Alison King

Early life and education

Alison King was born at Leicester Royal Infirmary to Alex and June King, who were both nurses at the hospital. She was their fourth child and third daughter. She was raised in the family home first in Ratby Lane, Markfield, Leicestershire where she went to Markfield Mercenfeld Primary School and was taught by Tracey Lee, mother of Sammy Lee, and Gillian Sykes, then in Kirby Muxloe. She attended South Charnwood High School, where she first took an interest in acting. She continued to act while attending Groby Community College, where a teacher offered drama and dance classes to students in their free time.

King was raised as a Christadelphian and attended the Christadelphian Church at Westleigh, Leicester, where she was baptised as a teenager.

When King was 17, she found a lump on her breast, although a mammogram revealed it to be a cyst.

At the age of 18, King moved to Newquay, Cornwall, where she worked at Fat Willys Surf Shack. She surfed in her spare time, and spent four years as a dental nurse.

When she was 22, she enrolled at the North Cheshire Theatre School, after her boyfriend Philip Middlemiss encouraged her to become an actress. While at drama school, she underwent cosmetic surgery at a London dental practice to improve her smile, stating her teeth had been ruined by sucking her thumb as a child, and later had more surgery in 2015.

During her time there she got her first television role, playing Helen, a hair salon crimper, in two episodes of Brookside. Before the conclusion of her three-year diploma, she was cast in the major role of Lynda Block in Sky One's Dream Team.

1998–2006: Career beginnings

King appeared on Sky One football drama Dream Team as Lynda Block for three years and left when the character was sent to prison. The show was filmed in football grounds such as Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow. She reprised the role some years later. During her break from working on Dream Team, she worked on several projects abroad including Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, a role as an extra in the American feature film Shanghai Knights — appearing in a scene as a prostitute alongside Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. She said of filming Shanghai Knights that she "only had a cough and spit role as a prostitute but they put my bit in the advert the last time it was on TV so I got 'oh, working with Owen Wilson are you?' I got a lot of ribbing about being the whore in Shanghai Knights." She had major supporting roles in projects such as BBC comedy-drama Help, as well as video film Submerged (2005) and feature film Final Contract: Death on Delivery, both action films. She said of working on Submerged: "The first one was with Steven Seagal, which was filmed in Bulgaria. He’s a member of the American military and I’m Dimita – the best field op in the business. I’m an action girl with a high pony-tail doing lots of stunts. The stunt guy had worked with Angelina Jolie on Tomb Raider and he showed me how to hang upside down from things, how to jump down into dams and how to strangle people with my knees. It was great fun." She said of Final Contract: "In that one I was armed with a crossbow and chasing round in speedboats and fighting". Her work in Submerged was complimented as an impression of Angelina Jolie. She talked of her enthusiasm for filming action scenes "I always think you should do the slap for real. They always have a safety guy on set anyway. I've done a lot of action films actually - I like getting involved. I've kicked people, shot them and all kinds of things."

King played Frenchie in a production of Grease in Edinburgh Festival Theatre, and narrated a production of Blood Brothers in the London Palladium. She made a guest appearance in the final episode of Mile High, playing the wife of Captain Nigel Croker's, and was featured in Coupling in the episode "The Man with Two Legs", as Chrissy with whom Jeff Murdock becomes infatuated on his morning train ride. She appeared in Holby City as the distressed wife of a hospital patient, and made a brief appearance as a receptionist in the film Fat Slags. She played prominent roles for two independent films, Save Angel Hope (2006) and Back in Business (2007). In 2000, she appeared in an episode of Cold Feet as "Girlpower", a seductive internet avatar. King also appeared in the second episode of the fourth series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet in 2004.

In 2008, King spoke of her career and lack of aspiration, saying "You get addicted to being a jobbing actress. I'm not majorly ambitious but I've always got by fine. My attitude is if something happens it's a nice surprise but I don't go all out to get stuff. I'm not that good at networking. I usually get the next film because it worked well on the film before, so I'm doing something right." She commented in 2007 of the roles she normally plays, "I always seem to be playing bitchy women that are a bit older than me. Perhaps it's because of the accent or the way I hold myself. But I would quite like to play somebody like me that wears baggy jeans and t-shirts, a bit of a tomboy girl. More of an action role. I do like to get dressed up but most of the time I'm just in flared jeans and trainers." King admitted that she feels she cannot act unless she has a photograph of actor Anthony Hopkins by her side. She said "I have an old black and white picture of him that I put up on my wall everywhere I work, otherwise I feel like I fail as an actor. I'd love to take him for a drink." King has expressed fears that she ruins scenes by making the wrong faces, confessing she always worries about how she looks on camera.

2006–present: Coronation Street

In 2006, she was cast as Carla Connor in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. When she won the role, she said "I'm still pinching myself. It's a wonderful part." She made her first appearance in the role in the episode broadcast on 1 December 2006. She had previously appeared in the soap in 2004 as an unrelated character named Mrs Fanshaw. Her one-episode role was part of a larger storyline to "sex up" Ryan Thomas's character, builder Jason Grimshaw. She later joked "I was Mrs Fanshaw - or Fanny. What a nightmare!" Metro also reported she had previously played a character called Milly Webster in 1982. She said that she initially found the role difficult, as she "was uncomfortable playing a constant bitch at first. I'm getting into it now but I'm not as nasty or as cocky as Carla. She's horrible to anyone she perceives to be a rival. I couldn't be like that." She went on maternity leave in 2009. In November 2010, she admitted her character "annoys the hell" out of her, saying "I would never be her mate in a million years! Carla's a nightmare and annoys the hell out of me. She's the type of person who creates drama wherever she goes, and I'm not like that at all. Plus, she'd probably try to steal my fella!" She has also said she hates the voice she chose for the character.

King's role in the soap involved high-profile storylines. In 2010 she was involved in the death of Tony Gordon storyline, in which she had to be kidnapped in the Underworld factory. For these scenes, she had to be tied to a chair with her hands tied behind her back and have her mouth gagged with gaffer tape. Of filming the scenes, she said "We were tied up and gagged for a week and a half. My wrist was sore at the end! It was a different experience anyway, acting for two weeks with your hands tied behind your back on a chair." King and Julie Hesmondhalgh joked that they developed a “telepathic understanding” while they were gagged, saying “We could tell from our eyes what we were trying to relate.” At a preview screening, she expressed worries about her performance, saying "The first time watching something back is hard, because you're over critical. But I will watch it again when it is aired next week. I have no idea what people will think of it. I hope they like it. I have no idea if I've done it justice or not." The episodes were the most expensive the show had ever produced. The storyline was a hit with audiences and critically acclaimed.

In 2011, King's character was raped by her boyfriend. This storyline had a massive public impact and saw a high rise in reported rapes across the United Kingdom. King spoke of how there was an 800% increase in calls to support organisations after the storyline had aired, and that people had contacted her about their real-life experiences, some of whom she has kept in communication with. She said that she was "proud" of the storyline. Her performance in the rape storyline led to a Best Actress award at the 2012 British Soap Awards.

In 2010, she talked of how long she would stay at Coronation Street, and that she had no worries for her career afterwards, saying "I'll have done four years in Coronation Street in October but because I had more or less a year out it still feels very fresh. I'm certainly in no rush to get out of it. I'm really lucky to be in this job. But I had a great career before I came into the show - 11 years working non-stop. Hopefully I wouldn't be too scared to do a few more silly action films if I could get them under my belt. I'll know when it's time to go but I'm not there yet." In July 2013, King spoke of her future on Coronation Street, saying "I don't know whether I'll be here forever - I'd love to have a go at different things, like an action drama or love story. But as long as I'm happy in the role and the producers will have me, I'll be staying put for now." In May 2015, it was announced she would be taking an extended break from Coronation Street to pursue other projects. She also initially stated her intention was to take a break from the show and return. However, in January 2016, it was confirmed that the departure would be permanent. She spoke to RadioTimes of her reason to leave: "I’ve probably only ever done about 20 pick-ups or drop-offs in all the time my daughter's been at school, which is quite sad. And creatively, I miss being other people. It’s what I went to drama school for. I love playing diverse characters and meeting new people. And, truthfully, I also want to be able to get my voiceover career going again. There’s all sorts of things that I used to do, which I can’t do while I’m on Coronation Street. So, those are the reasons, really." She departed on 26 May 2016 and in an interview said that she would be looking for new types of roles and projects. The cast of the show tweeted their sadness at her departure on her last day of filming. King said of leaving "These are my best friends and I love them very much. I’ll miss them all and being with them, you know, the cast and crew and production, they’re my family." The cast threw her a leaving party at Salford Quays after her departure. Before leaving, she was nominated for Best Serial Drama Performance at the 2016 National Television Awards, but lost to Danny Dyer. Dyer later engaged in fights with fans of King on Twitter who claimed she should have won the award instead of him.

King confessed in an interview that she blames Coronation Street for "destroying her feet and shattering her vocal chords", regretting that she agreed to portray Carla Connor for 10 years with a gravelly voice and high heels. She said "Coronation Street ruined my body." She greeted guests in a virtual reality video when Coronation Street went on tour in late 2016/early 2017, beginning in Glasgow. She spoke of filming the video for the tour "It is surreal because is the original set and I know how many scenes I've filmed in there. But as an actress, no matter how long you have off, being back on set you still feel like you've never left. This is obviously a bit different because I'm being Ali and not Carla. I keep looking round for them to shout action. It has been my home for 10 years so I am quite at home being on set." Her co-star and friend Kym Marsh told how she misses King since she left the show. King has praised Marsh's acting in the soap since her departure.

In September 2016, while attending a Cirque Du Soleil show after just returning from a holiday in France, King admitted that since quitting Coronation Street, she has no new projects lined up, joking that she might quit acting and join the circus. She quipped: "Yeah, I'll maybe have a go tonight and see how it pans out."

In August 2017, after numerous rumours earlier in the year, it was officially announced that King would return to her role as Carla Connor in December that year. Co-stars Kym Marsh and Shayne Ward talked of their delight that King was returning, and that they couldn't wait to work with her again. Marsh said of King's return "I’m extremely excited, I can’t wait – we’ve missed her and she’s missed us. I love Alison King. Me and her have been very close." Coronation Street producer Kate Oates said she would "break new ground" with Carla, and doesn’t intend to force the character back into a destructive cycle of misery but will instead reinvigorate her feisty side. Carla Connor's exit storyline had been criticised for making her leave "powerless and in disgrace." Oates has said that Carla Connor will clash with her best friend Michelle Connor when she returns, saying "The Carla that we see is very different to the Carla who left the Street a couple of years ago. I really wanted to bring back that feisty side to the character and while it’s right that she and Michelle will have some tension ahead, there’s a different – and quite unexpected – story which initially brings her back at the end of the year." Oates has stated she would like to keep King in the show for as long as possible.

Public image

King's physical appearance and personality is considered popular within the United Kingdom male demographic. In December 2008, she was voted the top 'Sexiest Soap Babe Of 2008' in an online poll of the British public by MSN Entertainment, followed by Lacey Turner and Roxanne McKee in second and third place. She has been voted sexiest female for her role as Carla Connor on Coronation Street, was nominated for Sexiest Soap Star at the TV Now Awards in 2008, and Sexiest Female at the 2011 British Soap Awards but lost to her Coronation Street co-star Michelle Keegan. She has been named as one of the "sexiest soap females". In August 2012, Maxim named her number one of the Top Ten Sexiest UK Soap Stars. Scottish Daily Record has called her "dreamy", while Daily Mirror has referred to her as "effortlessly gorgeous", and its readers voted her as one of the Sexiest Female soap stars. Columnist Grace Dent described King as "an alluring vision, raven haired, classy, sultry and replete with guile". For her portrayal of Carla Connor on Coronation Street, she was compared favourably to Elsie Tanner as "strong, dark, mouthy, pushy, full of herself and nobody's fool, ready to put the world to rights with another lashing of lipstick." Manchester Evening News commented that she "normally ends up playing a feisty glamorous female." In September 2017, Shayne Ward called her "one of the most captivating actresses I've ever worked with," and told of how she helped him learn to act on Coronation Street.

King has said she is "flattered" to be considered a sex symbol, speaking in 2010 of her surprise "I don’t know that I am – but yeah, why not? I’ve just turned 37, so way to go! They can call me a sex symbol if they want." She spoke in 2007 that she hoped to remain popular with male viewers, saying "I'm thankful that people think I'm sexy, especially as I'm getting on a bit. But if they saw me first thing in the morning they may change their minds!" When asked about her nomination for Sexiest Female at British Soap Awards, she laughed "If I win it, I'll eat my own hat. I don't think Carla is sexy, I think she's just a bit gobby. I don't really see her as a sexpot."

Despite her following, King does not engage with her fans through social media, and does not have a Twitter or Facebook account. There are instead several fan pages devoted to her on social media platforms.

King has turned down offers to appear on Strictly Come Dancing due to nervousness about the publicity.

Endorsements

In April 2004, King was chosen as the face of Boddingtons beer, taking over from Melanie Sykes. She launched the ad campaign at The Circle Club in Manchester. She said she was "thrilled to be chosen as the girl to deliver that infamous endline in a Boddingtons ad. As a girl who spends so much time in Manchester, it's great to be able to be part of a campaign for a brand such as Boddingtons, especially as I love a creamy pint of Bodds down my local." She made appearances in a series of recurring television adverts for Daz.

Charity work

King fronted a campaign to raise money for Breast Cancer Campaign with thermal manufacturer Damart. She said in 2007 "I said yes straight away to this campaign - because I feel I can bring it home in a way. People might not realise breast cancer hits a lot of people my age and younger. I'm very fortunate not to have any immediate family affected but everyone is touched by it. I had a friend who died of breast cancer in her early 40s, the most beautiful lady, and it's very hard to understand."

Personal life

King lives in Manchester. She is a keen football fan and a supporter of English Premier League football side Liverpool F.C.

King is a smoker, although she gave it up while pregnant.

Relationships

She had a five-year relationship with former Coronation Street actor Philip Middlemiss (who played Des Barnes). The pair met on holiday in the Mediterranean, in a Tenerife bar in March 1995, and he encouraged her to become an actress. In the 1990s, King was described as a regular on the Manchester party scene while dating Middlemiss, and commented in 2007 about her party animal days, saying "it seems like another life time ago. That gap from 25 to 34 is a long time. Sometimes I meet somebody from 10 years ago and I can't remember anything." In November 1996, Middlemiss told Scottish Daily Record of his relationship with King "I've never been happier. She is a wonderful girl. I love her to death." Middlemiss helped King with her studies when she began drama college, and she would help Middlemiss learn Coronation Street scripts. Middlemiss remarked "When we read them through, Alison plays the parts of all the other characters. Who knows, some day she might even turn up on the cobbles of Weatherfield." King would go on to join Coronation Street exactly ten years later in December 2006. Middlemiss has said the couple did not break up but drifted apart. In a July 2000 interview, Middlemiss said of their relationship "I was in love with Allie. She's the only person I've ever really loved. But she was working in London and I was in Manchester. In another life, if I had been a bus driver and she had worked at the local baker's shop, we would have got married and had kids by now."

King dated Coronation Street co-star Simon Gregson but reportedly broke up with him by phone. In 2006, King became engaged to fellow actor Jim Alexander who co-starred in several series of Dream Team with her, as well as the Daz adverts. They shared a flat in London. However, the pair split in April 2007. The breakup was reported to be because of King's new role on Coronation Street as Carla Connor, as their relationship became strained when she moved to Manchester in order to star in the soap opera. In January that year, she had said "He's making me very happy and bounding up between London and Manchester. He's coming up for a month in a few days, so I'm looking forward to that very much." A friend of King's said she was "devastated" by the breakup and that she had thrown herself into her work to cope with the loss, commenting "It was a hard decision for both of them. But in the end it was Alison who thought it was better they parted. She is really upset but Alison is a tough cookie, a strong-minded girl. She'll get over things. She's loving her role in Coronation Street." In April 2007, it was reported she was dating her Coronation Street co-star Sean Gallagher but she, friends and a Coronation Street spokesperson dismissed that they were anything more than good friends.

She briefly dated fellow soap star Louis Emerick following the split from Alexander.

She began dating Adam Huckett, a Coronation Street sound technician in April 2007, just two weeks after breaking off her engagement to Jim Alexander. A Coronation Street spokeswoman had in April "This is something that she doesn't want to talk about. Her break-up with Jim has been amicable, but she has no further comment." In October 2009, she described Huckett as "the love of her life." In 2008, it was announced she was expecting her first child. She spoke of how she loved being pregnant. She gave birth to their daughter, Daisy Mae, on 11 February 2009, in a Manchester hospital. She delivered the baby by Caesarean section. The baby weighed 6lbs 7oz. A Coronation Street spokeswoman said "No name has been decided on yet but mum and baby are doing well. Everyone at Coronation Street sends Alison and her partner Adam Huckett their best wishes on the birth of their daughter." King has also stated that she wishes to have more children in the future, and loves being a mother. In a 2010 interview with Scottish Daily Record, she said "I love motherhood. My daughter is hilarious. She just makes me laugh every day." King's best friend Kym Marsh lost a premature baby later that month. King hired a personal trainer to lose weight after giving birth before she returned to Coronation Street. She said "I had a personal trainer twice a week and he was wicked – he made me do circuit training and boxing – by the end of the third circuit, I’d be swearing and ready to punch his face in!" She eventually lost two stone. When asked in October 2009 if she and Huckett would marry, she said "Probably. Eventually. If he gets a ring!" She became engaged to Huckett in September 2011 while on a trip to Paris. However, on 16 October 2012 it was reported that the engagement was off as they had split up. King had taken a four-month break from Coronation Street between June and October to go on holiday with Huckett and their daughter. They claimed they had split as they "weren't making each other happy anymore". They said they were "determined" to remain friends, denied anyone else was involved, and confirmed they would still work together on Coronation Street.

In 2015, it was rumoured she was dating Coronation Street co-star Shayne Ward after they were spotted hugging at the TV Choice Awards. Her best friend Kym Marsh dismissed the rumours, saying "that’s just Ali – she hugs everyone! She holds my hand and cuddles and kisses me, she’s very tactile and affectionate and so is Shayne." In 2016, she was forced to deny that she was romantically involved with her Coronation Street co-star Ryan Thomas after they were pictured on holiday together. Since 2016, she has been dating Hollyoaks assistant director Paul Slavin. The relationship was revealed after they were photographed by the press and there was speculation as to his identity. She said of the relationship: "I’m seeing somebody. It’s very early days so I don’t want to say anything more, but I’m happy."

Stalking incidents

In August 2007, it was reported that a convicted pedophile named Kevin Sedgwick had been stalking female Coronation Street stars, including King, Kym Marsh, Tracy Shaw and Beverly Callard. He had been banned from the show's set in 2000 after he bombarded Shaw with love letters, and attempted to grab and kiss her in the street, while he also sent Callard a pair of scissors. A Coronation Street studio source said "The fact he is back means the current crop of female cast members will have to be on their guard." He stopped King at the studio, posing as an autograph hunter.

In 2014, it was reported that King had requested extra security from ITV bosses after it emerged she had a female stalker. Despite formal requests to stay away after being found lurking outside of her house, the woman approached her at a public event, Southport Flower Show, resulting in a distressed King fleeing the event earlier than intended.