Kacey Ainsworth

{{Infobox person

| name = Kacey Ainsworth

| image = Kacey Ainsworth.jpg

| caption = Ainsworth in 2013

| birthname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1968|10|19}}

| birth_place = Ware, Hertfordshire, England.

| othername =

| occupation = Actress

| spouse = {{Marriage|Darren Hales|2005|2022}}

| children = 2

| website =

| awards =

| years_active = 1995–present

}}

Kacey Ainsworth (born 19 October 1968) is an English actress, known for her roles as Little Mo Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and Cathy Keating in the ITV drama series Grantchester.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2019020567522/kacey-ainsworth-strictly-come-dancing-damages-actors-careers/|title=EastEnders' Kacey Ainsworth says she thinks Strictly Come Dancing can damage stars' careers|date=2019-02-05|website=HELLO!|language=en|access-date=2019-04-03}}

Early life

Ainsworth trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama from 1991 to 1994.{{Cite web|url=http://tfsff.com/opalsingleevent-speaker/kacey-ainsworth/|title=Kacey Ainsworth – TriForce Short Film Festival|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-03}}

Career

In 2000, Ainsworth joined the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders, playing Little Mo. She made her final appearance in May 2006. Ainsworth has also appeared in other television series such as ITV police drama The Bill and detective serial A Touch of Frost. She also starred in Famous and Fearless on Channel 4. In February 2007, Ainsworth appeared in an episode of Hotel Babylon as a tabloid editor. From 2007 to 2008, she appeared in BBC drama HolbyBlue as Inspector Jenny Black.{{cite news |title=Why did Little Mo leave EastEnders and where is Kacey Ainsworth now? |url=https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/tv-movies/eastenders/kacey-ainsworth-little-mo-age-where-now/ |access-date=5 August 2023 |work=Heart |date=30 September 2022}}

On 29 March 2014, Ainsworth appeared in Casualty as DS Annie Reardon.{{cite news|url=http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/casualty/news/casualtys-soap-star-super-collision|title=Casualty's soap star super collision!|publisher=What's on TV|date=28 March 2014|access-date=29 March 2014}} Later that year, she began appearing in ITV detective drama Grantchester as Cathy Keating.{{cite news |last1=Barzey |first1=Whelan |title=ITV Grantchester: Kacey Ainsworth’s real age and ordinary life off screen with plumber husband |url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/celebs/itv-grantchester-kacey-ainsworths-real-21843285 |access-date=5 August 2023 |work=MyLondon |date=15 October 2021}} In 2017, she played Miss Gullet in CBBC sitcom The Worst Witch.

In 2019, she gave, according to Michael Billington of The Guardian, an "outstanding performance" as Mrs. Lovett in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre.{{cite web |last1=Billington |first1=Michael |title=Sweeney Todd review – raging underdog adds politics to the pies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/apr/16/sweeney-todd-review-everyman-liverpool-sondheim |website=The Guardian |access-date=20 April 2019 |date=16 April 2019}}

Filmography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1995 \| Practice \| Julia \|
1996 \| A Touch of Frost \| Carole Nash \|
1996–1997 \| The Bill \| Paula Sheriton / Gail Painter \| 2 episodes
1997 \| Where the Heart Is \| Tracey \|
1999 \| Topsy-Turvy \| Miss Dorothea Fitzherbert \|
2000–2006 \| EastEnders \| Little Mo Mitchell \| Regular role
2001 \| Girl from Rio \| Sales Assistant \|
2007 \| Hotel Babylon \| Maria Henson \|
2007–2008 \| HolbyBlue \| Inspector Jenny Black \| Main role
2010 \| Rock & Chips \| Edna \|
rowspan="3"\| 2011 \| M.I. High \| Margaret Fontana \|
Tracy Beaker Returns \| Xanthe \|
Midsomer Murders \| Nikki Rowntree \| Episode: "Echos of the Dead"
rowspan="3"\| 2014 \| Casualty \| DS Annie Reardon \|rowspan="3"\| 1 episode
Doctors \| Ruby Slade
Call the Midwife \| Nancy
2014–present \| Grantchester \| Cathy Keating \| Main role
2016 \| Agatha Raisin \| Francie Juddle \|
2017 \| The Worst Witch \| Miss Gullet \| Recurring role
2017–2018 \| Loose Women \| Herself/Guest panellist \| 3 episodes
2019 \| Lynn + Lucy \| Caroline \|
rowspan="2"\| 2020 \| Moving On \| Vicky \|
Then & Now \| Claire \| Also co-writer
rowspan="3"\| 2021 \| The Battersea Poltergeist \| Lily Chibbett \| Horror podcast
Sliced \| Denise \| Episode: "Mad Innit?"
The Mallorca Files \| Linda Ball \| Episode: "The Blue Feather"

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1995

| Practice

| Julia

1996

| A Touch of Frost

| Carole Nash

1996–1997