Kelly Diane Adams (born 16 October 1979) is an English actress. She has played leading roles in a number of British television series:
Mickie Hendrie
''Holby City'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty''. It is set in the sam ...
in the
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
medical drama series ''
Holby City
''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...
'' (2004–2006) and ''
Casualty
Casualty may refer to:
*Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster
**Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare
* The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
'' (2005);
Emma Kennedy
Elizabeth Emma Williams (born 28 May 1967), known professionally as Emma Kennedy, is an English/Irish actress, lawyer, comedian, travel writer, television presenter and author.
Early life and education
The daughter of teachers,Hustle'' (2009–2012); Padre Mary Greenstock in the
BBC Three
BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...
comedy drama series ''
Bluestone 42
''Bluestone 42'' is a British sitcom about a British bomb disposal detachment in Afghanistan during Operation Herrick, first broadcast on 5 March 2013 on BBC Three. The third and final series began on 9 March 2015 and ended on 13 April 2015. In ...
'' (2013–2014); Nancy Webb in the ITV period drama series ''
Mr Selfridge
''Mr Selfridge'' is a British period drama television series about Harry Gordon Selfridge and his department store, Selfridge & Co, in London, set from 1908 to 1928. It was co-produced by ITV Studios and Masterpiece/ WGBH for broadcast on I ...
'' (2015); and Michelle Charr in the BBC daytime murder/police drama series ''
London Kills
''London Kills'' is a British police procedural television series, written and created by Paul Marquess, that premièred on Acorn TV on 26 February 2019 in the United States. One of Acorn TV's first original commissions, ''London Kills'' centres ...
'' (2020).
Career
Adams was born in
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln () is a cathedral city and district in Lincolnshire, England, of which it is the county town. In the 2021 Census, the city's district had a population of 103,813. The 2021 census gave the urban area of Lincoln, including Bracebridge He ...
. A pupil of North Kesteven School in
North Hykeham
North Hykeham is an industrial town and civil parish in the North Kesteven, North Kesteven District of Lincolnshire, England. It is located directly south of the city of Lincoln, England, Lincoln, where it forms the southern part of the wider L ...
, Adams trained at the
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, formerly Mountview Theatre School, is a drama school in Peckham, south London, England, founded in 1945. Mountview Academy provides specialist vocational training in acting, musical theatre and actor musicians ...
in
Wood Green
Wood Green is a suburban district of the London Borough of Haringey, London, England. Its postal district is N22, with parts in N8 or N15. The London Plan identifies it as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London, and today it forms ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
Initially playing
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson
Tara Claire Palmer-Tomkinson (23 December 1971 – 8 February 2017) was an English socialite and television personality. She appeared in several television shows, including the reality programme ''I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (British ...
in a docu-soap about
Prince William
William, Prince of Wales (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982), is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales.
William was born during the reign of his p ...
, she later appeared in ''
Doctors
Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to:
Titles and occupations
* Physician, a medical practitioner
* Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree
** Doctorate
** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...
'' before playing
Mickie Hendrie
''Holby City'' is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 12 January 1999 on BBC One. The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty''. It is set in the sam ...
in ''
Holby City
''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...
'' from 2004 to 2006. Adams was cast in the role of Mickie alongside fellow series six newcomer
Jaye Jacobs
Emma Jaye Jacobs (born 27 May 1982), known professionally as Jaye Jacobs, is an English actress. She is best known for playing the role of Donna Jackson in BBC medical drama series ''Holby City'' (2004-2011, 2017-2022) and ''Casualty'' (2023).
...
, who was cast as staff nurse
Donna Jackson
Donna Jackson is a fictional character from BBC medical dramas ''Holby City'' and ''Casualty (TV series), Casualty'', played by actress Jaye Jacobs. Donna entered ''Holby City'' in its Holby City series 6, sixth series as a Nursing in the United ...
. The pair's arrival in the show was heavily publicised and the subject of a documentary entitled ''Making It at Holby'', chronicling their casting process, which entailed seven weeks of auditions, including group workshops to allow the series producers to gauge candidates' personalities.
Adams originally auditioned as Donna. However, the casting directors felt that she would be better suited to Mickie, the quieter character and "mild mannered" counterpart to Donna's "sassy staff nurse". She and Jacobs were paired together during a three-hour workshop, and the producers detected an "instant spark" between them, leading to their dual casting. In 2004, her character had a lesbian liaison with Jacobs' character. The scene in which they kissed was edited to half its original length after being deemed too explicit for pre-
watershed
Watershed may refer to:
Hydrology
* Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins
* Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage)
Music
* Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...
broadcast. In the aftermath of the Mickie/Donna storyline, the BBC banned its actresses from appearing in raunchy photo-shoots, after Jacobs and Adams were photographed in intimate poses while dressed in nurse's uniforms for various " lads' mags". In 2006, her ambitious character left for Newcastle Medical school to study to be a doctor.
Adams subsequently appeared as the servant Eve in the ''
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
'' episode " A Thing or Two About Loyalty".
In 2009, Adams joined the cast of long-running BBC1 drama series '' Hustle'' for its fifth season, playing the role of
Emma Kennedy
Elizabeth Emma Williams (born 28 May 1967), known professionally as Emma Kennedy, is an English/Irish actress, lawyer, comedian, travel writer, television presenter and author.
Early life and education
The daughter of teachers,Mickey Bricks' crew of con artists. She continued in the role of Emma for three further seasons of the drama. In an episode of
Series 6 Series 6 or Season 6 may refer to:
*Series 6 exam
In the United States, the investment company products/variable life contracts representative exam, is commonly referred to as the Series 6 exam. Individuals passing this multiple choice exam are l ...
, Adams plays the role of
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
as a parody of Adams' resemblance to the Australian singer. In real life, Adams has been mistaken for Minogue.
She had a small role in the 2009 biographical film '' Bronson'', about the prisoner
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in ...
, and appeared in the British science fiction thriller ''Beacon77'' in 2009 and as Wendy in ''
My Last Five Girlfriends
''My Last Five Girlfriends'' is a 2009 British romantic black comedy film
directed by Julian Kemp starring Brendan Patricks, based on pop-philosopher Alain De Botton's book, ''Essays In Love'' (U.S. title ''On Love'').
Plot
After yet anothe ...
'' in 2010.
Adams appeared in the second series of ''
Death in Paradise
''Death in Paradise'' is a crime drama, crime television series created by Robert Thorogood, starring Ben Miller (Series 1–3), Kris Marshall (Series 3–6), Ardal O'Hanlon (Series 6–9), Ralf Little (Series 9–13) and Don Gilet (2024 Speci ...
'', shown on the BBC in early 2013. She then starred as Padre Mary Greenstock in the
BBC Three
BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...
comedy ''
Bluestone 42
''Bluestone 42'' is a British sitcom about a British bomb disposal detachment in Afghanistan during Operation Herrick, first broadcast on 5 March 2013 on BBC Three. The third and final series began on 9 March 2015 and ended on 13 April 2015. In ...
'' for its first two series.
In 2015 she played Nancy Webb in the third instalment of the ITV period drama series ''
Mr Selfridge
''Mr Selfridge'' is a British period drama television series about Harry Gordon Selfridge and his department store, Selfridge & Co, in London, set from 1908 to 1928. It was co-produced by ITV Studios and Masterpiece/ WGBH for broadcast on I ...
'', and in 2020 Michelle Charr in the second series of the BBC daytime murder/police drama series ''
London Kills
''London Kills'' is a British police procedural television series, written and created by Paul Marquess, that premièred on Acorn TV on 26 February 2019 in the United States. One of Acorn TV's first original commissions, ''London Kills'' centres ...
''.
Personal life
Adams married fashion photographer Chris Kennedy in 2011.