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Sarah Manners

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Sarah Manners
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 an English 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.

Early and personal life

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Manners was born in Harborne, Birmingham on 25 August 1975. 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

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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 ITV1'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

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Year Title Role Notes
1997 EastEnders Airport Attendant 1 episode
1998 Sugar, Sugar Sugar Sugar 1 episode
1998 Touch and Go Sue 1 episode
2000–2001 Doctors Joanna Helm Regular role
2002 Real Crime Tracie Andrews 1 episode
2001 Combat Sheep 1 episode
2001 Hollyoaks: Movin' On Sam Marsden Main role
2003 Mile High K.C. Gregory Main role
2003 The Afternoon Play Dawn 1 episode
2003–2005 Casualty Bex Reynolds Main role
2004 Holby City Bex Reynolds 1 episode
2006 Mayo Laurie Voss 1 episode
2009 To Cancer and Beyond Alexandra 1 episode
2010 The Bill Kirsty Knight Main role
2013 The Job Lot Jane 1 episode
2015 Identicals Janet Phone Voice Film; voice role
2016 Sisters Daryl Short film
2019 7 Days: The Story of Blind Dave Heeley Debbie Heeley Film

References

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  1. ^ Laws, Roz. "7 things you never knew about Sarah Manners". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d 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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