Debbie Arnold

Arnold was born in Sunderland, County Durham, into a show business family. Her father was the impressionist Eddie Arnold and her mother, Mary Arnold, was a theatrical agent.

She began her career on television, in series such as the BBC comedy The Liver Birds. When she was 18 years old, she was given a job impersonating Marilyn Monroe on Now Who Do You Do?.[2] She then pursued voice roles, specialising in British and American dialects.[3]

In 1978, Arnold was a regular on the ITV gameshow 3-2-1. She has had roles in many television series including: Shoestring, Terry and June, Minder, The Two Ronnies, C.A.T.S. Eyes, Rockliffe's Babies, The Bill, The Russ Abbot Show, The Jim Davidson Show as well as Jim Davidson's sitcom Up the Elephant and Round the Castle, Miss Marple (in The Body in the Library), All Creatures Great and Small, Birds of a Feather, Jonathan Creek, M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team, Footballers' Wives: Extra Time, Holby City, and Doctors, among many others. She has also appeared in features such as Oliver Twist, Minder on the Orient Express and, in 2009, she won an award for best actress starring opposite John Altman in the feature film Photoshoot.

Arnold has also played regular characters in several major British soap operas. She played Sylvie Hicks and Carole Evans in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, Debbie Wilson in Emmerdale, April Branning in EastEnders, Janice Bolton in Hollyoaks; she also appeared in its spin off, Hollyoaks: In the City.

Her theatre credits include The Sleeping Prince at the Haymarket Theatre in London and the festival theatre in Chichester, playing opposite Omar Sharif, for which she won many awards and accolades. Other West End appearances include Hollywood Babylon, Women Behind Bars, Four in a Million, and Last of the Red Hot Lovers at the Strand. She has appeared in many fringe productions and numerous national and international tours. She occasionally appeared in the touring play Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners and she toured in the 2010 production of Keeping Up Appearances as Rose.[4]

Arnold has formed her own production company, Debbie Arnold Productions which has produced numerous radio and TV productions. She has also been the face of the clothing company Etam UK and the hair company Goldwell.

Arnold is also founder and face of the online beauty recommendation service Looking Gorgeous. She has also written numerous beauty articles for magazines.

In 2012, she released a self-help book, called The Power of Reinvention.[5]

Arnold is an ambassador for the UK National Bullying Helpline.[6]