Carley Stenson
Stenson in 2011
Born (1982-09-22) 22 September 1982 (age 41)
Wigan, Greater Manchester, England
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active2000–present
Television
Spouse
​
(m. 2017)​
Children1

Carley Stenson (born 22 September 1982) is an English actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Steph Cunningham in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks and Harriet Shelton in the BBC soap opera Doctors. For her role as Steph, she received numerous nominations at the British Soap Awards.

Stenson left Hollyoaks in 2010 to focus on musical theatre acting and has since played roles such as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical and Fantine in Les Misérables. In 2023, she competed in the fifteenth series of Dancing on Ice.

Early and personal life

Stenson was born on 22 September 1982 in Billinge Higher End, Wigan.[1][2] As a child, she competed in talent competitions hosted by the St Helens Star.[3] Whilst starring in Legally Blonde: The Musical, she met actor Danny Mac. The pair began dating in 2011, and got married in 2017.[4] In March 2021, the pair announced that they were expecting their first child together.[5] She gave birth to a daughter in June 2021.[6]

Career

Stenson auditioned for the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, for the role of a friend of the character Zara Morgan (Kelly Greenwood).[7] The audition was successful, but the casting team told her to audition for the role of Steph Cunningham instead, which she received.[8] Stenson joined the cast after leaving secondary school, aged 17.[9] In 2010, she announced that she would be leaving to pursue musical theatre.[10] She recorded versions of "If I Could Turn Back Time" and "About You Now", both of which were featured in separate episodes of Hollyoaks to coincide with the death of her character.[11]

Stenson's theatre work has included London West End theatre appearances as Princess Fiona in Shrek: The Musical; Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical; and as The Lady of The Lake in Spamalot.[12] In 2015, she independently released a self-titled extended play.[13] Stenson then played Christine Colgate in the 2015 to 2016 UK tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,[14] as well as Fantine in Les Misérables.[15] In April 2021, she joined the cast of the BBC soap opera Doctors as Harriet Shelton.[16][17] She appeared until September 2021.[18] In 2022, it was announced that Stenson would be competing in the fifteenth series of Dancing on Ice.[19] Partnered with Mark Hanretty, the pair finished in sixth place.[20]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2000–2011 Hollyoaks Steph Cunningham Series regular
2008–2009 Hollyoaks Later Steph Cunningham Series regular
2014 Suspects Tracey Gatting 2 episodes
2016 Holby City Lucy Parker Episode: "Indefensible"
2021 Doctors Harriet Shelton Recurring role
2023 Dancing on Ice Herself Contestant; sixth place

Discography

Title Details
Carley[13]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2005 British Soap Awards Best Comedy Performance Hollyoaks Nominated [21]
2006 British Soap Awards Best Comedy Performance Hollyoaks Nominated [21]
2009 British Soap Awards Best Actress Hollyoaks Nominated [21]
2009 British Soap Awards Best Dramatic Performance Hollyoaks Nominated [21]
2011 British Soap Awards Best Exit Hollyoaks Nominated [21]
2012 The Imperial Performing Arts Awards Pride of St Helens Herself Won [3]

References

  1. ^ Stenson, Carley (22 September 2022). "Todays the day ! 4️⃣0️⃣". Instagram. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  2. ^ Cheesman, Neil (1 April 2011). "Interview With Carley Stenson Elle Woods In Legally Blonde". Last Minute Theatre Tickets. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Pride of St Helens: The Imperial Performing Arts Awards - winner: Carley Stenson". St Helens Star. 18 October 2012. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  4. ^ Chase, Stephanie (4 December 2019). "Former Hollyoaks star Danny Mac reveals how he actually met wife Carley Stenson". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  5. ^ Seddon, Dan (14 April 2021). "Former Hollyoaks star Danny Mac is "so excited" to welcome first child with wife Carley Stenson". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  6. ^ Brown, Georgia (20 June 2021). "West End stars Danny Mac and Carley Stenson delighted to announce the birth of their first child". Hello!. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  7. ^ Collinson, Dawn (30 October 2002). "Look!: Hooray for Hollyoaks!; Dawn Collinson meets the soap star who's about to get a whole new family". Liverpool Echo. (Trinity Mirror). Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Interview with Carley Stenson". LINC Online. (Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust). March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Carley Stenson - Steph Cunningham in Hollyoaks". Chester Chronicle. (Trinity Mirror). 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  10. ^ Green, Kris (15 June 2010). "Stenson quits 'Hollyoaks' after a decade". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Archived from the original on 26 September 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  11. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (31 October 2017). "Hollyoaks brought back Carley Stenson for Frankie exit". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Monty Python's Spamalot: Free tickets with Tervetuliaisbonukset". Spamalotwestend.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Carley Stenson". Les Misérables. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  14. ^ Jones, Catherine (25 June 2015). "Hollyoaks' Carley Stenson talks Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". Liverpool Echo. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  15. ^ Hewis, Ben (19 December 2017). "Backstage at Les Miserables with Carley Stenson". WhatsOnStage. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  16. ^ Seddon, Dan (19 April 2021). "Former Hollyoaks star Carley Stenson joins BBC One's Doctors". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  17. ^ Patterson, Stephen (19 April 2021). "Hollyoaks star Carley Stenson joins Doctors". Metro. DMG Media. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  18. ^ Stenson, Carley. "I wrote this 2 weeks before our baby girl,, our Skye came.. Don't think I got away with it 😂 Hiding the bump Last day at @bbc #doctors 😭 Everyone has been so so lovely, supportive, friendly and fun!! I will miss this place and it's [sic] people and the part of working Mummy I forgot I enjoyed so much ....but onto another exciting role ☺️ Thankyou everyone for being so wonderful .. Naughty #sergeantharriet over and out 👮🏼‍♀️". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  19. ^ Rodger, James (3 October 2022). "BBC Strictly Come Dancing star's wife joins Dancing on Ice line-up". Birmingham Mail. (Reach plc). Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  20. ^ Tutton, Charlotte (26 February 2023). "Dancing On Ice's Carley Stenson latest axed from show ahead of semi-final". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  21. ^ a b c d e "Winners". British Soap Awards. Archived from the original on 1 May 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
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