| Jane Danson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jane Dawson 8 November 1978 Bury, Greater Manchester, England, UK |
| Other names | Jane Dawson |
| Years active | 1991-present |
| Spouse | Robert Beck (2005-present) |
Jane Danson (born Jane Dawson on 8 November 1978 in Bury, Greater Manchester) is an English actress, most famous for playing the role of Leanne Battersby in Coronation Street.
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At the age of 11, Danson made her television debut under the name Jane Dawson in the 1991 Alan Bleasdale series G.B.H. playing the part of Eileen Critchley.
Danson first came to prominence in the acclaimed ITV children's television drama Children's Ward, playing the role of Paula from 1995 to 1997. She also appeared in the first episode of the BBC's Hetty Wainthropp Investigates which was aired in January 1996.
In 1997, she landed parts in the ITV period drama series "The Grand", in which she played the role of Monica Jones for seven episodes, and then in the top-rated ITV soap opera Coronation Street, playing teenager 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 [1] — 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 ITV police drama The Bill in 2002. Danson portrayed Gemma Osbourne, the first lesbian police officer in the show's history.[2] 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. In early 2006 it was announced that Danson 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.
Danson 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 Danson 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.[3]
Danson went to Radcliffe High School, Radcliffe near Bury in Greater Manchester.
Danson married former Brookside actor Robert Beck in December 2005. They have two sons together, Harry Alexander Jack (born 14 July 2006) and Sam Alfie Robert (born 26 February 2009).[4]