Melanie Jane Hill is a British actress. She is best known in television as Cathy Matthews in Coronation Street (2015–2022) and Siobhan McKenzie in Casualty (2024–present).
Hill has also played Hazel Redfern in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1985–1986), Aveline in Bread (1989–1991), Rita Dolan in Playing the Field (1998–2002), Maggie Budgen in Waterloo Road (2012–2015) and Julie Travers in The Syndicate (2015).
Career Hill was educated at Monkwearmouth School in Sunderland before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where she won the Vanbrugh award. Hill replaced Gilly Coman in the role of Aveline in the last three series of Carla Lane's BBC television sitcom Bread. She has also appeared in such programmes as The Bill playing Marie Carver (née Graham), Auf Wiedersehen, Pet playing Hazel Redfern, Hot Money playing Liz Hoodless, Juliet Bravo playing Jean Simpson, Emmerdale playing Avril Kent and Cape Wrath playing Brenda Ogilvie.
On 17 March 2009, she was featured in an episode of Holby City, a medical drama broadcast weekly on BBC1 in the United Kingdom. She appeared in subsequent episodes, following a story arc relating to the death of her on-screen husband. She also appeared in an episode of The Thick of It (series 3 episode 3).
In April 2011, she appeared in the BBC television comedy drama series Candy Cabs and in November, in the fantasy series Merlin as Mary Howden. In April that year she appeared as Cissie Charlton, mother of footballers Jack and Bobby Charlton, in the BBC drama United, about the 1958 Munich air disaster involving Manchester United.
In 2012, she made her debut in long-running school drama Waterloo Road as Maggie.
In August 2013, it was announced that Hill had joined the cast of the BBC Two sitcom Hebburn. The next year she joined the Craig Cash sitcom After Hours.
In February 2015, it was announced that Hill would join the cast of Coronation Street as Cathy Matthews, and she made her first appearance on 20 April 2015. She was introduced as a potential love interest for Roy Cropper (David Neilson). Hill was nervous about the role as Roy's deceased wife, Hayley (Julie Hesmondhalgh), was loved by the nation. Hill also starred in the third series of The Syndicate in June 2015.
In October 2023, it was announced that Hill would join the cast of the BBC medical drama series Casualty as Siobhan McKenzie, a clinical nurse manager. Her first appearance aired on 24 February 2024.
Hill's feature film roles include Sandra in Brassed Off (1996), the witch Ditchwater Sal in the fantasy film Stardust (2007), and Sonya in White Girl (2008).
Personal life Born to Anthony and Sylvia (née Pratt) Hill in Brighton, Hill was raised in her mother's native city of Sunderland. She married fellow actor Sean Bean in December 1990. They have two daughters: Lorna, born October 1987, and Molly, born September 1991. They divorced in August 1997. She is a supporter of Sunderland A.F.C. She married writer and producer Jimmy Daly on 29 April 2017 at a pub in Muswell Hill, north London.
Filmography Film Year Title Role 1993 The Hawk Norma 1994 Shopping Sarah1996 When Saturday Comes Mary Muir Brassed Off Sandra 2001 From Hell Ann Crook's Mother 2007 Stardust Ditchwater Sal 2011 United Cissie Charlton2012 Unconditional Mum Twenty8k Elizabeth Fitch2022Passing ShipsNarrator (Epilogue)
Television Year Title Role Notes 1984 Juliet Bravo Jean Simpson 2 episodes 1986 Auf Wiedersehen, Pet Hazel Redfern 6 episodes1989 ScreenPlay Pauline Episode: "A Night on the Tyne" Boon Susan Episode: "The Relief of Matty King" The Bill Polly Beacher Episode: "The Mugging and the Gypsies" 1989–1991 Bread Aveline Boswell Series regular; 35 episodes 1992 Spender Sue Styles Episode: "Fee"1993 Casualty Janice Hutchins Episode: "Wild Card" The Bill Lynda Chambers Episode: "Living It Down"1994 Cardiac Arrest Sister Pamela Lockley 6 episodes Finney Lena Main role Crocodile Shoes Emma Shepperd Main role1995 Performance Laura Episode: "The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd" Circles of Deceit Angie Norman Episode: "Dark Secret"1996 Cruel Train Phyllis Pratt TV film Crocodile Shoes II Emma Shepperd Main role 1998 The Broker's Man Tracey Smeeton Episode: "Playback" 1998–2002 Playing the Field Rita Dolan Series regular 1999 Silent Witness Liz Davies Episode: "Gone Tomorrow" 2000 Close and True Maureen Taylor Episode: "Hurry Up and Wait"2001 Child in the Forest Mam TV film Hot Money Liz Hoodless TV film 2001–2002 NCS: Manhunt DS Ruby Sparks Series regular 2003 The Bill Marie Carver Series regular2005 The Afternoon Play Bonnie Reilly Episode: "The Singing Cactus" The Fugitives Glenda Banks Main role Emmerdale Avril Kent Recurring role, 11 episodes The Brief Rennie Nicholson Episode: "Blame"2007 Cape Wrath Brenda Ogilvie Main role The Street Val Taylor 3 episodes 2008 White Girl Sonya TV film2009 Holby City Kathy Hewitt 2 episodes The Thick of It Julie Price 1 episode 2010 Joe Maddison's War Selina Rutherford TV film2011 Candy Cabs Stella Main role The Body Farm Nicole Henderson 1 episode Merlin Mary Howden Episode: "Lamia" 2012–2015 Waterloo Road Maggie Budgen Main role 2013 Hebburn Christine 2 episodes 2014 Cilla Big Cilla Main role 2015–2022 Coronation Street Cathy Matthews Regular role2015 The Syndicate Julie Travers Main role After Hours Liz Matthews Episode: "Love Love Love" 2024–present Casualty Siobhan McKenzie Main role 2026 Smoggie Queens Vanessa Yaris Episode: "A Smoggie Show"
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