Tupele Dorgu facts for kids

Tupele Dorgu is an English actress and voice artist. She was born on December 13, 1977, in Preston, Lancashire. Many people know her for playing the character Kelly Crabtree in the popular TV show Coronation Street. She was on the show from 2004 to 2010.

About Tupele Dorgu

Her Early Life

Tupele Dorgu grew up in the Preston area. She went to St Clare's Primary School and Our Lady's High School. Later, she attended Kirkham Grammar School. Her mother has Irish and English family roots, and her father is from Nigeria.

Her Acting Career

Tupele Dorgu has had a busy career in television, theatre, and even radio. She started acting in TV shows in the early 2000s.

Early TV Roles

Before joining Coronation Street, Tupele appeared in several other TV series. She was in shows like Merseybeat, Casualty, and Doctors. These roles helped her gain experience in front of the camera.

Becoming Kelly Crabtree

From 2004 to 2010, Tupele became a familiar face to many viewers as Kelly Crabtree in Coronation Street. This was a very important role for her. She played Kelly for six years before leaving the show in March 2010.

Reality TV and Musicals

Tupele also showed off her singing skills on TV. In 2005, she was a contestant on Strictly African Dancing. In January 2007, she joined Soapstar Superstar, a reality show where actors from soap operas sang. Tupele did very well, making it to the semi-finals.

She has also performed in many musicals. Some of her roles include:

• Dermah in La Cage Aux Folles
• Ali in the West End show Mamma Mia!
• Velma Kelly in the UK tour of Chicago in 2012

Other TV Appearances

After Coronation Street, Tupele continued to appear in various TV shows. In 2011, she had a brief role as Keeley James in the BBC show Waterloo Road. In 2013, she became the narrator for Brendan's Magical Mystery Tour on Channel 4.

In December 2015, Tupele joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Dr Berrington. She appeared in this role until 2016. She also appeared in David Walliams' TV special Billionaire Boy in 2016. More recently, in November 2024, she appeared in the final episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors as Bev Dartnall. She also joined the cast of Strike in 2024.

Theatre Performances

Tupele Dorgu has a strong background in theatre. She has performed in many plays and musicals across the UK.

• La Cage Aux Folles
• Three Minute Heroes
• Mamma Mia
• Robin Hood (pantomime)
• Chicago
• Educating Rita
• Noises Off
• Legally Blonde