Kara Tointon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kara Tointon
Tointon filming on the set of EastEnders in 2008
Born	(1983-08-05) 5 August 1983 (age 42) Basildon, Essex, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1994–present
Television	EastEnders Strictly Come Dancing Mr Selfridge The Sound of Music Live The Halcyon The Teacher
Children	2
Relatives	Hannah Tointon (sister)

Kara Louise Tointon (born 5 August 1983) is an English actress. She is famous for playing Dawn Swann in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

In 2010, Kara won the popular BBC dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing. She also starred as Maria in the live TV musical The Sound of Music Live in 2015.

Early Life and First Roles

Kara Tointon was born in Essex, England. Her parents are Ken and Carol Tointon. She grew up in Leigh-on-Sea with her younger sister, Hannah, who is also an actress.

When Kara was seven, she was diagnosed with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning difference that can make reading and writing difficult. To help with this, she took speech and drama lessons. Her very first acting role was playing Brigitta in a local production of The Sound of Music.

Acting Career

Kara's first paid job was as a dancer in a Christmas show when she was 11. Her first TV appearance was in 1994 as a school friend in EastEnders. In 2001, she played a student named Pauline Young in the TV series Teachers.

In 2005, Kara joined the cast of EastEnders as the character Dawn Swann. She played this popular role for four years. After leaving the show in 2009, she appeared in other TV dramas like The Bill.

In 2010, Kara made a documentary for BBC Three called Kara Tointon: Don't Call Me Stupid. In the show, she talked about her experiences with dyslexia. She wanted to show how it affects people's lives and how different ways of learning can help.

Winning 'Strictly Come Dancing'

The peppermint-coloured dress Kara wore when she won Strictly Come Dancing in 2010.

In 2008, Kara won a special version of Strictly Come Dancing for the charity event Sport Relief.

Two years later, in 2010, she competed in the main show, series 8 of Strictly Come Dancing. Her professional dance partner was Artem Chigvintsev. They impressed the judges and the public all season and became the champions on 18 December 2010.

Stage and Later Screen Roles

After Strictly, Kara began acting in famous plays in London's West End. In 2011, she played Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. She also starred in plays like Absent Friends and Relatively Speaking.

She continued to appear on TV. From 2015 to 2016, she played Rosalie Selfridge in the drama series Mr Selfridge. In 2017, she was in the period drama The Halcyon.

It was announced that Kara will play Willamae, the mother of Haymitch Abernathy, in Sunrise on the Reaping. This is the next movie in the Hunger Games series.

Personal Life

Kara has two sons, born in 2018 and 2021.

In May 2025, Kara shared that she had preventative surgery. She found out she carries the BRCA gene, which can increase the risk of certain types of cancer. Her mother had passed away from cancer in 2019, which led Kara and her family to get tested. By having the surgery, she lowered her own risk.

Kara also uses her fame to help others. In 2014, she ran the Great North Run to raise money for a charity that helps very sick children and teenagers.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Kara Tointon para niños