Sarah Manners

Manners was born on 25 August 1975 and grew up in Harborne, Birmingham. Her father was a classic car dealer, whilst her mother was a headmistress of a school in Handsworth. She was educated at King Edward VI Handsworth, where she obtained 10 GCSEs and four A-levels. She later studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.{{cite news |last1=Laws |first1=Roz |title=7 things you never knew about Sarah Manners |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/tv/7-things-you-never-knew-245735 |access-date=24 October 2023 |work=Birmingham Mail}} She married computer salesman Ben O'Sullivan in 2003 in Lickey, Worcestershire. Manners revealed in an interview that the two had divorced in 2009. She said: "we spent 10 years together and are still close. He's a lovely man".{{cite news |url=http://www.sundaymercury.net/entertainment-news/tv-news/2010/06/20/sarah-manners-on-her-heartbreak-at-the-end-of-the-bill-and-her-marriage-66331-26681880/|title= Sarah Manners on her heartbreak at the end of The Bill and her marriage |last=Laws |first=Roz|date=20 June 2010|work=Sunday Mercury|accessdate=11 October 2012|publisher=Trinity Mirror}}

Manners began her career in 1997, appearing in an episode of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2000, Manners was cast in the role of Joanna Helm in the BBC medical soap opera Doctors. She was one of the original nine regulars cast for the soap.{{Cite tweet|number=1242141595199250439|title=How many of our original cast did you remember? Don't forget - Doctors is 20 on Thursday, and we're celebrating with an explosive hour long episode...|user=BBCDoctors|date=23 March 2020|author=Doctors}} Of her role, she said: "I got the best storylines in the world in Doctors, my nan died of a brain tumour then it came out I killed her. I went mad and was addicted to anti-depressants, forged signatures and tried to kill myself".{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/TELEVISION%3A+BAD+BEDSIDE+MANNERS%3B+Doctors+star+Sarah+joins+Casualty+as...-a097154572|title=Television bad bedside manners; Doctors star Sarah joins Casualty as trouble-making receptionist|work=Sunday Mail|publisher=Trinity Mirror|last=Hendry|first=Steve|date=2 February 2003|accessdate=1 June 2012}} She later went on to appear as K.C. Gregory in Sky One's Mile High and Bex Reynolds in the BBC medical drama Casualty. In 2004, it was announced that Manners was to participate in the second series of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She was paired with dancer Brendan Cole and the pair finished in sixth place.{{cite news |last1=Laws |first1=Roz |title=Casualty, Strictly Come Dancing star Sarah Manners hits tough times |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/tv/casualty-strictly-come-dancing-star-242723 |access-date=26 July 2023 |work=Birmingham Mail |date=13 September 2009}}

Manners appeared in ITV's The Bill as Kirsty Knight.{{cite news |last1=Fletcher |first1=Alex |title=Sarah Manners joins 'The Bill' |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a183306/sarah-manners-joins-the-bill/ |access-date=26 July 2023 |work=Digital Spy |date=23 October 2009}} After six months on-screen, it was announced that the show was to be cancelled. Of this, she said: "I’m heartbroken. Not just for myself, but for everyone on the show. It’s a real loss for the industry. Everyone is really upset about it. All the big wigs came down to break the news to us at a meeting. We knew straight away when we saw the look on their faces. But what can you do? C’est la vie! I’ve had a fabulous time and we’re trying to remain positive. We’ve enjoyed every last minute of filming and had a laugh. I'm proud to be part of the last cast of The Bill". Of her time on the show, she said, "I loved all the action and the stunts on The Bill, and the subject matter – it’s a lot more serious than some of the TV I’ve done. In Casualty I had a rape storyline, but mainly I’ve been the light relief, so this has been a nice change". Manners qualified as a Pilates instructor in 2014, and in 2022, she designed and launched a Pilates app, Pilates On Tap. She was named an "Inspirational Woman In Tech" by We Are Tech Women in December 2022.{{cite news |title=Inspirational Woman: Sarah Manners |url=https://wearetechwomen.com/inspirational-woman-sarah-manners-founder-pilates-on-tap/ |access-date=26 July 2023 |work=We Are Tech Women}}

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Category:1975 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century English actresses

Category:21st-century English actresses

Category:21st-century English businesswomen

Category:21st-century British businesspeople

Category:Actresses from Birmingham, West Midlands

Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

Category:Businesspeople from Birmingham, West Midlands

Category:British soap opera actresses

Category:British television actresses

Category:People educated at King Edward VI Handsworth

Category:People from Harborne

Category:Pilates instructors