Vanessa Hehir

{{Infobox person

| name = Vanessa Hehir

| birth_name = Vanessa Clare Judith Hehir

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1981|10|28}}

| birth_place = Manchester, England

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 2001–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Leon Ockenden|2010}}

| children = 1

| television = Coronation Street

}}

Vanessa Clare Judith Hehir (born 28 October 1981) is an English actress, known for portraying the roles of Rosie Cartwright in the ITV police procedural drama Heartbeat (2004–2007), Kirsten Lind on the BBC medical soap opera Doctors (2008–2009), Sue Spark in the BBC drama Waterloo Road (2013–2014) and Esther Hargrave on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2022–2023).

Life and career

Vanessa Clare Judith Hehir was born on 28 October 1981 in Manchester, England.{{cite web |title=Vanessa Hehir - Writer, Screenwriter & Filmmaker The Haworth Agency |url=https://www.haworthagency.co.uk/vanessa-hehir |website=The Haworth Agency |access-date=13 January 2025}}{{cite web |title=Vanessa Clare Judith Hehir |url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=268285057:8989&d=bmd_1734743064 |website=www.freebmd.org.uk |access-date=13 January 2025}} She made her acting debut in 2001, appearing in an episode of the ITV police procedural drama Heartbeat.{{cite web |title=13 years on from last episode of Heartbeat, its popularity is undiminished |url=https://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/23640553.heartbeat-popularity-undiminished-13-years-last-episode/ |website=Darlington and Stockton Times |access-date=13 January 2025 |language=en |date=16 July 2023}} After having minor roles in series including Holby City and Down to Earth, she returned to Heartbeat three years later when she was cast in the regular role of Rosie Cartwright. She departed the series in 2007, with her character being presumed dead after being kidnapped.{{cite web |title=What Happened To Rosie In Heartbeat? - OtakuKart |url=https://otakukart.com/what-happened-to-rosie-in-heartbeat/ |website=otakukart.com |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=1 January 2023}} In 2010, she married co-star Leon Ockenden. The pair share a daughter together.{{cite web |last1=Gardnerpublished |first1=Alison |title=Love scenes with her husband ‘made me sick’ says Waterloo Road’s Vanessa Hehir |url=https://www.whattowatch.com/news/love-scenes-with-her-husband-made-me-sick-says-waterloo-road-s-vanessa-hehir-64049 |website=What to Watch |access-date=13 January 2025 |language=en |date=2 November 2014}}{{cite web |last1=Sjoberg |first1=Alice |title=Corrie's Esther star Vanessa Hehir's life from co-star husband to second job |url=https://www.ok.co.uk/lifestyle/corries-esther-star-vanessa-hehirs-28402181.amp |website=OK! |access-date=13 January 2025 |language=en |date=3 November 2022}} Between 2008 and 2009, Hehir portrayed the role of Kirsten Lind on the BBC medical soap opera Doctors. She subsequently went on to appear in the show on two further occasions as different characters in 2019 and 2023, respectively.{{cite web |title=Vanessa Hehir |url=https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/vanessa-hehir |website=Plex.tv |access-date=13 January 2025}} Then between 2010 and 2011, she had a recurring role as Nurse Summers in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale.{{cite web |title=Vanessa Hehir |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/vanessa-hehir/credits/3030420447/ |website=TVGuide.com |access-date=13 January 2025 |language=en}}

In 2013, Hehir joined the cast of the BBC school drama Waterloo Road for its ninth series as science teacher Sue Spark.{{cite web |title='Waterloo Road' newcomer on Sue arrival |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a511790/waterloo-road-vanessa-hehir-talks-sue-spark-role-future-stories/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=3 September 2013}} She departed the series during the tenth series, after her character decided to give up teaching following the end of a relationship with Hector Reid, who was portrayed by Hehir's husband, Ockenden.{{cite web |title=Waterloo Rd star: 'Sue becomes a baddie' |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a547316/waterloo-roads-vanessa-hehir-sue-becomes-a-bit-of-a-baddie/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=29 January 2014}}{{cite web |title=Waterloo Road star explains shock Sue plot |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a606596/waterloo-roads-vanessa-hehir-on-cheating-plot-sue-is-bored/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=29 October 2014}} Upon leaving, Hehir portrayed roles in episodes of Unforgotten, Midsomer Murders, Liar, Hollyoaks and The Dumping Ground. She has also appeared in a number of short films, including Eliana (2015), Slaved (2016), Secret Santa (2019), The Beast (2020) and The Willows (2021). Hehir has also directed a number of short films, some of which she starred in. In October 2022, she joined the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Esther Hargrave, a woman whom along with her husband, planned to adopt Summer Spellman's (Harriet Bibby) baby, prior to her suffering a miscarriage.{{cite web |title=Coronation Street casts former Waterloo Road star Vanessa Hehir in new role |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a41521273/coronation-street-casts-waterloo-road-vanessa-hehir/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=4 October 2022}}{{cite web |title=Coronation Street's Summer and Billy make peace over pregnancy |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a41757234/coronation-street-spoilers-summer-billy-breakthrough-pregnancy/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=24 October 2022}} She made her final appearance in January 2023 following the conclusion of the storyline.{{cite web |title=Coronation Street's Vanessa Hehir confirms Esther Hargrave soap exit {{!}} Radio Times |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/coronation-street/coronation-street-esther-hargrave-exit-newsupdate/ |website=Radio Times |access-date=13 January 2025}} In 2024, Hehir appeared in an episode of Casualty.{{cite web |title=BBC One - Casualty, 4: A History of Violence, Trauma |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001x7hw |website=BBC |access-date=13 January 2025}}

Filmography

class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
2001 \| Heartbeat \| Gail Smethurst \| Episode: "Gin a Body, Meet a Body"
2001 \| Doctors \| Carrie \| Episode: "Only Skin Deep"
2002 \| Cupboard Love \| Anges \| Short film
2004 \| Holby City \| Karen Claymore \| Episode: "The Buck Stops Here"
2004 \| Down to Earth \| Kate Foster \| Episode: "Can't Buy You Love"
2004 \| Grease Monkeys \| Nicola Jay \| Main role
2004–2007 \| Heartbeat \| Rosie Cartwright \| Main role
2008–2009 \| Doctors \| Kirsten Lind \| Recurring role
2010 \| West Is West \| Esther \| Film
2010 \| Ti presento un amico \| Beautician \| Film
2010–2011 \| Emmerdale \| Nurse Summers \| Recurring role
2012 \| Hustle \| Louise Holmes \| Episode: "Picasso Finger Painting"
2013 \| Stella \| Katie \| 1 episode
2013–2014 \| Waterloo Road \| Sue Spark \| Main role
2015 \| Supreme Tweeter \| Gina's Assistant \| Episode: "#TheRedScare"
2015 \| Unforgotten \| Thea \| 1 episode
2015 \| Eliana \| Wife \| Short film
2016 \| Slaved \| Sally \| Short film
2017 \| Midsomer Murders \| Belinda Tressel \| Episode: "Red in Tooth & Claw"
2017 \| Liar \| Coffee Shop Woman \| Episode: "The White Rabbit"
2018 \| Hollyoaks \| Mrs. Hartley \| Guest role
2019 \| Secret Santa \| Charlotte \| Short film
2019 \| Doctors \| Trisha Jennison \| Episode: "Bad Hair Day"
2020 \| The Dumping Ground \| Amanda \| Episode: "The Replacement"
2020 \| The Beast \| Charlotte \| Short film
2021 \| The Willows \| Dawn \| Short film
2022 \| The Bulls \| Vanessa \| Short film
2022–2023 \| Coronation Street \| Esther Hargrave \| Recurring role
2023 \| Doctors \| Brooke Hare \| Episode: "Lost Time"
2024 \| Casualty \| Aisling Hagerty \| Episode: "Trauma"
colspan="4" \| Sources:

class="wikitable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

2001

| Heartbeat

| Gail Smethurst

| Episode: "Gin a Body, Meet a Body"

2001

| Doctors

| Carrie