Amanda Burton

Amanda Burton (born 10 October 1956) is a Northern Irish actress. Her notable credits include Heather Haversham in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1982–1986), Beth Glover in the ITV drama series Peak Practice (1993–1995), Sam Ryan in the BBC crime drama series Silent Witness (1996–2004, 2022), Clare Blake in the ITV crime drama series The Commander (2003–2008), Karen Fisher in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road (2010–2011) and Katherine Maguire in the ITV detective series Marcella (2020).

Early life and education

Burton was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, the youngest of four sisters. Her father, Arthur Burton, was a primary school headmaster at Ballougry Primary School, which she attended as a child.<ref name="tele">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="trevor">Template:Cite news</ref> She was raised at Ballougry, a rural townland on the south-western outskirts of Derry City, where her family lived in a house beside Ballougry Primary School, right beside County Londonderry's boundary with County Donegal.<ref name="trevor"/><ref>'Derry TV star Amanda Burton praying for Ballougry' (The Derry Journal, 3 June 2022). https://www.derryjournal.com/education/derry-tv-star-amanda-burton-prays-for-ballougry-3719166</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After later attending Londonderry High School, she moved to England at the age of 18, where she spent three years studying drama at the Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre.<ref name="tele"/>

Career

Although best known for her television roles, Burton had worked almost exclusively in the theatre prior to landing the role of Heather Haversham in Channel 4's Liverpool-based flagship soap opera Brookside.<ref name="tv"/> After four years in the role, during which time Heather had become one of the show's most popular characters, Burton began to "lose sympathy" with Heather and decided to leave.<ref name="tv"/> Following her departure her television work consisted mainly of guest appearances, with parts in a number of peak-time drama series including Minder,<ref name="tv"/> Inspector Morse,<ref name="tv"/> Boon,<ref name="tv"/> Medics, Van Der Valk, Stay Lucky and Lovejoy.<ref name="tv">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1993, Burton starred alongside Kevin Whately in Peak Practice.<ref name="tv"/> She played the role of Doctor Beth Glover in the medical drama series, based in Derbyshire's Peak District, for three series until her departure in 1995. In 1996 she then took the main role of Professor Sam Ryan in the highly acclaimed BBC drama Silent Witness;<ref name="tv"/> she held this role until 2004. Though her decision to portray Ryan as a reflective personality – sometimes staring into space – was satirised by the comedienne Jennifer Saunders, she helped lay the groundwork for what was to become one of the most popular BBC series, continuing to run, albeit without her, until her return in 2021.<ref name="tv"/>

After Silent Witness, she took on the title role of Prosecutor Helen West in a series based on Frances Fyfield's novels. She also played Aunt Polly in a 2003 remake of Pollyanna and Commander Clare Blake in Lynda La Plante's drama, The Commander.<ref name="tv"/>

In 2010, Burton appeared in the sixth series of BBC drama Waterloo Road as new headteacher Karen Fisher,<ref>Waterloo Road Press Release, bbc.co.uk; accessed 12 August 2015.</ref> and departed the show in 2011.<ref>Amanda Burton quits Waterloo Road, digitalspy.co.uk; accessed 12 August 2015.</ref> She took part in BBC1's Celebrity Masterchef and made it through to the semi-finals. She appeared as gangster's wife Cherie Le Saux in ITV drama The Level in Autumn 2016.<ref name="Lockyer">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, she had a starring role as crime family matriarch Katherine Maguire in the third season of Marcella.<ref name="tv"/>

Personal life

In 1976 Burton married theatre technician Jonathan Hartley, whom she met while at Manchester School of Theatre. They divorced in 1982. She married professional photographer Sven Arnstein in 1989, and the couple had two daughters before divorcing in 2004.<ref name="tv"/> Burton currently lives in Hastings, East Sussex (in 2016).<ref name=Lockyer/>

Charity

Burton is an ambassador for The Children's Trust, a UK charity for children with brain injury and neurodisability.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
2009	Bronson	Charlie's Mum
2017	The Dog with the Woman	Alice Wilson
2020	Body Of Water	Susan

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982–1986	Brookside	Heather Haversham	Regular role; 247 episodes
1987–1988	Boon	Margaret Daly	Main role; 14 episodes
1988	Inspector Morse	Mirella Lunghi	Episode: "The Settling of the Sun"
1989	Where There's A Will	Alice	Television film
	Frederick Forsyth Presents	Nicola	Episode: "A Casualty of War"
1990	Medics	Vikki	Episode: "Jessica"
	Template:Sortname	Aithra	1 episode
1991	Van der Valk	Elly van Roekel	Episode: "Doctor Hoffmann's Children"
	Stay Lucky	Jane Higgs	Episode: "The Food of Love"
1992	Lovejoy	Bonnie Wright	Episode: "Kids"
1993	Minder	Prosecuting Counsel	Episode: "Looking for Mr. Goodtime"
1993–1995	Peak Practice	Dr. Beth Glover/Kerruish	Regular role; 36 episodes
1996	Screen Two	Rosie Willis	Episode: "The Precious Blood"
1996–2004, 2022	Silent Witness	Prof. Sam Ryan	Regular role; 61 episodes
1998	Template:Sortname	Lynn	Television film
1999	Forgotten	Rachel Monroe/Carla Hayden	3 episodes
2000	Little Bird	Rachel Lewis	Television film
2001	Template:Sortname	Laura Tracey	2 episodes
2002	Template:Sortname	Helen West	3 episodes
2003	Pollyanna	Aunt Polly	Television film
2003–2008	Template:Sortname	Commander Clare Blake	Main role; 17 episodes
2009	Agatha Christie's Marple	Sister Clotilde	Episode: "Nemesis"
2010–2011	Waterloo Road	Karen Fisher	Regular role; 28 episodes
2015	Midsomer Murders	Carole Latimer	Episode: "Murder by Magic"
2016	Template:Sortname	Cherie Le Saux	6 episodes
2020	White House Farm	June Bamber
	Marcella	Katherine Maguire	8 episodes
2021	Anne Boleyn	Anne Shelton	3 episodes

Presenter

Year	Title	Notes
2013	Amanda Burton: Killer Forensics	Discovery

Awards and nominations

Year	Organisation	Category	Nominated work	Result
1998	National Television Award	Most Popular Actress	Silent Witness	Template:Won
1999				Template:Won
	TV Quick Award	Best Actress		Template:Won
2001	National Television Award	Most Popular Actress		Template:Won
2003				Template:Nom
2004	IFTA Award	Best Actress in a TV Drama		Template:Nom
2011	TV Quick Award	Best Actress	Waterloo Road	Template:Won

External links

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