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Amanda Barrie

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Amanda Barrie
Born
Shirley Anne Broadbent

(1935-09-14) 14 September 1935 (age 89)
Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England
OccupationActress
Years active1953–present
TelevisionCoronation Street (1981–1982, 1988–2001)
Bad Girls (2003–2006)
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1967; died 2004)​
​
(m. 2014)​

Amanda Barrie (born Shirley Anne Broadbent; 14 September 1935) is an English actress. She appeared in two of the Carry On films before being cast as Alma Halliwell in ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, which she played on and off for 20 years. Between 2003 and 2006, she played the role of Bev Tull in the ITV prison drama, Bad Girls. She has since enjoyed a varied stage and television career.

Early life and education

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Barrie was born Shirley Anne Broadbent in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, to Hubert Broadbent and his wife Connie (née Pyke). Barrie attended St Anne's College, Lytham St Annes, then trained at the Arts Educational School in London and later at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Career

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Barrie appeared in pantomime as a child and was a dancer before working for many years as a chorus girl in the West End until her first break as an actress came along. At sixteen she danced at the Windsor Club with Danny La Rue and Barbara Windsor, changing her name before making her West End debut in 1961's Babes in the Wood. Throughout the 1960s, Barrie worked on many stage productions including Cabaret, Private Lives, Hobson's Choice and Aladdin. She made her screen debut in the comedy film Operation Bullshine in 1959, leading to roles in popular films including What a Whopper and Doctor in Distress. Barrie then starred in two of the Carry On films, a long-running series of British comedy films: she had a supporting part as a cab driver in Carry On Cabby (1963) and took the title role in Carry On Cleo (1964). In 1965, Barrie starred alongside Billy Fury in his film I've Gotta Horse. Barrie continued to appear in many television series into the 1970s as well as presenting Hickory House with former Coronation Street star Alan Rothwell between 1973 and 1977. In 1975, Barrie played Mrs. B.J. Spence in the Walt Disney film One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing. After roles in a string of one-off television plays and series, she appeared in a guest role as a ballet mistress in the popular BBC comedy series Are You Being Served? in 1979. In 1982, she starred alongside Brian Murphy in L for Lester, a sitcom about a driving instructor.

Barrie is well known as Alma Sedgewick (later Baldwin), in Coronation Street. She was a bit-player in the early to mid-1980s before she was offered a contract in 1988, after which her character became high-profile. She continued in the role until her departure in 2001. In the story, Alma was diagnosed with cervical cancer which later caused her death.[1] Since leaving Coronation Street, Barrie has continued to act, firstly as Margo Phillips in the long-running BBC medical soap opera Doctors for nine episodes, and in the popular ITV1 prison series Bad Girls, playing inmate Bev Tull from the fifth series to the last, along with Phyl Oswyn played by Stephanie Beacham. The characters together were known as "The Costa Cons".

She also became one of the celebrities who took part in Hell's Kitchen[2] and attempted to slap Gordon Ramsay in the face.[3] In 2005 she appeared as the Wicked Witch of the West in a pantomime adaptation of The Wizard of Oz at an Oxford theatre. She appeared on a pantomime edition of The Weakest Link dressed as the witch to raise money for charity but she was voted off in the second round. From November 2006 to January 2007, Barrie took a starring role in the pantomime adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk in Canterbury. From December 2007 to January 2008, she appeared as the Fairy Godmother in the pantomime adaptation of Cinderella at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.[4] From December 2008 to January 2009, she played the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool. She again played the role from December 2009 to January 2010 in Rhyl. In December 2010 and January 2011 she played the role in Bournemouth. She played role again from December 2011 to January 2012 in Worthing. On Tuesday 7 August 2012 she appeared in the BBC drama Holby City as troubled, sassy, failed actress Annabella Casey. She again played the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft from December 2013 to January 2014.[5]

In June 2014, Barrie returned to the set of Coronation Street for a 30-minute documentary entitled, Gail & Me: 40 Years on Coronation Street, and was reunited with former co-stars and friends. From 2015 to 2017, Barrie had a recurring role as a fortune teller nicknamed Psychic Sue in the popular sitcom Benidorm. In 2015, she starred in the film Tea for Two alongside John Challis as a couple who run a tea room, before having a role in the 2018 drama film Together with Sylvia Syms and Peter Bowles. In January 2018, Barrie took part in Celebrity Big Brother.

In the summer of 2019 she appeared in series 2 of Celebrity 5 Go Barging, exploring canals around Staffordshire and Warwickshire by narrowboat.[6]

Personal life

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Barrie had a relationship with singer Billy Fury in the mid-1960s after they met while filming I've Gotta Horse.[7] Fury proposed to her, but she did not accept.[8]

In 1967, Barrie married theatre director and actor Robin Hunter. They separated in the mid-1980s, but never divorced; he died in 2004. The couple had no children.[9][10] She came out as bisexual in her autobiography It's Not a Rehearsal.[11] On 12 September 2014, she married her long-term partner Hilary Bonner.[12] The couple live in homes in the Blackdown Hills, Somerset, and London.[9][10]

Barrie is a distant cousin of Coronation Street co-star Sally Ann Matthews, who plays Jenny Bradley.[13]

Stage and screen credits

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1955 Value for Money Dancer Uncredited
1959 Operation Bullshine A.T.S. Girl Minor Role
1961 Don't Bother to Knock American Girl Minor Role
What a Whopper Chelsea Girl Uncredited
1962 A Pair of Briefs Exotic Snake Dancer Minor Role
1963 Doctor in Distress Rona Supporting Role
Carry On Cabby Anthea Main Role
1964 Carry On Cleo Cleopatra
1965 I've Gotta Horse Jo
1967 Koroshi Rosemary
1975 One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing Mrs B.J. Spence Supporting Role
1979 Quadrophenia Mother Scene cut
2002 Dick Whittington Queen of Tonga Supporting Role
2015 Tea for Two Alice
2018 Together Margaret

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1957 This is the Henry Hall Show Dancer 5 Episodes
1960 ITV Play of the Week Flora 1 Episode
1961 The Seven Faces of Jim Muriel 2 Episodes
1962 Compact Marilyn Wayne 1 Episode
Bulldog Breed Sandra Prentiss 7 Episodes
1962–1963 Playbox Gloria Green 3 Episodes
1963 ITV Television Playhouse Cigarette Girl 1 Episode
More Faces of Jim Velvet O’Toole 1 Episode
1964–1965 It's Tarbuck Various 6 Episodes
1966 Pardon the Expression Judy Best 1 Episode
Comedy Playhouse Geraldine Woods 1 Episode
The Wednesday Play Jada 1 Episode
1967 Secret Agents Rosemary 1 Episode
The Reluctant Romeo Geraldine Woods 1 Episode
1968 ITV Playhouse Mavis Pritchard 1 Episode
Oh La La! Amandine 4 Episodes
1969 Thirty-Minute Theatre Janet 4 Episodes
1971 The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder Ethel Gibson 1 Episode
BBC Play of the Month Mrs. Squeamish 1 Episode
1973 Oh La La! Pepita 3 Episodes
1976 The Many Wives of Patrick Amy 1 Episode
Play for Today Anne/Joyce 2 Episodes
1977 BBC Play of the Month Hermia 1 Episode
Miss Jones and Son Wanda 1 Episode
1978 Strangers Mrs. Parker 1 Episode
1979 Are You Being Served? Ballet Mistress 1 Episode
1980 Time of My Life Joan Archer 5 Episodes
Spooner's Patch Spooner's Girlfriend 1 Episode
1981–2001 Coronation Street Alma Baldwin 1,129 Episodes
1982 L For Lester Sally Small 6 Episodes
1995 The Mrs. Merton Show Guest 1 Episode
2003–2006 Bad Girls Bev Tull 41 Episodes
2003 Doctors Margo Phillips 9 Episodes
Loose Women Guest Panelist 1 Episode
2004 Hell's Kitchen Contestant 8 Episodes
2015–2017 Benidorm Psychic Sue 3 Episodes
2017 The Real Marigold Hotel Participant 3 Episodes
2018 The Bar Mitzvah Hilary 6 Episodes
Celebrity Big Brother Contestant 37 Episodes
2022–2023 Casualty Elsie Clegg 4 Episodes
2022 People's Piazza: A History of Covent Garden Herself (uncredited)
2023 Tipping Point

Stage

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Year Title Role Venue
1963–1964 Green Room Rag Various Adelphi Theatre
Six of One Various Adelphi Theatre
1965 A Public Mischief Bridget Theatre Royal, Newcastle
1966 Any Wednesday Ellen Shaftesbury Theatre
1968 Lord Arthur Savile's Crime Sybil Merton Various locations
1970 The Mating Game Julia Carrington Lyceum Theatre
1972 Come When You Like Olive Ashton Theatre Royal, Bath
Who's Who? Helen Brown Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
1974–1975 Absurd Person Singular Marion Vaudeville Theatre
1975–1976 A Touch of Spring Alison Ames Harold Pinter Theatre
1976–1978 Donkey's Years Lady Driver Various locations
1979 Ten Times Table Helen Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
The French Have a Song For It Various Piccadilly Theatre
1979–1980 Aladdin Aladdin Churchill Theatre, Bromley
1983 The Golf Umbrella Various Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon
1984–1985 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Towngate Theatre
1987–1988 Aladdin The Princess King’s Theatre, Southsea
2001–2002 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Bradford Alhambra
2006–2007 Jack and the Beanstalk Spirit of the Beans Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
2007–2008 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage
2008–2009 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Grand Theatre, Blackpool
2009–2010 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Rhyll Pavilion
2010–2011 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Bournemouth Pavilion
2011–2012 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Connaught Theatre, Worthing
2012–2013 The Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch of the West New Theatre Oxford
2013–2014 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Marina Theatre, Lowestoft
2018–2019 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Marina Theatre, Lowestoft
2021–2022 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple

References

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  1. ^ "Alma blasts Street". Manchester Evening News. 18 June 2001. Archived from the original on 27 December 2001.
  2. ^ "Hell hath no fury like Amanda". Manchester Evening News. 15 February 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  3. ^ Gordon Ramsay misses a slap in the face, retrieved 17 March 2022
  4. ^ "Having a ball". The Comet. 27 September 2007. Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
  5. ^ Wilf Arasaratnam (29 December 2013). "Cinderella (Lowestoft)". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Barry, banter and booze: the soothing therapy of Celebrity 5 Go Barging". The Guardian. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  7. ^ "The Story". Billy Fury. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  8. ^ Vikki White (2 January 2018). "Amanda Barrie: I came out at 67 and married for a second time when I was 79". Mirror. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  9. ^ a b Anglesey, Natalie (13 July 2006). "Amanda's Bad and loving it!". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 1 June 2007.
  10. ^ a b McGlone, Jackie (20 October 2002). "Let Sleeping Actors Lie". Scotland on Sunday. Archived from the original on 20 September 2004.
  11. ^ Morris, Sally (1 December 2002). "I've had good sex with men.. but there was never that bond I felt when with a woman; Street Star Amanda Barrie on Coming Out". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  12. ^ Walters, Sarah (8 August 2016). "Former Corrie star Amanda Barrie says she feared her sexuality would ruin her career". Manchester Evening News.
  13. ^ "Coronation Street's Sally Ann Matthews is revealed to be co-star Amanda Barrie's cousin". Radio Times. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
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