Jane Danson

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Jane Danson
Born	November 8, 1978 (1978-11-08) (age 29) Bury, England, UK

Jane Danson is the stage name of English actress "Jane Dawson" (born November 8, 1978). She was born in Bury, Greater Manchester

[edit] Acting

Danson first came to prominence in the acclaimed ITV1 children's television drama Children's Ward, playing the role of Paula from 1995 to 1997. Prior to that she appeared in the acclaimed series G.B.H. under the name 'Jane Dawson' playing Michael Murray's childhood nemesis who came back to haunt his nightmares.

In 1997 she landed a part in the top-rated ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street, playing teenage temptress Leanne Battersby. The Battersby family were dubbed the "Neighbours From Hell" and made an immediate impact on the long-running show's loyal audience. Danson left the show in 2000 — a year which also saw her win the Rear of the Year award — not long after a harrowing storyline that saw her character become a drug addict.

Danson's next role was as a nurse in the drama series A&E, before joining the cast of ITV1 police drama The Bill in 2002. Danson portrayed Gemma Osbourne — the first lesbian police officer in the show's history. However the role was short-lived and she left in 2003.

In 2004 she rejoined the cast of Coronation Street, reprising the role of Leanne. Danson married former Brookside actor Robert Beck in December 2005. In early 2006 it was announced that Jane was pregnant and she left Coronation Street at the end of July for maternity leave. She returned to filming in January 2007, making her first appearance back on screen in March of that year.

[edit] Life

Jane made her first public performance in a talent contest at Pontin's in Weston-super-Mare and at the age of ten was crowned Rosebud Queen of the Morris Dancing Team. At the age of 11, Jane made her television debut in the Alan Bleasdale series GBH, which premiered on June 1 1991, playing the part of Eileen Critchley (under the name Jane Dawson).

Jane went to Radcliffe High School, Radcliffe near Bury Greater Manchester.

Jane gave birth to a baby boy, Harry Alexander Jack, on July 14, 2006.

Jane appeared in the second series of Soapstar Superstar in January 2007 but was eliminated after the overnight vote on the second show. However, a subsequent investigation into malpractice on the part of ITV in viewer voting revealed that, whilst Jane and Tupele Dorgu were both put forward for elimination at the end of the first episode, it had in fact been Verity Rushworth and Leon Lopez who scored the lowest in the poll, and should therefore have been the two options. Jane, who had ranked seventh out of ten in the vote, was unfairly evicted.