Claire King

Early life and early career

King grew up in Harrogate with her brother and sister. King attended Harrogate Ladies College, and as a punk chose a career in the music business, as a disc jockey in a Leeds nightclub. She then joined the pop groups Fidea and later To Be Continued as lead singer.

Her career moved her to London, where she lived with Geoff Bird, alias guitarist Cobalt Stargazer of the group Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction. After making her acting debut in the Adam & the Ants video Goody Two Shoes as the blonde girl with the glasses, after previously dancing in one of Zodiac Mindwarp's videos, the relationship broke down and she became a Rock n Roll Groupie. After a series of short term relationships, she decided to become an actress, but when she tried to register with actors union Equity, she found there was already another Claire Seed, so changed her name to King in light of her love of horse racing (the sport of kings) and her favourite singer Elvis Presley.

Other work

In 1987, King played a role in the film Eat the Rich.

In 1988, King appeared in an episode of Wish Me Luck as a Cinema Usherette. In 1989, she appeared in the film Cold Light of Day as a Prostitute. Soon after she joined the cast of the ITV soap opera Emmerdale as Kim Tate a role she played for ten years before leaving the show in 1999. She had a role in an episode of Babes in the Wood as Angela.

In 2000, she joined the cast of Bad Girls playing wing governor Karen Betts. She left the program in 2004 after four years on the show. In 2002, she appeared in an episode of Doctors as Jenny Hennessey in the episode "Into The Shadows". In 2004, King had a role in an episode of the sitcom Down to Earth as Paula Wakeman and appeared in one episode of Dalziel and Pascoe as Louise Russell in the episode entitled: "Still Waters". Later that year, King played Madeline Jackson-Carter in four episodes of the hit drama TV show The Courtroom. In 2005, she appeared as Andrea Mason QC, a barrister for Justin Burton in 6 episodes of the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. She later appeared as Janice Perry in an episode of Holby City called "Not Another Car Wreck". She appeared in The Afternoon Play in the episode "The Good Citizen" as Joanna Clay as well as Sally Parker in an episode of TV series Donovan.

In 2006, King participated and appeared in the fourth series of the BBC reality show Strictly Come Dancing she finished overall in sixth place. King also appeared in 5 episodes of Hollyoaks: In The City as business woman Stella and as Gina in an episode of Mayo in Episode 1.7. In 2007, she was a contestant in the BBC Two reality-television show Safari School filmed in South African bush where she finished in third place overall. King appeared in two episodes of the TV show The Pyramid Game.

In 2008, King appeared in an episode of the medical drama The Royal as Lucy Bayliss in the episode "Slings And Arrows". In 2008, King appeared as a panellist on the Channel 5 topical debate show The Wright Stuff for two episodes and on The Alan Titchmarsh Show. She appeared in the documentary Emmerdale 50000 promoting five thousand episodes of the TV Program.

King, has appeared on lunch time chat show Loose Women several times as a guest. She was a presenter in 2012 to mark 40 years of Emmerdale. She has also appeared on day-time TV Show This Morning several times.

In 2010, King appeared and starred in the BBC Three sitcom The Gemma Factor as Betsy. King appeared in the topical debate show The Wright Stuff on Channel 5 as a panellist for one episode. She later went on a UK and Ireland tour of the comedy play The Naked Truth along with Liberty X singer Michelle Heaton. In 2012, she appeared as a Governor in an episode of Hollyoaks. She had a role in the film The Wedding Video as Gina. She appeared in the documentary Emmerdale at 40: The Headline Makers marking 40 years of the soap opera. In 2013, she appeared as Geraldine Worthing in an episode of the BBC medical drama Casualty and appeared in two episodes of Daybreak.

King has appeared in several pantomime productions including Jack and the Beanstalk and Snow White.

In 2014, King appeared in an episode of Pointless in a Soap-Star special edition.

She also appeared in the Channel 5 documentary presented by Actress and Author Joan Collins TV's Nastiest Villains.

King entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to compete in the fourteenth series on 18 August 2014 as a Housemate but left the show on Day 16 due to illness. She appeared twice on Big Brother's Bit On The Side.

In October 2014, she appeared in an episode of Who's Doing the Dishes?.

In November 2014, she appeared in an episode of the E4 comedy show Drifters as Cath.

In December 2014, she joined the cast of the soap opera Coronation Street as character Erica Holroyd, a friend of Liz McDonald.

Personal life

King married actor Peter Amory who played her stepson Chris Tate in Emmerdale in 1994. They separated in 2004 when King was living in London filming Bad Girls. King ended her engagement to fellow actor John Robson after disagreements over where they would be living. She currently lives in a converted barn near Harrogate, with her horses and Labrador dogs. King owns four racehorses.