Hannah Spearritt

Hannah Louise Spearritt (born 1 April 1981)[1] is an English actress and singer. She is an original member of the pop group S Club 7.[2] Spearritt is also known for playing the role of Abby Maitland in the British science-fiction drama Primeval.

Hannah Spearritt
Spearritt at the 2013 MCM ComicCon
Born
Hannah Louise Spearritt

(1981-04-01) 1 April 1981
Education
Occupation
  • Singer
  • actress
Years active1994–present
Children2
RelativesEddie Spearritt (uncle)

Career

1994–1998: Stage

When she was 12, Spearritt landed a part in the Lowestoft Players amateur dramatics society's production of Annie. Thereafter, she successfully auditioned for the National Youth Music Theatre, and became part of the company.[1] She appeared in the NYMT's productions Pendragon (1994–1995), Tin Pan Ali (1996), and the West End musical Bugsy Malone (1997).[1] In 1998, she was cast in the television film The Cater Street Hangman,[1] playing the role of a maid who gets murdered. Spearritt also made appearances on the National Lottery and Blue Peter.

1999–2003: S Club 7

In 1998, Spearritt auditioned for and became a member of S Club 7. In the five years they were together, the group had four UK number one singles and a UK number one album. They recorded a total of four studio albums, released eleven singles and went on to sell over fourteen million albums worldwide.[3] Their first album, S Club, had a strong 1990s pop sound, similar to many artists of their time. However, through the course of their career, their musical approach changed to a more dance and R&B sound which is heard mostly in their final album, Seeing Double. S Club 7 won two BRIT Awards—in 2000 for British breakthrough act and in 2002, for Best British Single. In 2001, the group earned the Record of the Year award. On 21 April 2003, during a live onstage performance, S Club announced that they were to disband.[4]

2003–present: Focus on acting

In 2003, she was in Los Angeles to audition for a role in the film Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, a fact that she revealed at the UK premiere of the film on 24 March 2004 in London. In 2004, Spearritt appeared in horror film Seed of Chucky.[5] In 2005, she appeared in the BBC series Blessed as Sarah. In December 2005, Spearritt appeared in the West End musical Snow! The Musical, at London's Sound Theatre.[6]

In 2006, it was revealed that Spearritt had landed a lead role in the ITV series Primeval. She portrayed the role of Abby Maitland, a reptile enthusiast who gets mixed up with time travelling Professor Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) after discovering a species of reptile she had never encountered. Later that year, she made an appearance in Agatha Christie's Marple.[7] In March 2012, Spearritt took over the role of Pauline in One Man, Two Guvnors at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.[8] She participated with S Club 7 in a reunion tour, titled Bring It All Back 2015, which toured the UK in May 2015. In December 2015, it was confirmed that Spearritt would star as Mercedes Christie in the BBC medical drama Casualty. Spearritt made her debut on 23 January 2016.[9] In 2017, Spearritt joined the cast of EastEnders as Kandice Taylor, the sister of established character Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley).[10]

Personal life

Spearritt and Paul Cattermole met in 1994 when both were members of the National Youth Music Theatre. In 1999, Spearritt and Cattermole became members of S Club 7. They dated from 2001 until 2006.[11] In 2006 Spearritt started dating Andrew-Lee Potts, her co-star on the series Primeval; the couple were engaged from 2008 until 2013.[12][13]

On 20 December 2018, it was announced that Spearritt had given birth to a baby girl.[14] In December 2020, Spearritt announced the birth of her second child, a girl.[15]

Spearritt is the niece of Eddie Spearritt, who played professional football in the then-top level of the English football league system.[16]

Stage

Year Title Role
1994–1995 Pendragon Lana
1996 Tin Pan Ali Annie
1997–1998 Bugsy Malone Louella
2005 Snow! The Musical Jilly
2011 The Belle's Stratagem Lady Frances
2012–2014 One Man, Two Guvnors Pauline
2015–2016 The Armour[17] Poppy Jean
2019 A Cinderella Christmas[18] Fairy Godmother

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2003 Seeing Double Hannah
2004 Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London Emily Sommers
Seed of Chucky Joan
2012 Little Larry Lilly Short film
2014 The Goob Mary Ellen
2015 GoryTime Hayley Smith
Utopia Lucy
2018 I, Dog Natalie Bedwyn
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1998 The Cater Street Hangman Lily Television film
1999 Miami 7 Hannah Main role
Back to the '50s Television film
Boyfriends & Birthdays Television film
2000 L.A. 7 Main role
S Club 7 Go Wild! Herself Reality series
2001 Hollywood 7 Hannah Main role
S Club Search Judge / Mentor
2002 Viva S Club Hannah Main role
2005 Blessed Sarah Main role
2007 Agatha Christie's Marple Tilly Rice Episode: "At Bertram's Hotel"
2007–2011 Primeval Abby Maitland Main role
2013 Death in Paradise Lily Shaw Episode: "A Dash of Sunshine"
2016 Casualty Mercedes Christie Recurring role
2017–2018 EastEnders Kandice Taylor Recurring role
Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2010 Primeval Evolved Abby Maitland Voice

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2007 TV Quick & TV Choice Awards Best Actress Primeval Nominated [19]

References

  1. Gregory, Andy (2002) International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002, Europa, ISBN 1-85743-161-8, p. 478
  2. Nissim, Mayer (17 November 2014). "S Club 7 announce 'Bring It All Back' 2015 arena tour dates". Digital Spy. United Kingdom: Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  3. "She's movin' on up". Times Online. Times Newspapers Ltd. 13 February 2005. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  4. "S Club to split up". BBC News. BBC. 21 April 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  5. 3am (23 March 2004). "Han's Evil Spearritt". The Daily Mirror.
  6. "Snow! The Musical". Official London Theatre.
  7. Liz Thomas (13 November 2006). "McCutcheon to star in next Marple drama". The Stage.
  8. Chadderton, David. "One Man, Two Guvnors". Britishtheatreguide.info. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  9. Harp, Justin (13 November 2015). "Hannah Spearritt in Casualty". Digital Spy.
  10. Cumberbatch, Aimee Grant (26 October 2017). "Hannah Spearritt lands EastEnders role: Former S Club 7 star to join soap's Taylor family on Albert Square". Evening Standard. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  11. S Club 7 Pair Admit Secret Love News.bbc.co.uk
  12. McAlpine, Fraser (9 November 2011). "Eight British Couples Who Met On-Set". BBC America. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  13. "Andrew-Lee Potts and Hannah Spearritt split". Hollywood.com. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  14. "EastEnders and S Club 7 star Hannah Spearritt shares first picture of daughter Téa". Digital Spy. 18 February 2019.
  15. "S Club 7 star Hannah Spearritt reveals surprise baby news – EXCLUSIVE". Hello!. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  16. "Eddie Spearritt". The Pride of Anglia. 9 July 2007.
  17. "Hannah Spearritt acts the part for S Club 7 reunion". BBC. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  18. "'You've got to reach for those stars': S Club 7's Hannah on excitement of starring in Ipswich panto". IP Swhich Star. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  19. "Hannah at the TV Quick & TV Choice Awards". Viva S Club. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
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