Singer Kimberley Walsh to play home-wrecking netball teacher in Channel 4 drama Ackley Bridge
WE know that as a former Girls Aloud singer, Kimberley Walsh can’t speak French, so it’s good she is teaching kids netball instead.
She has bagged a plum role in Channel 4 school drama .
I’m told she will play “home-wrecking” netball coach Claire in the series, which returns next month.
It’s a big move for Kimberley, who has dabbled in acting but hadn’t quite landed her breakthrough role.
She joins a star cast including former EastEnders duo Paul Nicholls and Jo Joyner and Citizen Khan’s Adil Ray.
Paul and Jo play Claire’s ex-husband, PE teacher Steve and his wife, headteacher Mandy, while Adil plays wealthy school governer Sadiq.
A C4 source said: “It’s a great signing for Channel 4, and Kimberley jumped at the chance. She loves acting and she’s trying to do more of it.
“She had small roles in Disney series The Lodge and Horrid Henry: The Movie. Her new part is definitely something to get her teeth into and Claire will ruffle some feathers. Her clashes with Mandy will be good fun for viewers.”
The show launched last year with a six-part series, marking Channel 4’s first return to 8pm weeknight drama in 13 years. Its second series will span 12 episodes.
Kimberley said last night: “It was so much fun appearing as Claire in Ackley Bridge. It’s a fantastic show with a brilliant cast. It was an honour to be part of it.
“Claire is sassy and strong and comes to blows a few times with Mandy, which was really fun to play. It was great fun working with Jo Joyner and Paul Nicholls on this storyline.”
The school is set in the fictional Yorkshire mill town of Ackley Bridge, and Kimberely is from Bradford originally.
At least she didn’t have to shell out on voice-coaching lessons.
Stan up for return trip on Car Share
Fans of Peter Kay’s brilliant Car Share will be glad to hear that Monday night’s finale might not actually be the end of the road for the sitcom.
His co-star Sian Gibson, has teased that there could be more mileage left in the show after two hit BBC1 series.
Asked if next week’s episode will be the “last ever”, the Welsh comic teased: “Never say never.”
Her comments come after fans set up an online petition demanding more Car Share, which gathered 11,000 signatures.
Peter said: “We always knew the second series would end that way and we thought that people might be a little bit miffed but never thought they would be so devastated.
“We decided to write another episode of the show that hopefully gave the characters a resolution and I thought, let’s hold this back until the repeat of the second series.
“It was hard to keep it a secret after the reaction we got, but we never said that there wouldn’t be any more Car Shares . . . we just said there wouldn’t be a third series.”
Cue the announcement of a load of a load of Christmas specials.
Soapbox
Mick Carter finds himself at the centre of the stabbing drama in Eastenders during tonight’s episode when he finds Keegan clinging to life outside The Vic.
Realising waiting for an ambulance could take too long, the pub landlord drives the teenager to hospital.
Keegan tries to tell him about Shakil, who collapsed out of sight, but he struggles to get the message across.
Meanwhile, down under on Neighbours Finn Kelly is back on Ramsay Street with a mischievous plan.
The former teacher makes a comeback to Erinsborough when he is revealed as the boyfriend of Elly Conway’s half-sister Beatrix Nilsson – who is reuniting with her sibling following years of estrangement.
Biz bit
KEM CETINAY and CHRIS HUGHES will be reunited on ITV2 for their own show this year.
It comes after the pair impressed bosses with their Brit Awards red carpet presenting. The mystery project will be on at the same time as Love Island.
Vic back on box
ITV bosses will be hoping the weekend’s royal goodwill continues, as it is bringing back Victoria for a third series despite limp ratings.
The second season’s viewing figures plummeted to an all-time low of 3.7million last year – a hefty 2.3million down from series one.
And producers have recruited Laurence Fox to play wayward Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston in a bid to boost its audience.
Harry Potter actress Kate Fleetwood will star as Victoria’s mysterious half-sister Feodora and comic John Sessons plays PM John Russell. Jenna Coleman, and Tom Hughes return as the royal couple.
Victoria creator Daisy Goodwin hopes the show will last for five series.
She said: “We couldn’t do it after she dies, so I’ll say there’ll be five series.”
If ratings continue to drop, she’ll be lucky to get to four.
Reunited
Doctor Who co-stars David Tennant and Catherine are to reunite on-screen in a new comedy for Sky1.
It’s the first time the pair have worked together since they appeared on stage in Much Ado About Nothing in 2011.
Details are thin but the series, called Americons, follows a couple moving to the US. I’ll give it a swerve.
Must watch
WHAT? A&E Live, ITV1, 9pm.
WHY? As the channel celebrates 70 years of the NHS, Davina McCall visits Leeds General Infirmary to experience the drama of its A&E department.