Natalie Gumede
Natalie Gumede is an English actress. She is known for playing Kirsty Soames in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, from 2011 to 2013. She previously played China in BBC Three comedy show Ideal.[1] She has also appeared in The Persuasionists, Emmerdale and Doctor Who among other television shows. Gumede was also runner-up in the 2013 series of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One. In 2017, Gumede began appearing in Netflix original Free Rein as Maggie Steel Phillips.[2]
Natalie Gumede | |
---|---|
Born | Burnley, Lancashire, England |
Occupation | Actress |
Television | Ideal (2005–2007, 2010) Coronation Street (2011–2013) Strictly Come Dancing (2013) Jekyll & Hyde (2015) |
Early life
Gumede was born in Burnley, Lancashire and lived in Colne during her early life, attending first Christ Church C of E Primary School and then Park High School.[3] Her father is Zimbabwean and her mother is of English descent. Her grandfather Josiah Gumede was the only President of the short-lived Zimbabwe-Rhodesia.[4] At the age of 11 while attending Pendle Hippodrome Youth Theatre, she was picked by BBC producers to help present the north-west regional insert for Children in Need in 1995.[5] She attended the London Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts graduating with a BA Hons in 2003 from a three-year course in Acting.[6]
Career
From 2004 until 2007, Gumede played China in the dark-comedy sitcom series, Ideal, who along with her friend Asia (Rebecca Atkinson), was one of Moz's regular clients. Her character featured in the pilot episode, and was a regular in the first three series. In 2008, she featured in her first full-length film, Clubbed, a British drama about a 1980s factory worker who takes up a job as a club doorman. In 2005, Gumede made a guest appearance in the ITV soap opera, Emmerdale, portraying Tania Coles. In 2010, Gumede featured in the sitcom The Persuasionists, broadcast on BBC Two, set in the world of advertising, starring Iain Lee, Simon Farnaby, Adam Buxton, Jarred Christmas and Daisy Haggard.
In September 2011, Gumede made her first appearance in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, portraying Kirsty Soames, who became the domestic abusive love interest to mechanic Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall). She had previously tried out for the part of Kelly Crabtree, but lost out to Tupele Dorgu.[7] For her portrayal of the character, Gumede had received the Best Newcomer accolade at the 2012 British Soap Awards.[8] She was later nominated for Best Soap Newcomer at the TV Choice Awards and voted Most Popular Newcomer during the 18th National Television Awards.[9][10] In Digital Spy's end of year reader poll, Kirsty's domestic abuse storyline with on-screen boyfriend Tyrone won Best Storyline with 28.3% of the vote.[11] On 21 February 2013, it was announced that she would leave the soap after a year-and-a-half, and departed when her character, Kirsty, went to prison on 3 April 2013.
In 2015, she played the role of Bella in the ITV series Jekyll & Hyde.
Strictly Come Dancing
In 2013, Gumede was a runner-up on the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing. Her professional partner was the eighth series champion, Artem Chigvintsev. They quickly became the early favourites for the title after a strong start.[12] In the Final, she lost out to Abbey Clancy & Aljaz Skorjanec and came Joint second along with Susanna Reid & Kevin Clifton.
Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||||
Craig Revel Horwood | Darcey Bussell | Len Goodman | Bruno Tonioli | Total | |||
1 | Cha Cha Cha – "Rasputin" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 31 | None |
2 | Waltz – "If I Ain't Got You" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 34 | Safe |
3 | Rumba – "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
4 | Quickstep – "Yeah!" | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
5 | Samba – "Bamboléo" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
6 | Viennese Waltz – "Devil in Me" | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 38 | Safe |
*7 | Jive – "Proud Mary" | *N/A | *N/A | *N/A | *N/A | *N/A | Given Bye |
8 | Charleston – "Bang Bang" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Safe |
9 | Tango – "Where Have You Been" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
10 | American Smooth – "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 36 | Safe |
11 | Paso Doble – "El Gato Montes" | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
Swing-a-thon – "Do You Love Me" | N/A | N/A | 6 | N/A | 6 | ||
12 | Salsa – "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Bottom Two |
Argentine Tango – "Montserrat" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 38 | ||
13 | Cha Cha Cha – "Rasputin" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Runner-up |
Showdance – "Steppin' Out with My Baby" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | ||
American Smooth – "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 |
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2004 | Von Trapped | Madison Avenue | Television film |
2005–2007, 2010 | Ideal | China | Series regular |
2005 | Emmerdale | Tania Coles | 2 episodes |
Wire in the Blood | Hotel Receptionist | 1 episode | |
2006 | Doctors | Jenny Benjamin | 2 episodes |
2009 | Celine King | 1 episode | |
2010 | The Persuasionists | Susie | 3 episodes |
2011–2013 | Coronation Street | Kirsty Soames | Series regular, 192 episodes |
2013 | Moving On | Jo | 1 episode |
Strictly Come Dancing | Herself | Contestant | |
Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two | |||
2014 | Sally the Life Coach | Sally | Web mini-series |
2015 | Doctor Who | Ashley Carter | Episode: "Last Christmas" |
Death in Paradise | Lucy Thomson | 1 episode | |
Jekyll and Hyde | Isabella "Bella" Charming | Series regular | |
2017–present | Free Rein | Maggie Steel Phillips | Main role |
2019 | Vera | Megan Sibisi | 1 episode |
Titans | Mercy Graves | 6 episodes | |
Midsomer Murders | Rachel Stevenson | 1 episode | |
2020 | Strike | Lorelei | 3 episodes |
Film/stage
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | Billy Liar | Liz | Stage |
2008 | Clubbed | Jo | Film |
Commercials
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2005 | National Lottery Euromillions Rollover | Woman |
2006 | Coke Zero | Girlfriend |
Admiral Car Insurance | Jane | |
References
- "Press Office – Ideal supporting female cast". BBC. 13 December 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- Whelan, Zara (27 September 2018). "Everything you need to know about Free Rein - the Netflix show filmed in N Wales". northwales. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- Cree, Jessica (20 May 2013). "Glory night for East Lancashire Corrie star Natalie Gumede at British Soap Awards". This is Lancashire (News Archive).
- "Strictly Come Dancing 2013: Natalie Gumede reveals "My grandfather Josiah was a President!"". Unrealitytv.co.uk. 15 October 2013. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- "TV debut as Natalie helps kids". This is Lancashire (News Archive). 10 November 1995. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014.
- Mandy. "The Mandy Network". Retrieved 28 September 2013.
- People, Sunday (1 January 2012). "Corrie babe Natalie Gumede: I was an estate agent three days before joining the cobbles". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- Kilkelly, Daniel (29 April 2012). "British Soap Awards 2012 – the winners". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
- Daniels, Colin (10 September 2012). "TVChoice Awards 2012: The winners – In full". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- "National TV Awards 2013: The nominees". BBC News. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- Kilkelly, Daniel (22 December 2012). "'EastEnders', Corrie, 'Hollyoaks' all win in Digital Spy's 2012 poll". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
- Buchanan, Daisy (3 September 2013). "Strictly Come Dancing: Natalie Gumede already favourite to win". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 July 2017.