Tom Chambers (actor) facts for kids

Thomas Stuart Chambers (born May 22, 1977) is a well-known English actor. You might know him from popular TV shows like Holby City and Casualty, where he played Sam Strachan. He also starred as Max Tyler in Waterloo Road and Inspector Sullivan in Father Brown.

Tom also won the sixth series of the famous dance show Strictly Come Dancing with his dance partner, Camilla Dallerup. On stage, he has played important roles, including Walter Hobbs in the musical Elf in London's West End.

Early Life and Education

Tom Chambers was born in Darley Dale and grew up in a small village called Parwich in Derbyshire, England. His parents are Stuart and Rosemary. He went to Repton School for his education.

Learning to Act and Dance

Tom studied at the National Youth Music Theatre and the Guildford School of Acting. These schools helped him develop his skills in acting and performing.

His love for dance led him to recreate a famous tap dance scene from the 1937 movie A Damsel in Distress, where Fred Astaire dances with a drum kit. He sent a video of this dance to casting directors. This video helped him get a role in the TV show Holby City.

Acting Career Highlights

Tom Chambers has appeared in many TV shows and stage productions.

Early TV Roles

From 2006 to 2008, Tom played Sam Strachan, a heart doctor, in the BBC medical drama Holby City. This role made him well-known to many viewers.

Winning Strictly Come Dancing

In 2008, Tom competed in the sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was paired with professional dancer Camilla Dallerup. Even while filming Holby City, he managed to train and perform.

They started with the cha-cha-cha and scored 28 points. Tom and Camilla did very well, often getting high scores from the judges. They reached the semi-finals and then made it to the grand final. In the final, they performed a show dance that was highly praised. Tom and Camilla won the show, thanks to the public's votes. This made Tom the third male winner of Strictly Come Dancing.

Tom returned for the Christmas special in 2008 and again in 2015, where he danced with Oti Mabuse.

Later TV and Stage Work

In 2009, Tom joined the BBC drama Waterloo Road for ten episodes, playing the role of Max Tyler, an Executive Head Teacher. He also narrates the series The Real A&E on Sky One.

Tom has also had a successful career in musical theatre. In 2011, he starred as Jerry Travers in the UK tour of the musical Top Hat. The show later moved to the Aldwych Theatre in London's West End.

From 2014 to 2015, and again from 2018 onwards, Tom played Inspector Sullivan in the BBC TV series Father Brown. He returned to his role as Sam Strachan in Casualty from 2016 to 2017.

In 2017 and 2018, he toured the UK in the musical Crazy for You, where he sang and danced as Bobby Child. More recently, he starred in the touring play Dial M for Murder in 2020. In 2022 and 2023, he played Walter Hobbs in the musical Elf in the West End. From 2023 to 2024, he appeared in a touring play called Murder in the Dark.

Personal Life

In December 2000, Tom was on a flight from London to Nairobi when it was involved in a hijack attempt. A passenger tried to take control of the plane. During the struggle, the plane dropped quickly, but the pilots managed to regain control, and everyone landed safely.

This scary experience made Tom realize how important his loved ones were. It led him to propose to his teenage sweetheart, Clare Harding. They got married in October 2008 in Derbyshire. They even had to change their wedding date because of Tom's commitments to Strictly Come Dancing! They have three children.

In 2008, Tom also took part in the Great Walk to Beijing. This event was organized by singer Olivia Newton-John to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research.

Tom Chambers lives in Marlow in Buckinghamshire, England.

Film and TV Appearances

Here are some of the films and TV shows Tom Chambers has been in:

Film Roles

Television Roles