Amanda Barrie facts for kids

Amanda Barrie, born Shirley Anne Broadbent on September 14, 1935, is a famous English actress. She is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows and films.

She starred in two of the classic Carry On comedy movies. Later, she became a household name as Alma Halliwell in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. She played this role for 20 years.

From 2003 to 2006, Amanda also played Bev Tull in the ITV drama Bad Girls. She has had a long and successful career in both theatre and television.

Early Life and Acting Start

Amanda Barrie was born Shirley Anne Broadbent in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. Her parents were Hubert and Connie Broadbent.

She went to St Anne's College in Lytham St Annes. After that, she trained to be an actress at the Arts Educational School in London. She also studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Amanda Barrie's Career Highlights

Amanda Barrie started acting as a child in pantomimes. She also worked as a dancer for many years. Her big break as an actress came later.

At 16, she danced with famous performers like Danny La Rue and Barbara Windsor. She changed her name to Amanda Barrie before her first West End show in 1961. This show was called Babes in the Wood.

Stage and Film Roles in the 1960s

Throughout the 1960s, Amanda performed in many stage plays. These included popular shows like Cabaret and Private Lives. She also appeared in Hobson's Choice and Aladdin.

Her first movie role was in the comedy film Operation Bullshine in 1959. This led to other film parts, such as in What a Whopper and Doctor in Distress.

Amanda then starred in two of the well-loved Carry On films. She played a cab driver in Carry On Cabby (1963). She also had the main role as Cleopatra in Carry On Cleo (1964). In 1965, she acted alongside singer Billy Fury in his movie I've Gotta Horse.

Television Work and Coronation Street

Amanda continued to appear in many TV series in the 1970s. She also presented Hickory House from 1973 to 1977. In 1975, she was in the Walt Disney film One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing.

She had guest roles in various TV shows. One notable appearance was as a ballet mistress in the BBC comedy Are You Being Served? in 1979. In 1982, she starred in the sitcom L for Lester.

Amanda Barrie is most famous for playing Alma Sedgewick (later Baldwin) in Coronation Street. She started with smaller parts in the early 1980s. By 1988, her character became very important to the show.

She stayed in the role until she left in 2001. In the story, Alma's character sadly passed away from cervical cancer.

Life After Coronation Street

After leaving Coronation Street, Amanda kept acting. She played Margo Phillips in the medical soap opera Doctors.

She also joined the popular ITV prison series Bad Girls. She played inmate Bev Tull from the fifth series until the end. She often acted with Stephanie Beacham, who played Phyl Oswyn. Their characters were known as "The Costa Cons."

Amanda also took part in the reality show Hell's Kitchen. In 2005, she played the Wicked Witch of the West in a pantomime version of The Wizard of Oz. She even appeared on a pantomime episode of The Weakest Link dressed as the witch.

Pantomime and Recent Roles

Amanda Barrie has starred in many pantomimes over the years. She played the Spirit of the Beans in Jack and the Beanstalk. She has also been the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella multiple times.

In 2012, she appeared in the BBC drama Holby City. In June 2014, Amanda returned to the Coronation Street set for a special documentary. She met up with her old co-stars and friends.

From 2015 to 2017, Amanda had a recurring role in the sitcom Benidorm. She played a fortune teller called Psychic Sue. She also acted in the films Tea for Two (2015) and Together (2018). In January 2018, Amanda took part in Celebrity Big Brother. In 2019, she was in Celebrity 5 Go Barging, exploring canals by narrowboat.

Personal Life

Amanda Barrie had a relationship with singer Billy Fury in the mid-1960s. They met while filming I've Gotta Horse. Billy Fury asked her to marry him, but she did not accept.

In 1967, Amanda married theatre director and actor Robin Hunter. They separated in the mid-1980s but never officially divorced. Robin Hunter passed away in 2004. They did not have any children.

On September 12, 2014, Amanda married her long-term partner, Hilary Bonner. The couple has homes in the Blackdown Hills in Somerset and in London.

Amanda Barrie is also a distant cousin of her Coronation Street co-star Sally Ann Matthews. Sally Ann Matthews plays Jenny Bradley in the show.

Stage and screen credits

Film

Television

Stage