Jump directly to the content
PARK'S LIFE

Who is Katherine Parkinson and is the Taskmaster star married?

Katherine Parkinson

KATHERINE PARKINSON has made a name for herself playing wacky, unconventional characters on the small screen.

And now she is back as one of the challengers for the Taskmaster crown, as she looks to complete comical tasks alongside Daisy May Cooper, Johnny Vegas, Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring.

 Katherine Parkinson is an English television actress
4
Katherine Parkinson is an English television actressCredit: PA:Press Association

Who is Katherine Parkinson?

Katherine Jane Parkinson, 42, was born March 9, 1978.

The brainy actress studied classics at Oxford University before training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where she met future IT Crowd co-star Chris O'Dowd.

She left her course to star in a production of The Age Of Consent for which she was nominated for a London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Award

After a few small parts in television shows, Katherine got her break in hit ITV programme Doc Martin.

 Katherine Parkinson is perhaps best known for her role as Jen Barber in The IT Crowd
4
Katherine Parkinson is perhaps best known for her role as Jen Barber in The IT CrowdCredit: Alamy

What has Katherine Parkinson starred in?

Katherine played receptionist Pauline Lamb for three years in ITV's long-running medical comedy-drama Doc Martin.

However, she is perhaps best known for starring alongside Chris O'Dowd and Richard Ayoade in The IT Crowd.

For her portrayal of Jen Barber on the hit British comedy, Katherine scooped both a 2009 British Comedy Award and a 2014 Bafta TV Award.

Katherine has also ventured into feature films, with her credits including St Trinian's 2 and How To Lose Friends & Alienate People.

She has had lead roles in Humans and The Kennedys and played Karen Muller in Hang Ups.

In 2019 Katherine played Caroline in Defending The Guilty before taking part in series ten of Taskmaster.

On the big screen she's appeared in Easy Virtue with Colin Firth and Jessica Biel as well as The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

 Humans star Katherine Parkinson plays senior barrister Caroline in Defending The Guilty
4
Humans star Katherine Parkinson plays senior barrister Caroline in Defending The Guilty

Who is Katherine Parkinson married to?

Katherine is married to actor Harry Peacock, and they both appeared in 2015 BBC sitcom The Kennedys.

He is best known for his role in 2010 film Gulliver's Travels that also starred Jack Black.

Harry also held a recurring role in Toast Of London as the featured rival, Ray Purchase.

Peacock is the son of The Vicar Of Dibley star Trevor Peacock and actor Tilly Tremayne.

His brother Daniel, is also an actor and director.

 Katherine is married to Harry Peacock
4
Katherine is married to Harry Peacock

 

Does Katherine Parkinson have any children?

Katherine has two daughters, Dora and Gwendolyn Peacock.

She filmed the sci-fi drama Humans in 2014 when Gwendolyn was just six weeks old, leaving her husband Harry and parents to do the childcare and look after Dora, who was then only 16 months old..

She recalled the time she was breastfeeding and took an electric pump to work to express the milk.

“The expressing didn’t come naturally to me – because I am not somebody who wants to sit here with a machine making a noise while clamped to my breast and talking to men at work,” she told

“But I knew that I was only happy to go and do it if I could carry on breastfeeding. I’m not saying everybody should breastfeed. For me, it meant the bond was there for the temporary leave of absence.”

Humans sees the return of synth Karen and her policeman lover Pete
Topics