Donnaleigh Bailey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donnaleigh Bailey
Bailey at the Inside Soap Awards in 2010
Born	(1983-01-17) 17 January 1983 (age 42) Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1996–present
Television	Doctors

Donnaleigh Bailey (born 17 January 1983) is an English actress. She is well-known for playing Michelle Corrigan in the BBC TV show Doctors. For this role, she was nominated for the British Soap Award for Best Actress twice. Since 2015, she has also been in the ITV show Coronation Street, where she plays Jess Heywood.

About Donnaleigh Bailey

Donnaleigh Bailey was born in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, England, on 17 January 1983. She went to Bishop Challoner School. She also joined the Central Junior Television Workshop, which is a place where young people learn acting skills. The youngest age to join was eleven. But Donnaleigh really wanted to start acting early. So, she pretended to be older when she was only nine years old!

Starting Her Acting Career

Donnaleigh's first professional acting job was in 1996. She appeared in an episode of a TV show called Dangerfield. After that, she also acted in other popular shows like Crossroads and Holby City.

Soon after finishing drama school, she got a big role. She was cast as Michelle Corrigan in the BBC soap opera Doctors.

Funny Moments on Set

While working on Doctors, Donnaleigh had some funny experiences. Her character, Michelle, was a receptionist at a doctor's surgery. People sometimes thought she was a real medical professional! Once, while shopping with her co-star Martha Howe-Douglas, a man showed them a cut on his arm. He truly believed they worked in a surgery!

Another time, Donnaleigh and her co-star Diane Keen saw a cyclist fall off his bike. They ran to help, but Donnaleigh quickly realized they weren't real doctors. She said, "What can we do?" and then called an ambulance right away.

Leaving Doctors and New Roles

In 2010, Donnaleigh decided to leave Doctors. She had been on the show since leaving drama school. She wanted to try different acting opportunities. She said leaving was very sad, and she cried a lot while filming her last episode.

After Doctors, Donnaleigh started drama workshops for children in Kings Heath in 2011. In 2015, she joined another popular ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, as Jess Heywood.

Donnaleigh has also acted on stage in plays like Beautiful Thing, Redundant, and Martha Loves Michael. In 2019, she appeared in the TV shows Casualty and The Reluctant Landlord.

Donnaleigh is a mother to three boys. She lives in Nottingham. She also helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds prepare for drama school as an Open Door tutor.

Donnaleigh Bailey's TV Shows and Films

Here is a list of some of the TV shows and films Donnaleigh Bailey has been in:

Awards and Nominations

Donnaleigh Bailey has been nominated for awards for her acting: