Elizabeth Estensen (born 10 August 1949) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Diane Sugden on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 1999 to 2021, with a guest stint in 2022. She has also made appearances in various British television series, including The Liver Birds, T-Bag and Coronation Street.
Elizabeth Estensen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 August 1949 Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1974–2022[1] |
| Television | The Liver Birds T-Bag Series Coronation Street Emmerdale |
| Spouse |
Philip Allen (m. 1983) |
| Children | 1 |
Early and personal life
editEstensen was born on 10 August 1949 and had a Norwegian grandfather, from whom she inherited her surname. She grew up in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. Her mother was a primary school teacher, and her father was a merchant seaman and solicitor's clerk. Estensen considered becoming a speech therapist, but signed up for a Drama and English teaching course at Manchester Polytechnic instead.[2] Estensen has been married to husband Philip Allen since May 1983, and the pair have a son together, James Otto Allen.[3]
Career
editFollowing graduation from Manchester Polytechnic, she moved to Liverpool and joined the Everyman repertory company. While appearing in a production of John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert, she was noticed by actress Nerys Hughes, who was looking for a replacement for Polly James in her sitcom, The Liver Birds. Estensen was cast as Carol Boswell, her debut television role, in 1975.[2] After The Liver Birds concluded in 1979, Estensen made appearances in films and series including T-Bag and Far from the Madding Crowd.[2] Between 1996 and 1998, she appeared in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as Pam Middleton.[4] Then in 1999, she was cast in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale as series regular Diane Sugden, a role she has portrayed since.[4] In 2007, she won a shared award at the British Soap Awards for Spectacular Scene of the Year, which saw a house collapse that her character was involved in.[3] In September 2021, Estensen confirmed that she had filmed her final scenes as Diane in Emmerdale.[5] Her final episode was broadcast on 29 October. However, Estensen agreed to return to the soap in October 2022 for a guest stint, for the show's 50th anniversary.[6]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1975–1979 | The Liver Birds | Carol Boswell |
| 1977 | Our Day Out | Susan |
| 1980 | The Adventure Game | Herself |
| 1984 | Danger: Marmalade at Work | Wendy Wooley |
| 1985–1989 | T-Bag | Tallulah-Bag |
| 1993 | The Bill | Mrs. Smith |
| 1993 | Casualty | Madeleine Howard |
| 1993 | The Upper Hand | Patsy |
| 1995 | A Touch of Frost | Susan Mackintosh |
| 1995–2000 | Mike and Angelo | Daphne Fawkes-Bentley |
| 1995 | Pie in the Sky | Evelyn Wilkes |
| 1995 | Cracker | Reenie Wise |
| 1996–1998 | Coronation Street | Pam Middleton (17 episodes) |
| 1997 | Last of the Summer Wine | Educational Adviser |
| 1999 | Wing and a Prayer | Mrs. Hillary Campbell |
| 1999 | Polterguests | Mrs. Swinton |
| 1999–2022 | Emmerdale | Diane Sugden (2,860 episodes) |
| 2001 | In a Land of Plenty | Rachel |
References
edit- ^ Alexandrou, Chloe (9 August 2022). "Elizabeth Estensen talks Emmerdale exit after 22 years: 'It's a younger person's job'". Metro. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "Elizabeth Estensen". What's on TV. Time Inc. UK. Archived from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Five Fast Facts About British Soap Star Elizabeth Estensen". SoapHub. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Emmerdale favourites who appeared on other soaps - from Harriet Finch to Tracy Metcalfe". Daily Mirror. 27 September 2019.
- ^ Patterson, Stephen (17 September 2021). "Diane Sugden exits Emmerdale as star Elizabeth Estensen retires". Metro. (DMG Media). Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (8 August 2022). "Emmerdale announces shock storm disaster for 50th anniversary". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.