Katherine Kelly is an English actress. She rose to prominence with her portrayal of Becky McDonald on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2006–2012), for which she received multiple awards, including the British Soap Award for Best Actress (2009) and the NTA for Best Serial Drama Performance (2012). Kelly's subsequent television roles include Lady Mae in Mr Selfridge (2013–2014, 2016), DI Jodie Shackleton in Happy Valley (2016), Miss Andrea Quill in Class (2016), Jane Lowry in Strike Back (2017–2018), DCI Natalie Hobbs in Criminal: UK (2019–2020), Elizabeth Sutherland in Gentleman Jack (2019–2022), DI Karen Renton in Liar (2020), Sally Wright in Innocent (2021), and Angela van Den Bogerd in Mr Bates vs The Post Office (2024). Katherine Kelly was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She grew up in both South Yorkshire and the United States. She has strong links with The Lamproom Theatre in Barnsley, established in 1998 by her father John (who is originally from Castleisland, County Kerry, Ireland), and has regularly supported fund-raising events held there. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art with fellow students Meredith MacNeill, Leo Bill, Elliot Cowan, Laurence Fox, and actor and novelist Anna Hope, graduating in 2001.

Filmography

• How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge) — Katrina
• In Flight — Jo Conran
• The Crow Girl — Sophia Craven
• The Hack — Sheridan McCoid
• Mr Bates vs The Post Office — Angela van den Bogerd
• Protection — DCI Hannah Wheatley
• Ruby Speaking — Vicki
• The Long Shadow — Emily Jackson
• Hotel Custody — Narrator
• 2022Let Her Go — Absent Princess
• Bloods — George
• 2021Last Train to Christmas — Paula
• 2020Kat and the Band — Liz Malone
• 2019Affection — Pauline
• Cheat — Leah Dale
• Criminal: UK — Natalie Hobbs
• 2019Dirty God — Lisa
• Flack — Brooke
• Gentleman Jack — Elizabeth Sutherland
• 2019Official Secrets — Jacqueline Jones, MI6 Agent
• Innocent — Sally Wright
• Murdertown — Presenter
• Liar — DI Karen Renton
• Class — Miss Quill
• HIM — Hannah
• The Night Manager — Permanent Secretary
• 2015The Great Chicago Adventure — Art Department Assistant
• The Secret River — Mrs. Webb
• 2015The Sound of Music Live! — Baroness Elsa Schraeder
• Happy Valley — DI Jodi Shackleton
• Inside No. 9 — Lynne
• Mr Selfridge — Lady Mae Loxley
• The Guilty — Claire Reid
• 2013The Last Witch — Alice Lister
• 2012Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story — Lee Everett-Alkin
• 2012National Theatre Live: She Stoops to Conquer — Miss Hardcastle
• Odd One In
• The National Television Awards Backstage Live
• 2009Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday — Becky McDonald
• 2008Coronation Street: Out of Africa — Becky Granger
• The Visit — Julie
• Life on Mars — Auntie Heather
• 2006Mischief Night — Junkie Jane
• New Street Law — Rebecca
• 2003Sons & Lovers — Suffragette Speaker - Emily
• The Royal — Tina Binnington
• Silent Witness
• Coronation Street — Becky Granger / Becky McDonald
• Number 10 — Frances Telford

Appearances as themselves (4)

• 2024Inside No. 9: The Party's Over — Self
• The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer — Self - Guest
• Live from Studio Five — Self
• The Justin Lee Collins Show — Self