Natalie Gumede facts for kids

Natalie Gumede (born 20 March 1984) is an English actress. She is famous for playing Kirsty Soames in the popular TV soap opera Coronation Street. She also played China in the comedy show Ideal.

Gumede has appeared in many other TV shows, including Emmerdale and Doctor Who. In 2013, she was a runner-up on the dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing. More recently, she starred as Maggie Steel Phillips in the Netflix show Free Rein.

Early Life and Training

Natalie Gumede was born in Burnley, a town in Lancashire, England. She grew up in the nearby town of Colne. Her father was from Zimbabwe, and her mother is English. Her grandfather, Josiah Gumede, was once the president of a country called Zimbabwe Rhodesia.

When she was 11 years old, Gumede was chosen by the BBC to help present a part of the Children in Need charity show in 1995. From a young age, she loved performing. She attended the Chippendale School of Dancing and later trained at the famous Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London to become a professional actress.

Acting Career

Early Roles

From 2004 to 2007, Gumede played a character named China in the comedy series Ideal. She also had guest roles in other popular shows. In 2005, she appeared in the soap opera Emmerdale as Tania Coles. In 2010, she was in the comedy The Persuasionists.

Coronation Street

In 2011, Gumede joined the cast of Coronation Street as Kirsty Soames. Her character had a dramatic and troubled relationship with another character, Tyrone Dobbs. This storyline became very popular with viewers.

Her performance as Kirsty was so powerful that she won several awards. In 2012, she won the Best Newcomer award at The British Soap Awards. She also won Most Popular Newcomer at the 18th National Television Awards. Gumede left the show in 2013 when her character was sent to prison.

Later Work

After Coronation Street, Gumede continued to act in exciting roles. In 2015, she played Bella in the ITV fantasy series Jekyll & Hyde.

From 2017 to 2019, she played Maggie Steel-Phillips in the Netflix series Free Rein, a show about a girl who moves to England and bonds with a mysterious horse. She has also appeared in episodes of Doctor Who, Death in Paradise, and Titans.

Strictly Come Dancing

In 2013, Natalie Gumede competed in the eleventh series of the popular BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. Her professional dance partner was Artem Chigvintsev. The pair danced so well that they quickly became favorites to win.

Gumede impressed the judges and the audience with her amazing performances. She made it all the way to the final, where she finished as a runner-up.

Selected Film and TV Roles

Awards and Nominations

Here are some of the awards Natalie Gumede has won or been nominated for.

See also

In Spanish: Natalie Gumede para niños