Hannah Louise Spearritt (born 1 April 1981)[1] is an English singer and actress. She is an original member of the pop group S Club.[2] Spearritt is known for playing the role of Abby Maitland in the British science-fiction drama Primeval (2007–2011), Mercedes Christie in Casualty (2016) and Kandice Taylor in EastEnders (2017–2018).

Hannah Spearritt
Spearritt in 2013
Born
Hannah Louise Spearritt

(1981-04-01) 1 April 1981 (age 43)
Education
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
Years active1994–present
PartnerAdam Thomas
Children2
RelativesEddie Spearritt (uncle)

Career

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1994–1998: Stage

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When she was 12, Spearritt landed a part in the Lowestoft Players amateur dramatics society's production of Annie. Thereafter, she successfully auditioned for the National Youth Music Theatre, and became part of the company.[1] (1994–1995), Tin Pan Ali (1996), and the West End musical Bugsy Malone (1997).[1] In 1998, she was cast in the television film The Cater Street Hangman,[1] playing the role of a maid who gets murdered. Spearritt also made appearances on the National Lottery and Blue Peter.

1999–2023: S Club

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In 1998, Spearritt auditioned for and became a member of S Club. In the five years they were together, the group had four UK number one singles and a UK number one album. They recorded a total of four studio albums, released eleven singles and went on to sell over fourteen million albums worldwide.[3] Their first album, S Club, had a strong 1990s pop sound, similar to many artists of their time. However, through the course of their career, their musical approach changed to a more dance and R&B sound which is heard mostly in their final album, Seeing Double. Spearritt led some of the tracks on the groups' albums, such as "Dance Dance Dance" and "Hey Kitty Kitty", the latter which was also a promotional single for Sunny Delight. S Club 7 won two BRIT Awards—in 2000 for British breakthrough act and in 2002, for Best British Single. In 2001, the group earned the Record of the Year award. On 21 April 2003, during a live onstage performance, S Club announced that they were to disband.[4]

On 14 November 2014, S Club reunited for a BBC Children in Need telethon, performing a medley of "S Club Party", "Reach", "Bring It All Back" and "Don't Stop Movin'".[5][6][7] On 28 April 2015, S Club 7 reissued Best: The Greatest Hits of S Club 7, with a previously unreleased song, "Rain", as well as "Friday Night" from the S Club album.[8] In May, S Club 7 performed in UK arenas on the Bring It All Back 2015 tour.[9][10] In February 2023, it was announced the group would reform for a second time. In April, a few weeks after the announcement, Paul Cattermole unexpectedly died. In May, the group confirmed they would be carrying on but Spearritt would not be joining them following Cattermole's death.

2003–present: Acting and television

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In 2003, she was in Los Angeles to audition for a role in the film Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, a fact that she revealed at the UK premiere of the film on 24 March 2004 in London. In 2004, Spearritt appeared in horror film Seed of Chucky.[11] In 2005, she appeared in the BBC series Blessed as Sarah. In December 2005, Spearritt appeared in the West End musical Snow! The Musical, at London's Sound Theatre.[12]

In 2006, it was revealed that Spearritt had landed a lead role in the ITV series Primeval. She portrayed the role of Abby Maitland, a reptile enthusiast who gets mixed up with time travelling Professor Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) after discovering a species of reptile she had never encountered. Later that year, she made an appearance in Agatha Christie's Marple.[13] In March 2012, Spearritt took over the role of Pauline in One Man, Two Guvnors at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.[14] In December 2015, it was confirmed that Spearritt would star as Mercedes Christie in the BBC medical drama Casualty. Spearritt made her debut on 23 January 2016.[15] In 2017, Spearritt joined the cast of EastEnders as Kandice Taylor, the sister of Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley), leaving the show when she became pregnant.[16] In 2024, Spearritt appeared as a contestant on the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice.[17] She was paired with Andy Buchanan and was second to be eliminated.[18]

Personal life

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Spearritt and Paul Cattermole met in 1994 when both were members of the National Youth Music Theatre. In 1999, Spearritt and Cattermole became members of S Club 7. They dated from 2001 until 2006.[19] In 2006 Spearritt started dating Andrew-Lee Potts, her co-star on the series Primeval; the couple were engaged from 2008 until 2013.[20][21]

On 20 December 2018, it was announced that Spearritt had given birth to a baby girl.[22] In December 2020, Spearritt announced the birth of her second daughter, both with her partner Adam Thomas.[23]

Spearritt is the niece of Eddie Spearritt, who played professional football in the then-top level of the English football league system.[24]

Stage

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Year Title Role
1994–1995 Pendragon Lana
1996 Tin Pan Ali Annie
1997–1998 Bugsy Malone
2011 The Belle's Stratagem Lady Frances
2012–2014 One Man, Two Guvnors Pauline
2015–2016 The Armour[25] Poppy Jean
2019 A Cinderella Christmas[26] Fairy Godmother

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2003 Seeing Double Hannah Main role
2004 Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London Emily Sommers
Seed of Chucky Joan
2014 The Goob Mary Ellen
2015 GoryTime Hayley Smith
Utopia Lucy
2018 I, Dog Natalie Bedwyn

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1998 The Cater Street Hangman Lily Television film
1999 Miami 7 Hannah Main Role
Back to the '50s Television film
Boyfriends & Birthdays
The Greatest Store in the World Herself
2000 L.A. 7 Hannah Main Role
S Club 7 Go Wild! Herself Reality television
Artistic Differences Hannah Television film
Christmas Special
2001 Hollywood 7 Main role
S Club Search Judge / Mentor Reality television
2002 Viva S Club Hannah Main role
2005 Blessed Sarah Main role
2007 Agatha Christie's Marple Tilly Rice Episode: "At Bertram's Hotel"
2007–2011 Primeval Abby Maitland Main role
2013 Death in Paradise Lily Shaw Episode: "A Dash of Sunshine"
2016 Casualty Mercedes Christie Recurring role
2017–2018 EastEnders Kandice Taylor Recurring role
2024 Dancing on Ice Herself Contestant; series 16

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2010 Primeval Evolved Abby Maitland Voice role

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2007 TV Quick & TV Choice Awards Best Actress Primeval Nominated [27]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Gregory, Andy (2002) International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002, Europa, ISBN 1-85743-161-8, p. 478
  2. ^ Nissim, Mayer (17 November 2014). "S Club 7 announce 'Bring It All Back' 2015 arena tour dates". Digital Spy. United Kingdom: Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on 23 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  3. ^ "She's movin' on up". Times Online. Times Newspapers Ltd. 13 February 2005. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  4. ^ "S Club to split up". BBC News. BBC. 21 April 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  5. ^ "S Club 7 reunite for Children in Need". BBC News. bbc.com. BBC. 22 October 2014. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  6. ^ Heller, Corrine (22 October 2014). "S Club 7 Reunion Planned, for a Great Cause—Check Out Details and Photos!". E! Online. eonline.com. NBCUniversal (NBCUniversal Cable). Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  7. ^ Bender, Kelli (23 October 2014). "S Club 7 to Reunite for the First Time in Over 10 Years". People. United States: people.com. Time Inc. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  8. ^ Fletcher, Harry (28 April 2015). "S Club 7 to bring it all back with new song 'Rain' on updated greatest hits album". Digital Spy. United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  9. ^ Nissim, Mayer (17 November 2014). "S Club 7 announce 'Bring It All Back' 2015 arena tour dates". Digital Spy. United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 23 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  10. ^ O'Mance, Brad (13 November 2014). "S Club 7 are having a press conference on Monday morning". United Kingdom: Popjustice.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  11. ^ 3am (23 March 2004). "Han's Evil Spearritt". The Daily Mirror.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "Snow! The Musical". Official London Theatre. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  13. ^ Liz Thomas (13 November 2006). "McCutcheon to star in next Marple drama". The Stage.
  14. ^ Chadderton, David (2 March 2012). "One Man, Two Guvnors". Britishtheatreguide.info. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  15. ^ Harp, Justin (13 November 2015). "Hannah Spearritt in Casualty". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  16. ^ Cumberbatch, Aimee Grant (26 October 2017). "Hannah Spearritt lands EastEnders role: Former S Club 7 star to join soap's Taylor family on Albert Square". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Dancing on Ice unveils third contestant for 2024 series". Digital Spy. 28 September 2023.
  18. ^ "Dancing On Ice star Hannah Spearritt eliminated as viewers complain over 'rushed' show". entertainmentdaily.com. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  19. ^ S Club 7 Pair Admit Secret Love Archived 23 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine News.bbc.co.uk
  20. ^ McAlpine, Fraser (9 November 2011). "Eight British Couples Who Met On-Set". BBC America. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  21. ^ "Andrew-Lee Potts and Hannah Spearritt split". Hollywood.com. 7 October 2013. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  22. ^ "EastEnders and S Club 7 star Hannah Spearritt shares first picture of daughter Téa". Digital Spy. 18 February 2019. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  23. ^ "S Club 7 star Hannah Spearritt reveals surprise baby news – EXCLUSIVE". Hello!. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  24. ^ "Eddie Spearritt". The Pride of Anglia. 9 July 2007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  25. ^ "Hannah Spearritt acts the part for S Club 7 reunion". BBC. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  26. ^ "'You've got to reach for those stars': S Club 7's Hannah on excitement of starring in Ipswich panto". IP Swhich Star. 4 October 2019. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  27. ^ "Hannah at the TV Quick & TV Choice Awards". Viva S Club. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
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