Paige Courtney S. Sandhu (born 28 October 1992) is an English actress. She began her career with appearances in Doctors and Endeavour, before being cast as Meena Jutla in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale (2020–2022). For her portrayal, she received critical acclaim, won Best Villain at the Inside Soap Awards two years in a row and won Best Leading Performer at the 2022 British Soap Awards.
Early life Paige Courtney S. Sandhu was born in Orpington, Greater London, on 28 October 1992 to an Indian father and English mother. Her father is a dentist and her mother is a Pilates instructor. Sandhu has three siblings. After attending the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Sandhu suffered from social anxiety, fear of judgement and fears about her future career. She moved back in with her parents and "became quite reclusive". She felt unsafe around people she did not know which led her to not leave the house much, as well as developing insomnia and various food intolerances.
Career Sandhu made her debut in television appearances in the BBC soap opera Doctors and the ITV drama series Endeavour.
In September 2020, it was announced that Sandhu had been cast in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale as Meena Jutla, the sister of established character Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker). In June 2021, it was confirmed that Meena would become a serial killer on the soap. Sandhu received critical acclaim for her performances as Meena, and in 2021, she won the award for Best Villain at the Inside Soap Awards, and was nominated for Best Newcomer. In 2022, she was nominated for an award in the Soap Actor category at the TRIC Awards. Sandhu has confirmed that after the conclusion of Meena's serial killer arc, she will be leaving the soap. Her final scenes aired on 18 April 2022 when her character was sentenced to life in prison. In 2023, Sandhu was announced to be starring in the film Lioness. She was set to portray Princess Sophia, who was one of the key leaders of the suffragette movement in the UK. However, it was not taken to production.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes Doctors 2 episodes 2016 Endeavour Cashier (uncredited) Episode: "Arcadia" 2020–2022 Emmerdale Meena Jutla Regular role 2025 The Big Quiz Herself Cameo
Awards and nominations Year Ceremony Award Result 2021 Inside Soap Awards Best Newcomer 2021 Inside Soap Awards Best Villain 2021 Asian Media Awards Best TV Character 2022 The British Soap Awards Best Leading Performer 2022 The British Soap Awards Villain of the Year 2022 TRIC Awards Best Soap Actor 2022 27th National Television Awards Serial Drama Performance 2022 Inside Soap Awards Best Actress 2022 Inside Soap Awards Best Villain 2022 Asian Media Awards Best TV Character 2022 TV Choice Awards Best Soap Actress 2022 Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap Actor (Female) 2022 TVTimes Awards Favourite Soap Star
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