Natalie Gumede (born 20 March 1984) is an English actress. She is known for playing Kirsty Soames in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, from 2011 to 2013. She previously played China in BBC Three comedy show Ideal. She has also appeared in The Persuasionists, Emmerdale and Doctor Who among other television shows. Gumede was also runner-up in the 2013 series of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One. From 2017 to 2019, Gumede began appearing in Netflix original Free Rein as Maggie Steel Phillips.

Early life Gumede was born in Burnley, Lancashire and lived in Colne during her early life, attending first Christ Church C of E Primary School and then Park High School. Her father is Zimbabwean and her mother is English. Her grandfather Josiah Gumede was the only President of the short-lived Zimbabwe Rhodesia. At the age of 11 while attending Pendle Hippodrome Youth Theatre, she was picked by BBC producers to help present the north-west regional insert for Children in Need in 1995. From aged 4 to eleven, Gumede attended the Chippendale School of Dancing in Colne, and later furthered her arts career at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.

Career From 2004 until 2007, Gumede played China in the dark-comedy sitcom series, Ideal, who along with her friend Asia (Rebecca Atkinson), was one of Moz's regular clients. Her character featured in the pilot episode, and was a regular in the first three series. In 2008, she featured in her first full-length film, Clubbed, a British drama about a 1980s factory worker who takes up a job as a club doorman. In 2005, Gumede made a guest appearance in the ITV soap opera, Emmerdale, portraying Tania Coles. In 2010, Gumede featured in the sitcom The Persuasionists, broadcast on BBC Two, set in the world of advertising, starring Iain Lee, Simon Farnaby, Adam Buxton, Jarred Christmas and Daisy Haggard.

In September 2011, Gumede made her first appearance in the ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, portraying Kirsty Soames, who became the domestic abusive love interest to mechanic Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall). She had previously tried out for the part of Kelly Crabtree, but lost out to Tupele Dorgu. For her portrayal of the character, Gumede had received the Best Newcomer accolade at the 2012 British Soap Awards. She was later nominated for Best Soap Newcomer at the TV Choice Awards and voted Most Popular Newcomer during the 18th National Television Awards. In Digital Spy's end of year reader poll, Kirsty's domestic abuse storyline with on-screen boyfriend Tyrone won Best Storyline with 28.3% of the vote. On 21 February 2013, it was announced that she would leave the soap after a year-and-a-half, and departed when her character, Kirsty, went to prison on 3 April 2013. In June 2021, her character was revealed to have died from an aneurysm.

In 2015, she played the role of Bella in the ITV series Jekyll & Hyde.

Strictly Come Dancing

In 2013, Gumede was a runner-up on the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing. Her professional partner was the eighth series champion, Artem Chigvintsev. They quickly became the early favourites for the title after a strong start. In the Final, she lost out to Abbey Clancy & Aljaz Skorjanec and came joint second along with Susanna Reid & Kevin Clifton.

Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresResultHorwoodBussellGoodmanTonioliTotal1Cha-cha-cha / "Rasputin"888731No elimination2Waltz / "If I Ain't Got You"898934Safe3Rumba / "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)"9999Safe4Quickstep / "Yeah!"9989Safe5Samba / "Bamboléo"8999Safe6Viennese waltz / "Devil in Me"910910Safe8Charleston / "Bang Bang"9101010Safe9Tango / "Where Have You Been"99910Safe10American Smooth / "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" 9981036Safe11Paso doble / "El Gato Montes"998935Safe12Salsa / "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"Argentine tango / "Montserrat"1091091010101038Bottom two13Cha-cha-cha / "Rasputin"Freestyle / "Steppin' Out with My Baby"American Smooth / "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"9101010101010101010101039Runner-up

Filmography Year Title Role Notes2004 Von Trapped Madison Avenue Television film 2005–2007, 2010 Ideal China Series regular2005 Emmerdale Tania Coles 2 episodes2005 Wire in the Blood Hotel Receptionist 1 episode2006 Doctors Jenny Benjamin 2 episodes2008 Clubbed Jo Film2009 Doctors Celine King 1 episode2010 The Persuasionists Susie 3 episodes2011–2013 Coronation Street Kirsty Soames 192 episodes 2013 Moving On Jo 1 episode2013 Strictly Come Dancing Herself Contestant 2013 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two Herself 2014 Sally the Life Coach Sally Web miniseries2014 Doctor Who Ashley Carter Episode: "Last Christmas"2015 Death in Paradise Lucy Thomson 1 episode2015 Jekyll and Hyde Isabella "Bella" Charming Series regular2017–2019 Free Rein Maggie Steel-Phillips Main role2019 Vera Megan Sibisi 1 episode2019 Titans Mercy Graves 6 episodes2019 Midsomer Murders Rachel Stevenson 1 episode2020 Strike Lorelei 3 episodes2021 McDonald & Dodds Deborah Winwick 1 episode2022 Your Christmas or Mine? Kaye Taylor Film2023 Your Christmas or Mine 2 Kaye Taylor Film

Advertisements Year Title Role2005 National Lottery Euromillions Rollover Woman2006 Coke Zero Girlfriend2006 Admiral Car Insurance Jane

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2012 The British Soap Awards Villain of the Year 2012 The British Soap Awards Best Newcomer 2012 TV Choice Awards Best Soap Newcomer 2012 Inside Soap Awards Best Newcomer 2013 18th National Television Awards Newcomer 2013 All About Soap Awards Best Wedding (shared with Alan Halsall) 2013 The British Soap Awards Villain of the Year 2013 The British Soap Awards Best Dramatic Performance 2013 Inside Soap Awards Best Bitch

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