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Claire King dancing with Brendan Cole
Claire King (born 10 January 1963) is popular English actress. She is best known for playing the roles of Kim Tate in the ITV Soap Opera Emmerdale from 1988 to 1999 and Karen Betts in Bad Girls from 2000 to 2004. She was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Claire was married for 10 years to actor Peter Amory who played her step-son Chris Tate in Emmerdale. After she left the series, the marriage broke up.
Claire King in Series Four
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Claire King (BBC Profile)
Emmerdale's superbitch, Claire King, teams up with Strictly Come Dancing's very own bad boy, Brendan Cole.
Claire is excited by the potentially explosive partnership: "I just knew it in my waters – the Bad Boy and Bad Girl together – it's going to be murder on the dancefloor!"
Far from being intimidated by her partner's fierce reputation as a hard taskmaster, Claire is looking forward to the challenge: "I want to enjoy it, there's no point in being miserable. If Brendan starts shouting then I will just shout back."
Claire was attracted to Strictly because of the challenge of learning something new and a love of ballroom dancing as an old-fashioned tradition.
Another draw for Claire was the Strictly Come Dancing costumes: "I really just want to go for it, and I'll have them slashing them down, slashing them up – anything to detract from the dancing."
Claire's dancing experience extends to ballet lessons as a child and drunken dancing at parties.
However, she is excited at the prospect of performing the Latin dances, particularly the tango: "I love the drama, and Brendan and I are both drama queens."
The Yorkshire-born actress rose to nationwide prominence playing soap superbitch Kim Tate in Emmerdale, and later as Wing Governor Karen Betts in Bad Girls.
In her 20-year career, Claire has appeared in some of the UK's most popular programmes, including Dalziel and Pascoe, Holby City, Mayo and Doctors, and is currently filming Hollyoaks: In the City.
Claire won Best Actress at the TV Quick Awards for her role in Bad Girls two years in succession, 2002 and 2003 – the only actress to do so – as well as a National Soap Award for Best Exit as Kim Tate in 1999.
Claire King and Brendan Cole in Series Four
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Brendan Cole
Brendan Cole returns for his fifth Strictly Come Dancing competition. Kiwi Brendan moved to London when he was 18 to seek a career in dance. During that time he financed himself with a number of jobs including being a warehouseman and a builder. He specialises in Latin American dancing, is Asian Pacific Latin America Champion and New Zealand Latin American Champion, and won the first series of Strictly Come Dancing with partner Natasha Kaplinsky.
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