Brooke Kinsella
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Brooke as Kelly in EastEnders |
Brooke Kinsella (born
July 17,
1982) is a
British actress.
She made her television debut at the age of nine in the BBC children series MUD (1994). She has had many roles since then in programmes such as the BBC detective series'
Maisie Rain (1998) and
NCS Manhunt (2001); BBC drama,
Sunburn (2000), as well as the police dramas
The Vice (2001) and
ITV's
The Bill (2002).
Film credits include the
Channel 4 film Kid In The Corner (1999) - about a child suffering with
ADHD, and the controversial ITV film
No child of mine (1997). Here she played Kerry, a young girl who continuously suffered
sexual abuse from her parents, friends and carers, as well as being forced into prostitution by her father. Kerry finally contacts
Childline and is put in a safe house, where she tries to come to terms with what has been done to her. The film was based on a true story, with the names changed to protect the real victim's identity.
Kinsella is best known for playing the role of
Kelly Taylor in the
BBC soap opera EastEnders. Before securing the role of Kelly, Brooke previously auditioned for the parts of
Zoe Slater,
Janine Butcher and
Sonia Jackson, but was unsuccessful. She joined the show for a brief stint in
2001, before returning as a full-time cast member from
2002 -
2004. During her time on the hit soap, Brooke's character weathered
prostitution, relationship break-ups and confusion over her sexual identity - prompted by a gratuitous
lesbian kiss with
Michelle Ryan's character,
Zoe Slater. The kiss was criticised in the British media as cheap sensationalism and branded as a ratings-stunt [
1].
Louise Berridge, the one time executive producer of
EastEnders, made the decision to axe Brooke's character in 2004 to allow further character development of her on screen best-friend, Zoe Slater [
2].
Since leaving
EastEnders in
2004, Brooke has appeared in the ITV detective series
Rose and Maloney (2005) alongsde
Sarah Lancashire and the detective series,
Jericho (2005), alongside
Robert Lindsay. Most recently she starred in the ITV drama
Vital Signs (2006), alongside fellow
EastEnder Tamzin Outhwaite.
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Brooke Kinsella fansite
