Sherrie Hewson
Encyclopedia
Sherrie Lynn Hutchinson (born 17 September 1950) is an English actor, broadcaster
and novelist.
, Hewson was brought up in a showbusiness family; her father was a singer and her mother a model. She began performing at the age of six, touring the UK's theatres in revues with her own signature song, "You've Got to Have Heart". At the age of fifteen, she won the prestigious Olivier Award
for Best Newcomer, and two years later, was granted a scholarship to attend Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
. Upon graduating, Sherrie won seven major awards, including Best Actress and Best Comedy Actress.
and Within These Walls
. In 1975, she joined the Carry On team for the film Carry On Behind
and was subsequently cast in several episodes of the Carry On Laughing
television series.
As well as further film roles in The Slipper and the Rose
alongside Richard Chamberlain
and Edith Evans
and Hanover Street with Harrison Ford
, Hewson became a regular fixture on television, most notably as part of a young cast of future stars in Love For Lydia
. She also had a brief role in the 1979 Alan Bennett
drama Afternoon Off
as Iris, the ultimately unworthy object of the protagonist Lee's quest.
In the 1980s, as well as appearances in dramas such as Play for Today
, The Sandbaggers
, Minder
, Juliet Bravo
and The Gentle Touch
, Hewson's talent for comedy saw her invited to join Russ Abbot
's Madhouse series and she remained an integral part of his team for over ten years, later appearing in The Russ Abbot Show
.
Other comedy appearances included roles in Home to Roost
, Home James!, Never the Twain
and Haggard
, while she was also a popular foil for various comedians, including Stanley Baxter
, Les Dawson
, Little and Large
, Cannon and Ball
and Les Dennis
. Her most famous role during this period was as Mary in the popular sitcom In Loving Memory
, alongside Thora Hird
and Christopher Beeny
.
In 1993, she was cast as Maureen Naylor in the UK's longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street
, the dizzy, accident-prone supermarket assistant. In 1996, Hewson was due to leave the show to film the first series of the BBC
's Oh, Doctor Beeching!
, reprising her role of May Skinner from the 1995 pilot. Although the part had been written with her in mind, Hewson agreed to sign a new contract at the request of the Coronation Street producers, who had storylines planned for her character, and Julia Deakin
took over the role of May. However, in 1997, Coronation Streets new producer Brian Park
axed a number of characters, Maureen was among them. Hewson's depating episode was broadcast in October 1997.
Hewson subsequently returned to the theatre – appearing in Billy Liar
and several pantomimes – and radio, notably as the lead character in a series entitled The Circle. She was also in great demand for light entertainment programmes, and made appearances on Blankety Blank
, Noel's House Party
and Call My Bluff among others. In 1999, Hewson was cast as Jean in the sitcom Barbara
.
In 2001, Hewson made a second foray into the world of soap opera, as receptionist Virginia Raven in the revival of Crossroads. When Crossroads ended in 2003, Hewson became a regular panelist on Loose Women
, an ITV1
daytime magazine programme aimed at women.
In 2004, Hewson took part in a celebrity edition of makeover show 10 Years Younger and underwent cosmetic surgery to her face as well as a hair and fashion overhaul. She later revealed that her decision to appear was partially influenced by the breakdown of her 20-year marriage to husband Ken Boyd.
That same year, Hewson joined the cast of a third soap opera, Emmerdale
, playing Lesley Meredith, mother of fishmonger Simon. She remained with the show for two years. In 2006, she was invited to resurrect the character of Maureen for two Christmas editions of Coronation Street. 2007 saw Hewson make a number of non-acting television appearances. As well as Loose Women, she featured in Celebrity MasterChef, Dickinson's Real Deal
and was runner-up in Soapstar Superchef
alongside her former Emmerdale co-star Julia Mallam
. Hewson also appeared on a celebrity special of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
. In partnership with fellow Loose Women panellist Carol McGiffin
, she raised £75,000 for charity.
On Sunday 7 October 2007, the News of the World
revealed that, after over thirty years in showbusiness, Hewson had been forced to declare herself bankrupt. She described the experience as "humiliating".
, which was published on 5 March 2009 by Pan Macmillan as one of their 'quick reads', released annually as part of the World Book Day celebrations.
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and novelist.
Early life
Born in NottinghamshireNottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, Hewson was brought up in a showbusiness family; her father was a singer and her mother a model. She began performing at the age of six, touring the UK's theatres in revues with her own signature song, "You've Got to Have Heart". At the age of fifteen, she won the prestigious Olivier Award
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
for Best Newcomer, and two years later, was granted a scholarship to attend Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
. Upon graduating, Sherrie won seven major awards, including Best Actress and Best Comedy Actress.
Career
Hewson's screen career began in the early 1970s, with early television appearances in Z Cars, The MoonstoneThe Moonstone
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century British epistolary novel, generally considered the first detective novel in the English language. The story was originally serialized in Charles Dickens' magazine All the Year Round. The Moonstone and The Woman in White are considered Wilkie...
and Within These Walls
Within These Walls
Within These Walls is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison...
. In 1975, she joined the Carry On team for the film Carry On Behind
Carry On Behind
Carry On Behind is the twenty-seventh Carry On film and was released in 1975. The film was the first not to feature Sid James since Follow That Camel seven years previously. It was also the first not to be scripted by Talbot Rothwell since Carry On Cruising 13 years previously. James was busy...
and was subsequently cast in several episodes of the Carry On Laughing
Carry On Laughing
Carry on Laughing is a British television comedy series produced in 1975 for ATV. Based on the Carry On films, it was an attempt to address the films' declining cinema attendance by transferring the franchise to television...
television series.
As well as further film roles in The Slipper and the Rose
The Slipper and the Rose
The Slipper and the Rose is a 1976 British musical film retelling the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. This film was chosen as the Royal Command Performance motion picture selection for 1976....
alongside Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain
George Richard Chamberlain is an American actor of stage and screen who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare .-Early life:...
and Edith Evans
Edith Evans
Dame Edith Mary Evans, DBE was a British actress. She was known for her work on the British stage. She also appeared in a number of films, for which she received three Academy Award nominations, plus a BAFTA and a Golden Globe award.Evans was particularly effective at portraying haughty...
and Hanover Street with Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
, Hewson became a regular fixture on television, most notably as part of a young cast of future stars in Love For Lydia
Love for Lydia
Love for Lydia is a semi-autobiographical novel written by British author H. E. Bates, first published in 1952.-Plot:Lydia Aspen, a seemingly shy girl from a wealthy but isolated background, is encouraged by her aunts, her new carers, to discover the delights of growing up...
. She also had a brief role in the 1979 Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett is a British playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with The Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research mediaeval history at the university for several years...
drama Afternoon Off
Afternoon Off
Afternoon Off is a 1979 television play by Alan Bennett. Broadcast under the umbrella title Six Plays by Alan Bennett it was produced for London Weekend Television and directed by Stephen Frears...
as Iris, the ultimately unworthy object of the protagonist Lee's quest.
In the 1980s, as well as appearances in dramas such as Play for Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
, The Sandbaggers
The Sandbaggers
The Sandbaggers is a British television drama series about men and women on the front lines of the Cold War. Set contemporaneously with its original broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980, The Sandbaggers examines the effect of the espionage game on the personal and professional lives of British and...
, Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
, Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo
Juliet Bravo is a British television series, which ran on BBC1 between 1980 and 1985. The theme of the series concerned a female police inspector who took over control of a police station in the fictional town of Hartley in Lancashire.-Programme name:...
and The Gentle Touch
The Gentle Touch
The Gentle Touch is a British police drama television series made by London Weekend Television for ITV which ran from 1980-1984. Commencing transmission on 11 April 1980, the series is notable for being the first British series to feature a female police detective as its leading character, ahead of...
, Hewson's talent for comedy saw her invited to join Russ Abbot
Russ Abbot
Russ Abbot is an English musician, comedian and actor who first came to public notice during the 1970s as the singer and drummer with British comedy showband the Black Abbots, later forging a prominent solo career as a television comedian with his own weekly show on British television.Continuing...
's Madhouse series and she remained an integral part of his team for over ten years, later appearing in The Russ Abbot Show
The Russ Abbot Show
The Russ Abbot Show was a British television comedy series which starred Russ Abbot and ran on the BBC from 1986 to 1991, and for 14 episodes on Granada Television from 1994 to 1995...
.
Other comedy appearances included roles in Home to Roost
Home to Roost
Home to Roost is a British television sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television in the 1980s. Written by Eric Chappell, it starred John Thaw as Henry Willows and Reece Dinsdale as his 18-year-old son Matthew....
, Home James!, Never the Twain
Never the Twain
Never the Twain is a British sitcom that ran for eleven series from 1981 to 1991. It was created by Johnnie Mortimer, and was the only sitcom he ever created without his usual writing partner, Brian Cooke...
and Haggard
Haggard (TV series)
Haggard a 1990—1992 British comedy television series. "Haggard" is about the exploits of Squire Haggard, the Squire's 21-year-old son Roderick, and their servant Grunge...
, while she was also a popular foil for various comedians, including Stanley Baxter
Stanley Baxter
Stanley Baxter is a Scottish comic actor and impressionist, best known for his British television shows. He worked in radio, theatre, television and film.-Early life:...
, Les Dawson
Les Dawson
Leslie "Les" Dawson was a popular English comedian remembered for his deadpan style, curmudgeonly persona and jokes about his mother-in-law and wife.-Life and career:...
, Little and Large
Little and Large
Little and Large were a British comedy double act comprising straight man Syd Little and comic Eddie Large . They formed their partnership in 1962, appearing as singers in local pubs around the North-West of England...
, Cannon and Ball
Cannon and Ball
Cannon and Ball are an English comedy double act consisting of Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball. The duo met in the early 1960s while working as welders in Oldham, Lancashire...
and Les Dennis
Les Dennis
Les Dennis is an English comedian, television presenter and actor best known as the host of Family Fortunes for 15 years.-Early life:...
. Her most famous role during this period was as Mary in the popular sitcom In Loving Memory
In Loving Memory (TV series)
In Loving Memory is a British period sitcom set in an undertakers business that starred Thora Hird and Christopher Beeny. A pilot was transmitted in 1969 by Thames Television who rejected the idea before it was finally accepted by Yorkshire Television in 1979 where it further ran for five series...
, alongside Thora Hird
Thora Hird
Dame Thora Hird DBE was an English actress.-Early life and career:Hird was born in the Lancashire seaside town of Morecambe. She first appeared on stage at the age of two months in a play her father was managing...
and Christopher Beeny
Christopher Beeny
Born in London, Beeny began his career at the age of six when he danced for the ' Ballet Rambert. He spent several years at the ' Arts Educational School before later progressing to 'RADA.His first screen role was in the 1952 film The Long Memory...
.
In 1993, she was cast as Maureen Naylor in the UK's longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, the dizzy, accident-prone supermarket assistant. In 1996, Hewson was due to leave the show to film the first series of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Oh, Doctor Beeching!
Oh, Doctor Beeching!
Oh, Doctor Beeching! is a British television sitcom written by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, which, after a broadcast pilot on 14 August 1995, ran for two series from 8 July 1996, with the last episode being broadcast on 28 September 1997...
, reprising her role of May Skinner from the 1995 pilot. Although the part had been written with her in mind, Hewson agreed to sign a new contract at the request of the Coronation Street producers, who had storylines planned for her character, and Julia Deakin
Julia Deakin
-Work:On television, Deakin played Stella Tulley in Side by Side and Marsha, the ageing but lovely divorcée landlady, in the British sitcom Spaced ....
took over the role of May. However, in 1997, Coronation Streets new producer Brian Park
Brian Park
Brian Park is a Scottish television producer and executive. He was born in Fife but lived in Aberdeen’s Bucksburn between the ages of nine and 17. He acted as a child and when he was 13 he joined the Aberdeen Children’s Theatre and appeared in an episode of Dr Finlay’s Casebook.Park joined Granada...
axed a number of characters, Maureen was among them. Hewson's depating episode was broadcast in October 1997.
Hewson subsequently returned to the theatre – appearing in Billy Liar
Billy Liar
Billy Liar is a 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse, which was later adapted into a play, a film, a musical and a TV series. The work has inspired and featured in a number of popular songs....
and several pantomimes – and radio, notably as the lead character in a series entitled The Circle. She was also in great demand for light entertainment programmes, and made appearances on Blankety Blank
Blankety Blank
Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show based on the 1977–1978 Australian game show Blankety Blanks ....
, Noel's House Party
Noel's House Party
Noel's House Party was a BBC television light entertainment show hosted by Noel Edmonds that was broadcast live on Saturday evenings throughout the 1990s. It was set in a large house in the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom, leading to much innuendo. The show was broadcast during the...
and Call My Bluff among others. In 1999, Hewson was cast as Jean in the sitcom Barbara
Barbara (TV series)
Barbara is a British sitcom starring Gwen Taylor in the title role. A pilot aired in 1995, and three series then aired from 1999 to 2003. It was made by Central Television, and filmed at their Lenton Lane studios in Nottingham in front of a live studio audience...
.
In 2001, Hewson made a second foray into the world of soap opera, as receptionist Virginia Raven in the revival of Crossroads. When Crossroads ended in 2003, Hewson became a regular panelist on Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
, an ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
daytime magazine programme aimed at women.
In 2004, Hewson took part in a celebrity edition of makeover show 10 Years Younger and underwent cosmetic surgery to her face as well as a hair and fashion overhaul. She later revealed that her decision to appear was partially influenced by the breakdown of her 20-year marriage to husband Ken Boyd.
That same year, Hewson joined the cast of a third soap opera, Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
, playing Lesley Meredith, mother of fishmonger Simon. She remained with the show for two years. In 2006, she was invited to resurrect the character of Maureen for two Christmas editions of Coronation Street. 2007 saw Hewson make a number of non-acting television appearances. As well as Loose Women, she featured in Celebrity MasterChef, Dickinson's Real Deal
Dickinson's Real Deal
Dickinson's Real Deal is an ITV, UK modern antiques and collectables television programme presented by David Dickinson. The new series air on the ITV Network whereas old episodes are repeated on ITV3.-The show:...
and was runner-up in Soapstar Superchef
Soapstar Superchef
Soapstar Superchef was a cooking show on the ITV Network, where soap stars from Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Neighbours compete to be crowned "kings" or "queens" of the kitchen.Their culinary efforts are judged by an expert panel of three judges...
alongside her former Emmerdale co-star Julia Mallam
Julia Mallam
Julia Mallam is a British actress, probably best known for playing Dawn Woods in Emmerdale. She left the show when her character died of internal injuries in the hospital after the King's River show home exploded and collapsed.In 2007 she was in Soapstar Superchef with Sherrie Hewson...
. Hewson also appeared on a celebrity special of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
. In partnership with fellow Loose Women panellist Carol McGiffin
Carol McGiffin
Carol Deirdre McGiffin is an English broadcaster of radio and television, best known for her regular appearances on daytime talk show Loose Women. She married Chris Evans in 1991; the couple separated in 1994 and divorced in 1998....
, she raised £75,000 for charity.
On Sunday 7 October 2007, the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
revealed that, after over thirty years in showbusiness, Hewson had been forced to declare herself bankrupt. She described the experience as "humiliating".
Writing
In March 2008, Hewson took part in the BBC reality show Murder Most Famous and was declared the winner. She won the opportunity to write her own crime fiction novel, The TanneryThe Tannery
The Tannery is the debut novel by British actress Sherrie Hewson. The novel was written as part of a BBC TV series called Murder Most Famous of which she won the chance for her competing work to be published. The series was hosted by Minette Walters. The book was released in March 2009.-External...
, which was published on 5 March 2009 by Pan Macmillan as one of their 'quick reads', released annually as part of the World Book Day celebrations.