Katherine Kelly, a familiar face on television for the past two decades, is currently featuring in the crime thriller The Crow Girl.
The series, which premiered on Thursday, January 16, on Paramount+, is an adaptation of Erik Axl Sund’s novel.
It follows DCI Jeanette Kilburn (portrayed by Eve Miles) and psychotherapist Dr Sophia Craven (played by Katherine Kelly) as they pursue a serial killer targeting young men.
With Kelly taking a leading role in the six-part drama, viewers are eager to learn more about the actress.
Parents
Born in Barnsley in November 1979, Kelly is the eldest of four children born to Irish parents.
Her father emigrated from Ireland at the age of four and was working in the Yorkshire pits by the time he was 15.
Despite their regular jobs, Kelly’s parents were also singers who frequently performed on the club circuit.
In an interview with The Sunday Post, Kelly revealed: “They both had proper jobs my mum in NHS offices and my dad became a nurse after mining but they were club singers and would do it every weekend. It was good money.
“My dad’s untrained but could play the guitar and banjo, saying it was down to his Irish genetics, and mum has a beautiful voice.
“When kids came along I’m the oldest of four it wasn’t conducive to having a big family, so they moved into am-dram.
“Me and my brothers would go along to watch it was a way of not having to get babysitters and I remember sitting in church halls watching all these musicals. Eventually, we joined in.
Inside Katherine Kelly life’s from dating actor 17 years her senior to nearly ending up in a wheelchair (Image: PARAMOUNT PLUS)
Actress Katherine Kelly played Becky Granger in Coronation Street for six years. (Image: ITV)
Coronation Street
Kelly soared to fame with her role as Becky Granger on ITV’s , captivating audiences for six years before her departure in 2012.
Now 45, Kelly reveals she might have declined the role had she known the length of her stay on the iconic cobbles.
“I had been offered another season at the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company), but I didn’t want to be pigeonholed to classical theatre, so I said to my agent in London that I’d never been seen for or .
“My agent said, ‘Do you want to see them?’ They presumed I wouldn’t be interested, but that’s what I grew up watching. My dad’s Irish and is huge in the south of Ireland.
“A role came up, it was only about a dozen episodes, and I said perfect.
However, her perspective on the duration of the role was clear: “If I’d realised how long it was going to be I probably would have said no, because I like to keep moving around.
“But my nan had been saying I was at the RAC when I was with the RSC and now, being on , she could work out what I was doing.”
Romance
On a personal note, the Mr Selfridge actress married IT consultant Ryan Clark in a glitzy Las Vegas ceremony in 2013.
The couple welcomed their first child Orla in 2014, followed by their second daughter Rose two years later.
Unfortunately, the couple parted ways in 2020, though the reasons behind their separation remain private.
Kelly, known for her role in The Crow Girl, has been romantically linked to Line of Duty star Tony Pitts since 2022. The couple reportedly first crossed paths while working on the short film Affection in 2019.
Actress Katherine Kelly is in a relationship with actor Tony Pitts. (Image: GETTY)
Pitts, famed for his portrayal of DCS Les Hargreaves in the hit ITV drama, boasts an impressive acting resume with roles such as Edgar Massinger in Jamestown and Richard Alderson in All Creatures Great and Small.
Celebrating his 62nd birthday in October 2024, Pitts is notably 17 years older than Kelly.
Accident
In a shocking revelation, Kelly recounted a harrowing accident at the age of 19 when she fell through a door and struck her coccyx on a table corner.
The incident seemed minor until a camping trip months later exposed the severity of her injury, leaving her unable to exit a sleeping bag.
Her ordeal worsened upon returning to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, where she faced debilitating mobility issues: “I couldn’t get out of bed. My flatmate would have to lift me out of bed.”
Seeking medical help, she visited a GP and was referred to physiotherapy. Back home, an osteopath provided temporary relief, but the problem persisted.
For the next year and a half, Kelly battled intense pain, relying on migraine tablets sent by her mother and alternating between physiotherapy and osteopathy treatments.
“I couldn’t predict when it would hit. It was almost like I was lying, as one day I was in pain and the next I wasn’t. I knew I’d have to leave drama school.”
Kelly was on the brink of leaving when RADA generously offered to cover her physiotherapy costs, with Kelly attributing her turnaround to her physio Kevin Ludlow.
“If I hadn’t found him, I would have had an operation. I had a conversation with one professional about a wheelchair,” she revealed.
Looking ahead.
Kelly’s IMDb profile indicates she’s set to appear in the new series In Flight, sharing the screen with Babylon’s Stuart Martin, The Agency’s Ambreen Razia, and Hollyoaks’ Bronagh Waugh.
The plot for the forthcoming series, currently in the works, is described as: “Jo Conran’s son is imprisoned for a murder he denies.”
“A gang blackmails her into smuggling, pushing her into a world of corruption and violence to save her child’s life.”
The Crow Girl is available to watch on Paramount+.