Eyes Down | Karen | Series 1; episodes 1 & 6: "Holiday Rota" & "The Clairvoyant" | |
| 2004 | If... | (unknown) | Series 1; episode 2: "If... Things Don't Get Better" |
| Holby City | Nanda Veer | Series 6; episode 36: "Well Meet Again" | |
| The Smoking Room | Monique | Series 1: episodes 1 & 8; "Doo Di Dum Di Da" & "Happy Birthday" | |
| 2004–2006 | No Angels | Anji Mittel | Main role. Series 1–3; 26 episodes |
| 2005–2008 | Ideal | Sangita | Main role. Series 1, 2 & 4; 9 episodes |
| 2006 | New Street Law | Nita Shibani | Series 1; episode 1 |
| 2006–2007 | The Chase | Clare Burnes | Main role. Series 1 & 2; 20 episodes |
| 2007 | Mobile | DI Lorraine Conil | Mini-series; episodes 1–3 |
| Celebrity MasterChef | Herself - Contestant | Series 2; episode 9 | |
| 2007–2016, 2018, 2024 | Casualty | Dr. Zoe Hanna | Main role. 11 series; 339 episodes. Also director on 2 episodes & producer on 2 more |
| 2012 | Doctor Who | Indira | Series 7; episode 2: "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" |
| 2014 | Puppy Love | Lilli Kusiak | Episodes 4 & 6 |
| Strictly Come Dancing | Herself - Contestant | Series 12; episodes 1–21 | |
| 2017 | Death in Paradise | Hema Patel | Series 6; episodes 5 & 6: "A Man Overboard: Parts 1 & 2" |
| Broadchurch | Sahana Harrison | Series 3; episodes 1, 5 & 6 | |
| Safe House | DCI Jane Burr | Series 2; episodes 1–4 | |
| Who Do You Think You Are? | Herself | Series 13; episode 9 | |
| 2017–2022 | Ackley Bridge | Kaneez Paracha | Main role. Series 1–5; 45 episodes. Also associate producer on 20 episodes |
| 2018 | Informer | Sadia Shar | Main role. Episodes 1–6 |
| 2019 | Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star | Herself - Brandon's Model | Series 1; episode 4: "Red Carpet" |
| Celebrity Gogglebox | Herself | Main cast; with Georgia Taylor. Series 1; episodes 2, 4 & 6 | |
| 2020 | Cold Feet | Deborah | Series 9; episodes 2–5 [11] |
| 2021 | The Bay | Stella Bradwell | Series 2; episodes 1–6 |
| 2021–present | Loose Women | Herself | Regular panellist |
| 2022 | Cockney and Scouse | Ella Walker | Episodes 6–10 |
| Desperate Measures | Varisha | Episodes 1–4 | |
| Sherwood | Sheriff of Nottingham | Series 1; episode 1 | |
| 2023 | Eurovision Welcomes the World | Herself - Co-presenter | Television Special; with Rylan [34] |
| The Lovers | Nisha Anand | Episode 2 | |
| Breeders | Meena | Series 4; episodes 2, 8 & 10 | |
| 2024 | G'wed | Amal | Series 1; episode 2: "Cutthroat Mo" |
| The Responder | Gail | Series 2; episode 4 | |
| 2024–present | Professor T. | DCI Maiya Goswami | Series 3; episodes 4–6, & series 4; episodes 1–6 [35] |
| 2025 | Playing Nice | Anika Chowdhury | Mini-series; episodes 2–4 |
| Countdown | Herself - Dictionary Corner | Series 89 & 91; 10 episodes | |
| Silent Witness | Fiona Mason | Series 28; episode 8: "Vanishing Point: Part 2" | |
| The Game | Alice Miller | Mini-series; episodes 1–4 |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | TV Quick Awards | Best New Actor/Actress | Brookside | Nominated | [36] |
| 2013 | 18th National Television Awards | Drama Performance: Female | Casualty | Nominated | [37] |
| 2014 | 19th National Television Awards | Drama Performance | Casualty | Nominated | [38] |
| 2016 | Inside Soap Awards | Best Drama Star | Casualty | Nominated | [39] |
| 2019 | Asian Media Awards | Best TV Character | Ackley Bridge | Won | [40] |
