Wendi Peters
Encyclopedia
Wendi Louise Peters is an English
television and theatre character actress. Peters is married to Kenny Linden and they have one daughter together called Gracie who was born in 2000.
and Chris O'Donnell
. It was directed by Sir Richard Attenborough.
Cilla Battersby-Brown
in the hit ITV
soap opera
Coronation Street
. The actress also played character 'Podger' Pam Jolly in the hit ITV
series Bad Girls
.
she jokingly explained that she was returning from Las Vegas to give Chesney more money as he was 'down to his last tenner'. In November 2008 Cilla returned in a DVD special called Out of Africa which saw her reunited with Chesney, Fiz and Kirk.
, Sheffield
. In 2010 Peters took the lead in Northern Broadsides
production of The Game by Harold Brighouse
. The play had not been performed in 100 years, the play was directed by and also starred Barrie Rutter
the Artistic Director
and founder of Northern Broadsides
. Peters played the protagonist of the piece, Mrs Metheral. She was garnered with high critical acclaim, being dubbed "simply magnificent" by Michael Billington
of The Gaurdian and "an instant comic classic" by The Observer
.
Dominic Cavendish of The Daily Telegraph
said "Ma was played with hilarious gruffness and rolling pin obduracy by Wendi Peters. Her performance alone is worth the price of admission". Peters went on to receive multipul praise for her performance.
In 2011, she returned to Hull Truck theatre company to play Bet in John Godber
s two hander play, April In Paris. The production was also directed my Godber. Peters again revieved high praise from the press in this successful revival. Venues included The West Yorkshire Playhouse.
In 2009 she toured Ireland
with a one woman play Mrs Whippy, written by Cecelia Ahern
whose novel Ps I love You was a number one bestseller all over Europe and was made into a film starring Hilary Swank
. Peters received rave notices throughout the tour.
Peters also toured the UK with Jenny Eclair and Susie Blake
in Grumpy Old Women Live 2 - Chin Up Britain showing her comedic skills once again. This production returned for a season at the Novello Theatre
in London's West End
in 2010.
Peters other theatre roles have included Bedroom Farce
(1996), Noises Off
(1997) Stephen Sondheim
's 'Into The Woods'(1992), The Scarlet Pimpernel
(1991), Follies
in Concert, London Palladium
(2007) and Guys and Dolls
(1991) which was reviewed by Michael Schmidt who said "Among the hot box girls, one in particular kept catching my eye: Wendi Peters as the grumpy chorus girl is a delightfully outsize killjoy whose brilliant comic dancing should have earned her a curtain call all of her own"
commenting on her version of Sticky Toffee Pudding being a "seriously sexy pudding". Her love of baking and cooking has led her to appearances on many cookery programmes including Market Kitchen, Christmas Cooks, This Morning
and with Gordon Ramsey
on The F Word in 2008.
She appeared on Adrenaline Junkie with Jack Osborne
in 2008, jumping out of a helicopter at 9,000 feet over Table Mountain
. Wendi sang on ITV's Soapstar Superstar raising £35,000 for her chosen charities.
In 2006 she finished runner up to Paul Ross
in a celebrity edition of BBC's Mastermind and appeared on the celebrity version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire with Jamie Theakston
. In December that year she spent a week alongside resident lexicographer, Susie Dent
in Dictionary Corner on Countdown
.
's Friday Night is Music Night.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
television and theatre character actress. Peters is married to Kenny Linden and they have one daughter together called Gracie who was born in 2000.
Film
In 2006 Peters appeared as Emily Rahn in ' In Love and War ' with Sandra BullockSandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
and Chris O'Donnell
Chris O'Donnell
Christopher Eugene "Chris" O'Donnell is an American actor. He has played Robin in two Batman films, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, Charlie Simms in Scent of a Woman, Finn Dandridge in Grey's Anatomy, Peter Garrett in Vertical Limit, and more recently, Jack McAuliffe in The Company. O'Donnell...
. It was directed by Sir Richard Attenborough.
Television
In 2003 Peters became a household name playing the infamousInfamous
Infamous may refer to:* Infamous , a 2006 film* Infamous Mobb, Queens rap group* The Infamous, a 1995 album by Mobb Deep* DJ Infamous, a record producer and former world champion DJ...
Cilla Battersby-Brown
Cilla Battersby-Brown
Cilla Petunia Aurelia Battersby-Brown is a fictional character in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. She is portrayed by Wendi Peters. Her character is the tarty common redhead wife of Les Battersby-Brown and mother of Chesney, Fiz and non-regular character Billy, who is in the army...
in the hit ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
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...
. The actress also played character 'Podger' Pam Jolly in the hit ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series Bad Girls
Bad Girls (TV series)
Bad Girls is an award-winning British television drama series that was broadcast on ITV from 1999 to 2006. It is produced by Shed Productions, the company which later produced Footballers' Wives and Waterloo Road...
.
Coronation Street
On 18 January 2007 it was confirmed that Wendi would be leaving 'Coronation Street' after 4 successful years of playing Cilla Battersby-Brown. In the programme, Cilla left her son Chesney to go to Las Vegas. On Children in NeedChildren in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
she jokingly explained that she was returning from Las Vegas to give Chesney more money as he was 'down to his last tenner'. In November 2008 Cilla returned in a DVD special called Out of Africa which saw her reunited with Chesney, Fiz and Kirk.
Stage career
Peters' varied stage career began in 1987 at the Crucible TheatreCrucible Theatre
The Crucible Theatre is a theatre built in 1971 and located in the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. As well as theatrical performances, it is home to the most important event in professional snooker, the World Snooker Championship....
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. In 2010 Peters took the lead in Northern Broadsides
Northern Broadsides
Northern Broadsides is a theatre company formed in 1992 and based at Dean Clough Mill in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. The founder and artistic director is Barrie Rutter. The company performs in Halifax and on tour, a mix of Shakespeare and other productions. Music is specially written for...
production of The Game by Harold Brighouse
Harold Brighouse
Harold Brighouse was an English playwright and author whose best known play is Hobson's Choice. He was a prominent member, together with Allan Monkhouse and Stanley Houghton, of a group known as the Manchester School of dramatists.-Early life:Harold Brighouse was born in Eccles, Salford, the...
. The play had not been performed in 100 years, the play was directed by and also starred Barrie Rutter
Barrie Rutter
Barrie Rutter is an English actor and the founder and Artistic Director of the Northern Broadsides theatre company based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England....
the Artistic Director
Artistic director
An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company, that handles the organization's artistic direction. He or she is generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the organization is generally a non-profit organization...
and founder of Northern Broadsides
Northern Broadsides
Northern Broadsides is a theatre company formed in 1992 and based at Dean Clough Mill in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. The founder and artistic director is Barrie Rutter. The company performs in Halifax and on tour, a mix of Shakespeare and other productions. Music is specially written for...
. Peters played the protagonist of the piece, Mrs Metheral. She was garnered with high critical acclaim, being dubbed "simply magnificent" by Michael Billington
Michael Billington
Michael Billington may refer to:* Michael Billington , British film and television actor* Michael Billington , drama critic of The Guardian* Michael Billington , author and activist in the LaRouche movement...
of The Gaurdian and "an instant comic classic" by The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
.
Dominic Cavendish of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
said "Ma was played with hilarious gruffness and rolling pin obduracy by Wendi Peters. Her performance alone is worth the price of admission". Peters went on to receive multipul praise for her performance.
In 2011, she returned to Hull Truck theatre company to play Bet in John Godber
John Godber
John Harry Godber is an English dramatist, known mainly for his observational comedies. In the 'Plays and Players Yearbook' for 1993 he was calculated as the third most performed playwright in the UK behind William Shakespeare and Alan Ayckbourn. He has a wife and 2 children.-Biography:Godber was...
s two hander play, April In Paris. The production was also directed my Godber. Peters again revieved high praise from the press in this successful revival. Venues included The West Yorkshire Playhouse.
In 2009 she toured Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
with a one woman play Mrs Whippy, written by Cecelia Ahern
Cecelia Ahern
Cecelia Ahern is an Irish novelist, since 2004. In addition to publishing several novels, she has also contributed a number of short stories to various anthologies, for which all her royalties go to charity.Ahern also created and produced the ABC comedy Samantha Who? starring Christina Applegate...
whose novel Ps I love You was a number one bestseller all over Europe and was made into a film starring Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
. Peters received rave notices throughout the tour.
Peters also toured the UK with Jenny Eclair and Susie Blake
Susie Blake
Susie Blake is a British actress.-Personal life:Blake trained at the Arts Educational School and LAMDA in London. She is the granddaughter of the actress Annette Mills and a great - niece of the actor Sir John Mills...
in Grumpy Old Women Live 2 - Chin Up Britain showing her comedic skills once again. This production returned for a season at the Novello Theatre
Novello Theatre
The Novello Theatre is a West End theatre on Aldwych, in the City of Westminster.-History:The theatre was built as one of a pair with the Aldwych Theatre on either side of the Waldorf Hotel, both being designed by W. G. R. Sprague. The theatre opened as the Waldorf Theatre on 22 May 1905, and was...
in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
in 2010.
Peters other theatre roles have included Bedroom Farce
Bedroom farce
A bedroom farce or sex farce is a type of light comedy, centered on the sexual pairings and recombinations of characters as they move through improbable plots and slamming doors...
(1996), Noises Off
Noises Off
Noises Off is a 1982 play by English playwright Michael Frayn. The idea for it was born in 1970, when Frayn was standing in the wings watching a performance of Chinamen, a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave...
(1997) Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
's 'Into The Woods'(1992), The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a play and adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The story is a precursor to the "disguised superhero" tales such as Zorro and Batman....
(1991), Follies
Follies
Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The story concerns a reunion in a crumbling Broadway theatre, scheduled for demolition, of the past performers of the "Weismann's Follies," a musical revue , that played in that theatre between the World Wars...
in Concert, London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
(2007) and Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
(1991) which was reviewed by Michael Schmidt who said "Among the hot box girls, one in particular kept catching my eye: Wendi Peters as the grumpy chorus girl is a delightfully outsize killjoy whose brilliant comic dancing should have earned her a curtain call all of her own"
Self
In 2009 the actress was a finalist on BBC1's Celebrity Masterchef with John TorodeJohn Torode
John Torode is an Australian-born British celebrity chef specialising in Australasian food. He runs Smiths of Smithfield and several other restaurants scattered throughout London's Smithfield market....
commenting on her version of Sticky Toffee Pudding being a "seriously sexy pudding". Her love of baking and cooking has led her to appearances on many cookery programmes including Market Kitchen, Christmas Cooks, This Morning
This Morning
This Morning may refer to:* This Morning , a British daytime television show* This Morning , a Canadian radio show* CBS This Morning and This Morning, former names of the American morning show The Early Show...
and with Gordon Ramsey
Gordon Ramsey
Gordon Ramsey was an American television, stage and voice actor, who was based in New York City.Some of his notable performances included hosting a local children's television show as "Bozo the Clown" and voicing characters in the animated series Star Blazers...
on The F Word in 2008.
She appeared on Adrenaline Junkie with Jack Osborne
Jack Osborne
Jack William Osborne is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jimmy McKenna. He first appeared on 18 November 1996 and is the second longest serving character although Cindy Longford and Mandy Richardson both appeared before him both have taken...
in 2008, jumping out of a helicopter at 9,000 feet over Table Mountain
Table Mountain
Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa, and is featured in the flag of Cape Town and other local government insignia. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the cableway or hiking to the top...
. Wendi sang on ITV's Soapstar Superstar raising £35,000 for her chosen charities.
In 2006 she finished runner up to Paul Ross
Paul Ross
Paul Ross is an English television and radio presenter, journalist, and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross.-Early life:...
in a celebrity edition of BBC's Mastermind and appeared on the celebrity version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire with Jamie Theakston
Jamie Theakston
Jamie Theakston is an English television and radio presenter, producer and actor.-Education:...
. In December that year she spent a week alongside resident lexicographer, Susie Dent
Susie Dent
Susie Dent is an English lexicographer, well known as the resident dictionary expert and adjudicator on Channel 4’s long-running game show Countdown. As of January 2009, she is the longest-serving member of the current on-screen team, having first appeared on the show in 1992.Dent was educated at...
in Dictionary Corner on Countdown
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of counting backward to indicate the seconds, days, or other time units remaining before an event occurs or a deadline expires. Typical events for which a countdown is used include the launch of a rocket or spacecraft, the detonation of a bomb, the start of a race, and the...
.
Radio
Peters has appeared twice as a solo guest singer on BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Friday Night is Music Night.