From the famous barmaid in Coronation Street to the star of the true crime show The Long Shadow, 44-year-old Katherine Kelly is an actress with a versatile career. Most recently, the English star featured in the January ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, where she played the part of businesswoman Angela van den Bogerd, who was a senior figure at the organisation.
Here’s everything you need to know about Katherine Kelly.
Is Katherine Kelly married?
Katherine was married for seven years to digital analyst Ryan Clark but in 2020 the couple split up. They have two daughters, Orla, who was born in 2014, and Rose, who was born in 2016. .
Is Katherine Kelly dating?
Yes, Katherine is dating Line Of Duty actor Tony Pitts, a relationship that started two years after her marriage split. Tony is 62 years old and as well as an actor is a screenwriter and playwright. The couple set up a production company together in 2021 called Make Me Films.
TV shows with Katherine Kelly
Katherine first made a name for herself on TV when she played the character of Becky McDonald in Coronation Street from 2006 to 2012. Kelly then appeared as Lady Mae in Mr Selfridge (2013–2014, 2016) and was cast as DI Jodie Shackleton in Happy Valley. After numerous other roles, she took the main part of Sally Wright in the ITV drama Innocent, and last year Katherine Kelly portrayed Peter Sutcliffe victim in the opening episode of ITV's new drama The Long Shadow. In the show, Kelly played the part of Emily Jackson, who was brutally murdered by Sutcliffe in 1976.
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At the time an article in the Evening Standard reported Katherine’s recollection of growing up in South Yorkshire during Sutcliffe’s murderous rampage, with her saying. “When you’re from that area, you grow up in foreknowledge of those five years of terror, it still lives within those people who lived through that time, it changed everything.”
More recently Katherine appeared as the character Angela van Den Bogerd in Mr Bates vs The Post Office, that was released in January of this year.
Katherine Kelly movies
In 2018, Kelly starred in the British drama film Dirty God, where she played a small part. The following year, Kelly appeared in the feature film Official Secrets, based on the real life events of intelligence whistle-blower Katharine Gun (portrayed by Keira Knightley). In the film, Kelly plays Jacqueline Jones, an MI6 agent who tacitly confirms the legitimacy of Gun's leaked memo to a journalist contact at The Observer. Kelly also appeared in the 2021 Last Train to Christmas, a fantasy comedy-drama film.
Katherine Kelly new drama
Last year it was announced that Katherine Kelly was to star in a new ITV drama called Protection, described by the channel as being a "suspenseful conspiracy thriller". On September 27 2023, Katherine posted a photo of herself on Instagram alongside actress Siobhan Finnerman, (who played the part of the sister to Sergeant Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley), writing: “ITV commissions the new conspiracy thriller protection, starring Siobhan Finnerman and Katherine Kelly.”
It is due to premiere on ITV1 and ITVX this year, but no date has yet been released.
Katherine Kelly Coronation Street
Katherine shot to fame onCoronation Street from 2006 until 2012, playing the part of barmaid Becky. It was a role for which she received multiple awards, including the British Soap Award for Best Actress (2009) and the NTA for Best Serial Drama Performance (2012). Katherine was aged 26 when she took on the role and became a fan favourite amongst viewers who loved watching her on screen friendship with Roy Cropper, played by David Neilson.
Throughout her time on the show, her character Becky was at the centre of some explosive storylines, including numerous affairs. Viewers were left heartbroken when she left the show in 2012, with fans regularly asking for her character to return to the cobbles.
In an article in the Daily Express in April, it was reported that rumours were swirling that she could be making a dramatic return amidst the turmoil surrounding Roy Cropper's character. At the time, Roy (who originally took Becky under his wing) was arrested for murder and fans were reportedly asking on social media platforms for Becky to return and step in to help Roy’s plight.
Katherine Kelly Mr Bates
In the true story of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Katherine appeared in the January ITV drama, playing the part of Angela Van den Bogerd, who worked her way up from behind the counter at a Post Office to become the company's director.
In an Instagram post referring to her part in the show, Katherine wrote on January 2: “Please watch. It’s a remarkable story…..” followed by another caption where she posted an image of herself and the dramas director, writing: “Congratulations on this devastating state of the nation drama.”
Katherine Kelly freak injury
When Katherine was 19 years old she had a freak injury after having a fall that damaged her spine. She fell through a door at a friend’s house, hitting her coccyx (the bone at the base of the spine) on the corner of a table. Although at the time she didn’t know the impact of the injury, a few months later on a camping holiday she couldn’t move from her bed, going on to experience debilitating pain. In an interview with the Mirror in 2022, Katherine said: “To be in that pain every single day and not be able to walk... It was nerve damage. What made it worse was it had gone untreated for 18 months. The base of my spine had twisted to compensate because I’d been taking so many painkillers.”
Katherine went to see a physiotherapist called Kevin Ludlow, who she credits for “completely turning my life around.” She saw him three times a week, with the rehab exercises fortunately saving her from having an operation. In the same Mirror interview she added: “I haven’t had any problems for ten years now.”
Suzanne Baum is an award-winning beauty editor, with columns across numerous outlets, including the Metro, Women's Fitness, the Independent and Yahoo. Having written about beauty for over 20 years, Suzanne regularly reports on the latest beauty news; from trialling out new beauty innovations and aesthetic treatments to writing on the best products for women and men.