Tupele Dorgu
Encyclopedia
Tupele Dorgu is a British
actress, best known for playing the role of Kelly Crabtree
on the soap opera
Coronation Street
from 2004 to 2010.
She has also appeared as a regular in Merseybeat Loose Women
, Casualty
and Strictly Come Dancing. Dorgu was educated in and around the Preston area; she attended St Clare's primary school, Our Lady's High School, and latterly at Kirkham Grammar School
. Her mother is of Irish and English extraction and her father is from Nigeria
.
Dorgu played has performed in many musicals including La Cage Aux Folles, Three Minute Heroes, and the West End production of Mamma Mia!
Dorgu owns SugarStorm Entertainment Agency which provides entertainers and celebrity artistes for corporate and private events.
Dorgu left her role as Kelly Crabtree in March 2010, a development which had been announced in November 2009.
In winter 2010 Dorgu starred as The Sorceress in the pantomime Robin Hood
at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle
from 30 November until 15 January 2011. In mid-2011, she will join the cast of BBC drama Waterloo Road
as newcomer Keeley James.
Dorgu will be starring as velma in the UK 2012 tour of Chicago, opening at the Bradford Alhambra Theatre on Friday 10th February 2012.
. The show (which is hosted by Zoe Ball
) placed Dorgu up against ten other soap opera actors. Each night she had to sing a different song with only 24 hours to learn it. Dorgu survived the bottom two for five nights and then finally went out, after making it to the semi-finals.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actress, best known for playing the role of Kelly Crabtree
Kelly Crabtree
Kelly Louise Crabtree is a fictional character from the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Tupele Dorgu, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 6 September 2004....
on the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
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...
from 2004 to 2010.
She has also appeared as a regular in Merseybeat 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...
, Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
and Strictly Come Dancing. Dorgu was educated in and around the Preston area; she attended St Clare's primary school, Our Lady's High School, and latterly at Kirkham Grammar School
Kirkham Grammar School
Kirkham Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Kirkham, Lancashire, England . It was founded in 1549. Its roots can be traced back to the chantry school attached to St Michael's Church in the 13th century. The school remained in the church grounds until it moved to occupy...
. Her mother is of Irish and English extraction and her father is from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
Dorgu played has performed in many musicals including La Cage Aux Folles, Three Minute Heroes, and the West End production of Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
Dorgu owns SugarStorm Entertainment Agency which provides entertainers and celebrity artistes for corporate and private events.
Dorgu left her role as Kelly Crabtree in March 2010, a development which had been announced in November 2009.
In winter 2010 Dorgu starred as The Sorceress in the pantomime Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
from 30 November until 15 January 2011. In mid-2011, she will join the cast of BBC drama Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road (TV series)
Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social...
as newcomer Keeley James.
Dorgu will be starring as velma in the UK 2012 tour of Chicago, opening at the Bradford Alhambra Theatre on Friday 10th February 2012.
Soapstar Superstar
In January 2007, Dorgu was a contestant in UK celebrity singing reality contest Soapstar SuperstarSoapstar Superstar
Soapstar Superstar was a reality singing competition produced by Granada Television which first aired on British television station ITV in 2006. In the competition, ten soap opera actors perform in front of a celebrity panel, which included Cilla Black, Billy Sammeth and Chris Cowey...
. The show (which is hosted by Zoe Ball
Zoë Ball
Zoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
) placed Dorgu up against ten other soap opera actors. Each night she had to sing a different song with only 24 hours to learn it. Dorgu survived the bottom two for five nights and then finally went out, after making it to the semi-finals.