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Catherine Jane Ford (born 5 December 1969), known professionally as Catherine Tate, is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won numerous awards for her work on the BBC sketch comedy series '' The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2007), as well as being nominated for an
International Emmy Award The International Emmy Awards, or International Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based International Academy of Television Arts and Sci ...
and seven
BAFTAs The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...
. Tate played
Donna Noble Donna Noble (later Donna Temple-Noble) is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Portrayed by British actress and comedian Catherine Tate, she is a former companion of the Tenth Do ...
in the 2006
Christmas special Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists and writers. A prominent aspect of Christian media, the topic first appeared in in literature and Christmas music. Filmmakers have picked up on this wealth of material, with both adaptatio ...
of ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
'', and later reprised her role, becoming the
Tenth Doctor The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the main protagonist of the BBC science fiction television franchise ''Doctor Who''. He is played by David Tennant in three series as well as nine specials. As with previous incarnations of ...
's regular companion for the fourth series in 2008.Tate to be Doctor's companion
.
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...
, 3 July 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
Following the success of ''The Catherine Tate Show'', Tate starred as Joanie Taylor ("Nan") in the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
comedy series ''
Catherine Tate's Nan ''Catherine Tate's Nan'' (simply referred to as ''Nan'' on-screen) is a BBC One spin-off series of specials which follows the character of Joanie Taylor (Catherine Tate) from the original sketch comedy series ''The Catherine Tate Show''. When th ...
'' (2009–2015) and in the film '' The Nan Movie'' (2022). In 2011, she began a recurring role as
Nellie Bertram Nellie Bertram is a fictional character on the U.S. comedy television series '' The Office'', portrayed by Catherine Tate. She first appears as a guest star in the seventh season, where she interviewed for the Regional Manager position at the Du ...
in the U.S. version of ''The Office'', and was a regular until the series ended. She played the role of Miss Sarah Postern in the BBC One sitcom '' Big School'' (2013–2014) and voiced
Magica De Spell Magica De Spell (''magica'' being the feminine of ''magico'', ) is a cartoon character created in 1961 by Carl Barks for the Duck universe. An Italian sorceress, she constantly attempts to steal Scrooge McDuck's Number One Dime, which she belie ...
in the animated series ''
DuckTales ''DuckTales'' is an American animated television series produced by Disney Television Animation. The original cartoon series premiered on syndication and on Disney Channel on September 18, 1987 and ran for a total of 100 episodes over four sea ...
'' (2017–2021). In 2022, Tate starred as six characters in the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
comedy series, ''
Hard Cell ''Hard Cell'' is a British mockumentary sitcom streaming television series developed by Catherine Tate, who also plays six of the main characters. The series premiered on 12 April 2022 on Netflix, and consists of six episodes. The series was ...
'', which she also co-wrote and co-directed. Tate has also appeared in films, including ''
Love and Other Disasters ''Love and Other Disasters'' is a 2006 romantic comedy film written and directed by Alek Keshishian. It had its world premiere at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2008, the film had its UK premiere in London as the gala screen ...
'' (2006), ''
Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution ''Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution'' is a 2007 British comedy drama film, directed by Bille Eltringham and starring Catherine Tate, Iain Glen and Brittany Ashworth, about a British family who move to East Germany in 1968, during the Cold War. It wa ...
'' (2007), ''
Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', or ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'' is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan ...
'' (2010), ''
Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
'' (2011), and ''
SuperBob ''SuperBob'' is a 2015 British low-budget superhero comedy film about a Peckham postman who develops superpowers after having been hit by a meteorite. The film premiered in London on 16 October 2015, after having first been shown at the London ...
'' (2015).


Early life

Tate was born in
Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest ...
,
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
on 5 December 1969 and was raised in the
Brunswick Centre The Brunswick Centre is a grade II listed residential and shopping centre in Bloomsbury, London, England. It is located between Brunswick Square and Russell Square and is administratively in the London Borough of Camden. Planning and design ...
. Her mother, Josephine, was a florist.Sawyer, Miranda.
Catherine the Great
. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', 15 October 2006. Retrieved 4 July 2007.
Tate has said that the character of
Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular through ...
in ''The Catherine Tate Show'', who shrieks at the slightest of disturbances, is based largely on her mother. Tate never knew her father as he left very early on in her life and, consequently, she was brought up in a female-dominated environment, being cared for by her mother, grandmother, and godparents. As a child, Tate suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and was obsessed with word association. For example, she was not able to leave a jumper on the floor because it might have brought misfortune to her mother, whose name began with the letter "J" like "jumper". Tate attended St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School in
Holborn Holborn ( or ) is a district in central London, which covers the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Camden and a part ( St Andrew Holborn Below the Bars) of the Ward of Farringdon Without in the City of London. The area has its ro ...
, and Notre Dame High School, a convent secondary school for girls in
Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
. By the time she was a teenager, she knew she wanted a professional acting career; following the abolition of the
sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for ...
at her secondary school, she was sent to a boys' Roman Catholic school, Salesian College in
Battersea Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park. History Batt ...
, at the age of 16, as it had the necessary facilities for drama. She left school without sitting her
A levels The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...
."I'm a lazy control freak"
''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', 12 July 2005. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
She then tried for four years to get a place in the
Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...
, succeeding on her fourth attempt. She studied there for three years. Prior to getting a place there, Tate went to the
Sylvia Young Theatre School Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent school in Marble Arch, London, England. It is a specialist performing arts school named after its founder and principal, Sylvia Young OBE. Outline The Sylvia Young Theatre School was founded in ...
, but left after a week, later stating, "Even at that age, I realised I wasn't Bonnie Langford. It was very competitive." She was also a member of the
National Youth Theatre The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) is a youth theatre and registered charity in London. Its aim is to develop and nurture young people through creative arts and theatrical productions. Founded in 1956 as the world's first youth the ...
. Born Catherine Ford, she changed her name when she got her Equity card as an actress. She chose her new surname after the character of Jessica Tate, played by Katherine Helmond, from the American
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
television series ''Soap''.


Career


1988–2003: Early acting and stand-up career

From 1988 to 1990 Tate toured with the National Youth Theatre production of '' Blood Wedding'', which also starred
Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English-American actor who gained international fame playing the secret agent James Bond in the film series, beginning with '' Casino Royale'' (2006) and in four further instalments, up to '' ...
and
Jessica Hynes Tallulah Jessica Elina Hynes (''née'' Stevenson; born 30 October 1972) is an English actress, director and writer. Known professionally as Jessica Stevenson until 2007, she was one of the creators, writers and stars of the British sitcom ''Spac ...
. In 1994, she got the part of Lydia Lubey in the Oxford Stage Company production of
Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...
's ''
All My Sons ''All My Sons'' is a three-act Play (theatre), play written in 1946 by Arthur Miller. It opened on Broadway theatre, Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Coronet Theatre in New York City on January 29, 1947, closed on November 8, 1949, and r ...
''. She then worked at the
Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...
, playing small roles in '' The Way of the World'' (1995) and '' The Prince's Play'' (1996). Tate also performed with the
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
during its 10-month tour across the UK, Australia and the USA with Lee Hall's adaptation of ''
The Servant of Two Masters ''The Servant of Two Masters'' ( it, Il servitore di due padroni, links=no) is a comedy by the Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni written in 1746. Goldoni originally wrote the play at the request of actor Antonio Sacco, one of the great Harlequins ...
'' (2000–2001). Her television acting career began with roles in serial dramas such as ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...
'' and '' London's Burning''. Her debut happened in an episode of the sitcom ''
Surgical Spirit Rubbing alcohol is either an isopropyl alcohol or an ethanol-based liquid, with isopropyl alcohol products being the most widely available. The comparable ''British Pharmacopoeia'' (''BP'') is surgical spirit. Rubbing alcohol is denatured and un ...
'' in 1991. She was offered an audition for the part by the casting director who also owned a sandwich shop Tate used to go in and knew she was about to go to drama college. On the set, she got to work with actor
Duncan Preston Duncan Preston (born 11 August 1946) is an English actor. He is known for his appearances in television productions written by Victoria Wood, including his role in the soap opera parody sketches '' Acorn Antiques'' and as Stan in the sitcom '' ...
, whom she was a big fan of. In 1996 Tate began performing stand-up comedy.Gibson, Owen.
The Guardian profile: Catherine Tate
. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', 23 December 2005. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
Soon after, she co-wrote and starred in '' Barking'' (1998), a late-night sketch show broadcast on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
featuring a host of performers who included David Walliams,
Peter Kay Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English actor, comedy writer and stand-up comedian. He has written, produced and acted in several television and film projects, and has written three books. Born and brought up in Bolton, Kay studied ...
and Mackenzie Crook. In 2000, she became involved with Lee Mack's
Perrier Comedy Award The Dave's Edinburgh Comedy Awards (formerly the Perrier Comedy Awards, and also briefly known by other names for sponsorship reasons) are presented to the comedy shows deemed to have been the best at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. ...
-nominated ''New Bits'' show at the
Edinburgh Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) is a film festival that runs for two weeks in June each year. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all t ...
and appeared in television sketch shows such as '' The Harry Hill Show'' and ''
That Peter Kay Thing ''That Peter Kay Thing'' is a series of six spoof documentaries shown on Channel 4 in 2000. It was written by Peter Kay, Dave Spikey, Neil Fitzmaurice and Gareth Hughes, and was directed by Andrew Gillman. The series was narrated by Andrew Sach ...
''. The next year, she returned to the festival with her own sell-out
one-woman show A solo performance, sometimes referred to as a one-man show or one-woman show, features a single person telling a story for an audience, typically for the purpose of entertainment. This type of performance comes in many varieties, including auto ...
, which was followed by roles in comedy series '' Big Train'', ''
Attention Scum ''Attention Scum'' was a 2001 television comedy series created by Simon Munnery and Stewart Lee. It starred Munnery as his "League Against Tedium" character and contained acerbic stand-up routines atop a transit van and sketches including mainsta ...
'',
Charlie Brooker Charlton Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is an English television presenter, writer, producer and satirist. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the sci-fi drama anthology series ''Black Mirror'', and has written for comedy series such as ''Bras ...
's ''
TVGoHome TVGoHome was a website which parodied the television listings style of the British magazine ''Radio Times''. It was produced fortnightly from 1999 to 2001, and sporadically until April 2003, by Charlie Brooker. The site now exists only in archive ...
'' and several
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...
productions. After being spotted at Edinburgh by the casting director Tracey Gillham, she was given her first major television role as Angela in the comedy ''
Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
'' (2002–2004) set in the small Cornish town. Tate became pregnant before filming the first series and had to wear a lot of baggy clothes as Angela. The show also starred
Dawn French Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957) is a British actress, comedian, presenter and writer. French is known for writing and starring on the BBC comedy sketch show '' French and Saunders'' with her best friend and comedy partner, Jennifer Sau ...
as her lesbian partner and local shop and
post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional se ...
co-owner Mary,Catherine Tate profile
.
bbc.co.uk BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, the childre ...
. Retrieved 26 May 2007.
who commented, "Catherine Tate is far too talented and she must be destroyed."


2004–2005: Breakthrough with ''The Catherine Tate Show''

Tate was approached at a post-show party at the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh F ...
by then-BBC controller of comedy
Geoffrey Perkins Geoffrey Howard Perkins (22 February 1953 – 29 August 2008) was a British comedy producer, writer and performer. Best known as the BBC head of comedy (1995–2001), he produced the first two radio series of ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galax ...
, who encouraged Tate to develop her character ideas, especially to push the boundaries with her teenage character
Lauren Cooper Dame Lauren Chantelle Bluebelle Gazelle Roselle Alesha Masheka Funeshka Tanesha Felicia Jane Harry Kane Liam Payne Cooper is a fictional character in ''The Catherine Tate Show''. Lauren is one of the show's main characters and is portrayed by Cat ...
. Undertaking Perkins's advice, after a live show, Tate found the audience walking out of the show repeating the character's catchphrase "Am I bovvered?".Produced by Perkins at
Tiger Aspect Tiger Aspect Productions (formerly known as Tiger Television from 1988 until 1993 and also known as Tiger Aspect Films for theatrical films) is a British television and film production company, particularly noted for its situation comedies. Fo ...
, Tate was given her own programme on
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
in 2004, which she co-wrote and starred in with Derren Litten, entitled '' The Catherine Tate Show'', which ran for three series. Two of the show's well-known characters are teenager Lauren Cooper and Joanie "Nan" Taylor, the cockney grandmother. Tate's inspiration for the grandmother character came from visits to old people's homes when she was at drama college. Tate won a British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Newcomer for her work on the first series of ''The Catherine Tate Show'', and with the first series becoming a success, in March 2005, Tate made a guest appearance during the BBC's Red Nose Day as the character of Lauren, alongside boy band
McFly McFly are an English pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the '' Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Danny Jones (lead vocals, har ...
, which gained her further exposure. In November 2005 Tate appeared in another charity sketch as part of the BBC's annual Children in Need
telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause. Most telethons f ...
. The segment was a crossover between ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'' and ''The Catherine Tate Show'', featuring ''EastEnders'' characters Peggy Mitchell, Little Mo Mitchell and Stacey Slater, whilst Tate appeared as Lauren. Also at that time, she was a guest star at the 77th ''
Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal ...
'', appearing again in the guise of Lauren Cooper. During the sketch, Tate looked up at the Royal Box and asked the Queen, "Is one bovvered? Is one's face bovvered?", while her co-star
Niky Wardley Nichola Petra "Niky" Wardley (born 11 August 1973) is an English stage and screen actress. Her most notable role is schoolgirl Lauren Cooper's sidekick in the BBC's Emmy and BAFTA-nominated sketch series '' The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2 ...
(in character as Liese) remarked: "That old man sitting next to her has fallen asleep." Prince Philip then reportedly complained to the show's executive producer, saying he had been insulted. Tate later won a British Comedy Award for Best British Comedy Actress for her work in the second series of ''The Catherine Tate Show''. In January 2005, she appeared as Mitzi Kosinki in the ITV
adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...
of
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...
's novel '' A Murder Is Announced'', starring Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple. Towards the end of the year, Tate played the part of Kate in the unaired pilot episode of Lee Mack's sitcom '' Not Going Out'' and Mrs Chadband in an episode of the BBC
television adaptation An adaptation is a transfer of a work of art from one style, culture or medium to another. Some common examples are: * Film adaptation, a story from another work, adapted into a film (it may be a novel, non-fiction like journalism, autobiography, ...
of ''
Bleak House ''Bleak House'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode serial between March 1852 and September 1853. The novel has many characters and several sub-plots, and is told partly by the novel's heroine, Esther Summerson, and ...
''.Bleak House – on BBC ONE from Thursday 27 October 2005 at 8.00pm
. BBC, 4 October 2005. Retrieved 8 April 2008.
Tate returned to the stage for the first time since working with the Royal Shakespeare Company,Thorpe, Vanessa.
Proletarian utopia? Am I bovvered?
. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', 24 September 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
to play a role in the original West End production of '' Some Girl(s)'' (2005), alongside
Sara Powell Sara Powell (born 23 June 1968) is a British-Jamaican stage, screen and voice-over actress and audiobook narrator. Her regular television roles include crown prosecutor Rachel Barker in the BBC's police procedural drama ''HolbyBlue'' (2007–20 ...
, Lesley Manville,
Saffron Burrows Saffron Domini Burrows (born 22 October 1972) is an English actress and model who has appeared in films such as '' Circle of Friends,'' '' Wing Commander,'' '' Deep Blue Sea,'' '' Gangster No. 1,'' ''Enigma,'' '' Troy,'' ''Reign Over Me'' and '' ...
and ''
Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Li ...
'' star
David Schwimmer David Lawrence Schwimmer (born November 2, 1966) is an American actor, director and producer. He gained worldwide recognition for portraying Ross Geller in the sitcom ''Friends'', for which he received a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primeti ...
. In an interview, Tate commented that she could not look Schwimmer in the eye during her time with him, leading to speculation that the pair did not get on. Tate immediately denied the rumours, explaining that she was joking about her attempts to act "cool" around Schwimmer, whom she described as "a very funny, personable man, and easy to get along with".


2006–2010: Roles in ''Doctor Who'' and feature comedy films

The third series of ''The Catherine Tate Show'' aired in 2006, going on to win the National Television Award for most popular comedy as voted for by the public, and Tate's catchphrase "bovvered", used by her character Lauren Cooper, became so influential in popular culture that it was named
Word of the Year The word(s) of the year, sometimes capitalized as "Word(s) of the Year" and abbreviated "WOTY" (or "WotY"), refers to any of various assessments as to the most important word(s) or expression(s) in the public sphere The public sphere (german: Ö ...
and was even poised to enter the ''
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a c ...
''. Tate also played the role of
Donna Noble Donna Noble (later Donna Temple-Noble) is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Portrayed by British actress and comedian Catherine Tate, she is a former companion of the Tenth Do ...
in ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
'', a temp worker from
Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and F ...
who suddenly appears in the
TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension In Space") is a fictional hybrid of the time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. Its exterior a ...
at the end of the episode " Doomsday".Catherine Tate to star in Doctor Who Christmas Special
BBC, 9 July 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
The following episode, the Christmas special entitled " The Runaway Bride", saw Tate's character in a major role, where she was temporarily the Doctor's companion. On her appearance in the series, Tate commented, "I'm honoured and delighted to be joining
David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show ''Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...
aboard the TARDIS. I was holding out for a summer season at
Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington ...
rep but as a summer job, this'll do."Tate had roles in three films in 2006, these included '' Starter for 10'' starring
James McAvoy James McAvoy (; born 21 April 1979) is a Scottish actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in '' The Near Room'' (1995) and appeared mostly on television until 2003, when his feature film career began. His notable television work includes ...
, ''Sixty Six'' starring Helena Bonham Carter and Eddie Marsan, and ''
Scenes of a Sexual Nature ''Scenes of a Sexual Nature'' is a 2006 British comedy-drama film directed by Ed Blum and starring an ensemble cast which includes Ewan McGregor, Adrian Lester, Eileen Atkins, Andrew Lincoln, Gina McKee, Sophie Okonedo, and Hugh Bonneville. The ...
'', a debut feature screenplay from ''The Catherine Tate Show'' co-writer
Aschlin Ditta Aschlin Ditta (born 20 June 1968) is a British television and film screenwriter and actor. Biography Aschlin Ditta was born on 20 June 1968 in Barnet, north London, UK, and was brought up in Leicester and then Ely in the Fens, attending King's ...
. She later appeared in the films ''
Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution ''Mrs Ratcliffe's Revolution'' is a 2007 British comedy drama film, directed by Bille Eltringham and starring Catherine Tate, Iain Glen and Brittany Ashworth, about a British family who move to East Germany in 1968, during the Cold War. It wa ...
'', in which she played the title character opposite Iain Glen, and ''
Love and Other Disasters ''Love and Other Disasters'' is a 2006 romantic comedy film written and directed by Alek Keshishian. It had its world premiere at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2008, the film had its UK premiere in London as the gala screen ...
''.Love And Other Disasters
. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
''. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
In the television adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name, ''
The Bad Mother's Handbook ''The Bad Mother's Handbook'' is a one-off television drama film based on the novel ''The Bad Mother's Handbook'' by Kate Long. It was broadcast on ITV on 19 February 2007, starring Catherine Tate, Anne Reid, Holly Grainger and Robert Pattins ...
'', she played the dramatic lead role and co-starred with
Anne Reid Anne Reid, MBE (born 28 May 1935) is a British stage, film and television actress, known for her roles as Valerie Barlow in the soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (1961–1971); Jean in the sitcom '' dinnerladies'' (1998–2000); and her role ...
,
Holliday Grainger Holliday Clark Grainger (born 27 March 1988), also credited as Holly Grainger, is an English screen and stage actress. Some of her prominent roles are Kate Beckett in the BAFTA award-winning children's series ''Roger and the Rottentrolls'', L ...
and
Robert Pattinson Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor. Known for starring in both big-budget and independent films, Pattinson has ranked among the world's highest-paid actors. In 2010, ''Time'' magazine named him one of the 10 ...
.Oatts, Joanne
'Bad Mother' Tate pulls in 5.7 million
.
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
, 20 February 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2008.
On 16 March 2007 Tate appeared for a second time on the Red Nose Day telethon as some of her well-known characters from ''The Catherine Tate Show''. She acted in sketches with David Tennant, her fellow National Youth Theatre alumni
Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English-American actor who gained international fame playing the secret agent James Bond in the film series, beginning with '' Casino Royale'' (2006) and in four further instalments, up to '' ...
, Lenny Henry and the then
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...
, who used the show's famous catchphrase, "Am I bovvered?". Tate also appeared as Nan in an episode of ''
Deal or No Deal ''Deal or No Deal'' is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which (launching the format) was the Dutch '' Miljoenenjacht'' (''Hunt/Chase for Millions''). The centerpiece of this format is the final round (a.k ...
'', hosted by
Noel Edmonds Noel Ernest Edmonds (born 22 December 1948) is an English television presenter, radio DJ, writer, producer, and businessman. Edmonds first became known as a disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg before moving to BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presente ...
. She has been nominated for four
BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...
s for her work on ''The Catherine Tate Show'', including Best Comedy Performance. Despite speculation that the third series of the show would be the last, Tate and the BBC have not ruled out further episodes. She later filmed a one-off special episode which aired on Christmas Day 2007. The episode was subject to criticism when 42 viewers complained about the amount of swearing, and accused Tate of bigotry over the depiction of a family from
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...
as terrorists, whose Christmas presents included a balaclava and a pair of knuckle dusters, in reference to
the Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...
. After the complaints were made, an
Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...
report later concluded that the show was not offensive and did not violate broadcasting regulations. An extract from the Ofcom report read: "Overall this episode was typical of ''The Catherine Tate Show'' and would not have gone beyond the expectations of its usual audience. For those not familiar with the show, the information given at the start was adequate." In summer 2008, Tate starred as Michelle, a promiscuous mathematics teacher, in David Eldridge's ''
Under the Blue Sky ''Under the Blue Sky'' is a three- act play written by David Eldridge. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 14 September 2000, directed by Rufus Norris. Original West End production The original West End production opened at the ...
'' at the
Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...
, alongside
Francesca Annis Francesca Annis (born 14 May 1945) is an English actress. She is known for television roles in '' Reckless'' (1998), '' Wives and Daughters'' (1999), ''Deceit'' (2000), and '' Cranford'' (2007). A six-time BAFTA TV Award nominee, she won the 19 ...
and Nigel Lindsay. The first preview performance was canceled after she injured her ankle during the final dress rehearsal. Tate, however, returned to the stage the next day and performed preview shows with the aid of a crutch. Earlier that year, she returned to ''Doctor Who'' to reprise the role of the Doctor's companion throughout the fourth series, which was shown on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
starting on 5 April for a 13-week run. Producer
Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include ''Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scien ...
said, "We are delighted that one of Britain's greatest talents has agreed to join us for the fourth series." Tate added, "I am delighted to be returning to ''Doctor Who''. I had a blast last Christmas and look forward to travelling again through time and space with that nice man from
Gallifrey Gallifrey () is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It is the original home world of the Time Lords, the civilisation to which the protagonist, the Doctor belongs. It is located in a ...
." At the 2008 TV Quick Awards and
SFX Awards ''SFX'' is a British magazine covering the topics of science fiction and fantasy. Its name is a reference to the abbreviated form of " special effects". Description ''SFX'' magazine is published every four weeks by Future plc and was founded i ...
, Tate was voted best actress for her dramatic ''Doctor Who'' performance. She also earned a nomination at the
14th National Television Awards The 14th National Television Awards ceremony was held at the Royal Albert Hall on 29 October 2008. It was the last to be hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald and last to be held at the Albert Hall. David Tennant announced via a live video link from Strat ...
. A year and a half after the heartbreaking
finale Finale may refer to: Pieces of music * Finale (music), the last movement of a piece * ''Finale'' (album), a 1977 album by Loggins and Messina * "Finale B", a 1996 song from the rock opera ''Rent'' * "Finale", a song by Anthrax from ''State of E ...
of the fourth series, she returned as Donna in the first part of the show's festive special " The End of Time", which was broadcast on Christmas Day 2009 and became the final story for both David Tennant as the
Tenth Doctor The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the main protagonist of the BBC science fiction television franchise ''Doctor Who''. He is played by David Tennant in three series as well as nine specials. As with previous incarnations of ...
and Russell T Davies as
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...
. Later that day, ''
Nan's Christmas Carol ''Nan's Christmas Carol'' is a spin-off of ''The Catherine Tate Show''. The one-off special, based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'', is about Nan visited by three ghosts on Christmas night in her council flat. Plot The Begi ...
'' premiered, a one-off special spin-off to ''The Catherine Tate Show'' focused on Nan, who gets visited by three ghosts (played by David Tennant,
Ben Miller Bennet Evan Miller (born 24 February 1966) is an English actor, comedian, and author. He rose to fame as one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller. Miller is also known for playing the lead role of DI Richard Poole in the first two serie ...
and Roger Lloyd-Pack) in her council flat. The next day, Tate and Tennant guest hosted
Jonathan Ross Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960) is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He presented the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' during the 2000s, hosted his own radio show on ...
's
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
show, having already done so on 11 April and later appearing on the show once again on 30 January 2010. In March 2010, Tate took part in ''
Channel 4's Comedy Gala ''Channel 4's Comedy Gala'' is an annual British comedy benefit show organised by Channel 4 in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. The show is filmed live at the O2 Arena in London, and then broadcast later by Channel 4. An inaugur ...
'', a
benefit show A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...
held in aid of
Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospita ...
, filmed live at the
O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to: *The O2 Arena (London) *O2 Arena (Prague) *The 3Arena The 3Arena (originally The O2) is an indoor amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland. The venue opened as The O2 on 16 Decemb ...
in London. She went on to make her directorial debut in
Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
's series of short comedy films called '' Little Crackers''. The autobiographical short film '' My First Nativity'' (2010), also written by and starring Tate as her mother Josephine, showed the young Catherine performing an impression of
Gary Glitter Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944), best known by his stage name Gary Glitter, is an English former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved success during the glam rock era of the 1970s and 1980s, and his career ended after he ...
in her school nativity play. It received a nomination for the Best Comedy Programme at the
2011 British Academy Television Awards The 2011 British Academy Television Awards were held on 22 May 2011. The nominations were announced on 26 April. Graham Norton hosted the ceremony. Nominations Winners are listed first and emboldened. Programmes with multiple nominat ...
. On Christmas Day 2010 Tate appeared as Queen Isabelle of Lilliput in the
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
of ''
Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', or ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'' is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan ...
'' starring
Jack Black Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), '' Shallow Hal'' (2001), '' Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ' ...
in the title role. She then starred opposite
Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress and producer. Gomez began her acting career on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004). As a teenager, she rose to prominence for starring a ...
in another American comedy film, ''
Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
'' (2011).


2011–present: Further television and stage work

In March 2011, the video for
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
's new single "
Happy Now Happy Now or Happy Now? may refer to: Film and theatre * ''Happy Now?'' (play), a play by Lucinda Coxon * ''Happy Now?'' (film), a British film starring Ioan Gruffudd Music * "Happy Now" (Bon Jovi song), 2009 * "Happy Now" (Take That song), 2011 * ...
" was debuted on
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
. The video showed Tate alongside comedians Alan Carr,
James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English television host, actor, comedian, and singer. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & Stacey''. In the ...
,
John Bishop John Marcus Bishop (born 30 November 1966) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and former footballer. Bishop formerly played football as a midfielder for Winsford United F.C., Crewe Alexandra F.C., Runcorn F.C., Rhyl F.C., Witton Albi ...
and David Walliams, all auditioning to become Take That's ultimate
tribute band A tribute act, tribute band or tribute group is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act. Tribute acts include individual performers who mimic the songs and style of an artist, such as ...
, Fake That. In December, she presented
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
's two-hour documentary ''Catherine Tate: Laughing at the Noughties'', in which she met Carr, Walliams,
Noel Fielding Noel Fielding (; (born 21 May 1973) is an English actor and comedian. He is best known for his work with The Mighty Boosh comedy troupe alongside Julian Barratt in the 2000s, and more recently as a co-presenter of ''The Great British Bake Off'' ...
,
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He played Dr Paul Hamilton in the Australian/British comedy series ''Supernova'', Bryn West in the BBC sitcom '' Gavin & Stacey'' ...
and her ''Doctor Who'' co-star David Tennant to discuss the comedy highlights of the 2000s. It was soon after she served as a guest host on the comedy shows '' The Sunday Night Project'' (2009) and '' Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' (2010). From May to September 2011, Tate appeared alongside Tennant in the
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
comedy ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'' at the
Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the archit ...
. The production was recorded by
Digital Theatre Strictly, digital theatre is a hybrid art form, gaining strength from theatre's ability to facilitate the imagination and create human connections and digital technology's ability to extend the reach of communication and visualization. (However, ...
and is available to watch on their website. For her performance as Beatrice, Tate won the BroadwayWorld UK Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play, while her reunion with Tennant won the WhatsOnStage Award for the Theatre Event of the Year.2011 BWW UK Award Winners Announced! ROCK OF AGES, GHOST, WIZARD and PHANTOM All Win!
Broadwayworld.com (5 December 2011). Retrieved 14 May 2012.
At the same ceremony, she received an award in the Best Supporting Actress category for the
Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...
production of
Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director o ...
's ''
Season's Greetings The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late November ...
'' (2010–2011), in which she played Belinda. Tate guest starred in the two-part seventh season finale of the American mockumentary sitcom ''
The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original ser ...
'', which aired on 19 May 2011. She portrayed
Nellie Bertram Nellie Bertram is a fictional character on the U.S. comedy television series '' The Office'', portrayed by Catherine Tate. She first appears as a guest star in the seventh season, where she interviewed for the Regional Manager position at the Du ...
, who was interviewed for the Regional Manager position of the
Dunder Mifflin Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc. is a fictional paper and office supplies wholesale company featured in the American television series ''The Office''. It is analogous to Wernham Hogg in the British original of the series, and Papiers Jenning ...
Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...
branch, the position that Michael Scott (played by
Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He played Michael Scott in ''The Office'' (2005–2011; 2013), NBC’s adaptation of the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, where Ca ...
) held for the majority of the series. She was reportedly the top choice to replace Carell, but was unable to join the filming, due to her commitment to ''Much Ado About Nothing''. However, in January 2012 Tate returned to ''The Office'' as a series regular for the second half of season eight, reprising her role as Nellie, who was hired as a "misguided special projects manager". She continued in the role for the ninth and final season. In May 2013, she starred alongside Lee Mack in the unaired BBC One pilot for '' Everybody Loves Raymond'' remake, titled ''The Smiths''. Two promotional photos were released in August but the project was eventually scrapped, with Mack concentrating more on his sitcom '' Not Going Out''. Coincidentally, Tate played Kate in the original 2005 pilot of the show, which was also never broadcast. Around the same time in 2013, she joined David Walliams and
Philip Glenister Philip Haywood Glenister (born 10 February 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC series '' Life on Mars'' (2006–2007) and its sequel '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2010). He also played DCI Willia ...
in the BBC One sitcom '' Big School'' (2013–2014), playing the main role of French teacher Sarah Postern in both series of the show. Tate later appeared as a nun alongside Walliams as Lou Todd in a Red Nose Day 2015 sketch, featuring Stephen Hawking in the Andy Pipkin role. In 2013, she accepted the role in the low-budget
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
comedy film ''
SuperBob ''SuperBob'' is a 2015 British low-budget superhero comedy film about a Peckham postman who develops superpowers after having been hit by a meteorite. The film premiered in London on 16 October 2015, after having first been shown at the London ...
'' (2015) written by and starring Brett Goldstein as the title character, which led to a number of collaborations with Goldstein. Three episodes of her sitcom ''
Catherine Tate's Nan ''Catherine Tate's Nan'' (simply referred to as ''Nan'' on-screen) is a BBC One spin-off series of specials which follows the character of Joanie Taylor (Catherine Tate) from the original sketch comedy series ''The Catherine Tate Show''. When th ...
'', co-written with Goldstein, aired in January 2014 and December 2015 on BBC One. The role of Joanie Taylor earned her a nomination at the
2015 British Academy Television Awards The 61st British Academy Television Awards nominations were announced on 8 April 2015. Winners and nominees Winners are listed first and emboldened. Programmes with multiple nominations Most major wins In Memoriam *Dona ...
for Best Female Comedy Performance. Tate calls Nan "the one haracterthat's got the legs to carry on" and her favourite to play: "It's the one character I can look at on screen and not find myself in. It's a very good transformation. In lots of the others it's clear that it's me. I just enjoy playing that character mainly because you get the privilege of age where you can swear and people laugh. Old people swearing is funny." She reprised the role several times between 2009 and 2018 on
Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comed ...
, Michael McIntyre, Paul O'Grady and Alan Carr's television shows and performed
Bonnie Tyler Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' a ...
's song " Holding Out for a Hero" in character for '' Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief'' (2017). Tate portrayed both
Eva Braun Eva Anna Paula Hitler (; 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was a German photographer who was the longtime companion and briefly the wife of Adolf Hitler. Braun met Hitler in Munich when she was a 17-year-old assistant and model for his ...
and
Édith Piaf Édith Piaf (, , ; born Édith Giovanna Gassion, ; December 19, 1915– October 10, 1963) was a French singer, lyricist and actress. Noted as France's national chanteuse, she was one of the country's most widely known international stars. Pi ...
in the pilot episode of the Sky Arts sketch show ''
Psychobitches ''Psychobitches'' is a Sky Arts British sketch comedy show directed by Jeremy Dyson. Here, famous women from history and fiction seek help from the psychologist Rebecca Front. Broadcast history ''Psychobitches'' was originally aired as a on ...
'' (2012). In autumn 2014, she was cast as another real-life person in her first musical production, the
Menier Chocolate Factory The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Borou ...
revival of
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
's ''
Assassins An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder. Assassin may also refer to: Origin of term * Someone belonging to the medieval Persian Ismaili order of Assassins Animals and insects * Assassin bugs, a genus in the family ''Reduviid ...
'' (2014–2015). Her character was Sara Jane Moore, a woman who attempted to assassinate U.S. President
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
. She went on to play alongside
Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. His work includes writing for and acting in the television series '' Doctor Who'', '' Sherlock'', and '' Dracula''. Together with ...
and
Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...
in ''
The Vote ''The Vote'' is a 2015 play by British playwright James Graham. The play received its world premiere at the Donmar Warehouse as part of their spring 2015 season, where it ran from 24 April to 7 May 2015. Directed by Josie Rourke and set in a f ...
'', a James Graham play set in a fictitious London
polling station A polling place is where voters cast their ballots in elections. The phrase polling station is also used in American English and British English, although polling place is the building
, which was broadcast live on
More4 More4 is a British free-to-air television channel, owned by Channel Four Television Corporation. The channel launched on 10 October 2005. Its programming mainly focuses on lifestyle and documentaries, as well as foreign dramas. Content When ...
on election night 2015. In spring 2016, Tate appeared as fashion designer Myrna in another musical comedy, '' Miss Atomic Bomb'', at the St. James Theatre. Benjamin McDonald, writing in ''
Gay Times ''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''Gay Times Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ media brand established in 1975. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company now includes content for the LGBTQ+ comm ...
'', praised Tate's performance, saying she "proves she has the strong vocal ability to match her impeccable comic timing". The show itself received much poorer reviews, including a one-star review from ''
The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...
''.On New Year's Day 2016, Tate played the role of hand model Sapphire Diamond in the television adaptation of David Walliams's children's book ''
Billionaire Boy ''Billionaire Boy'' is a children's fiction book written by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross. It was published on 28 October 2010 by ''HarperCollins''. The story follows Joe Spud, who is the richest boy in the country and has everyth ...
''. She appeared in ''Bruce's Hall of Fame with Alexander Armstrong'' the following day with a musical tribute to her childhood hero
Victoria Wood Victoria Wood (19 May 1953 – 20 April 2016) was an English comedian, actress, lyricist, singer, composer, pianist, screenwriter, producer and director. Wood wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over se ...
, calling her the first woman she had seen being funny on television. She then chose Wood as her inspirational female figure when promoting ''
Leading Lady Parts ''Leading Lady Parts'' is a 2018 short film directed by Jessica Swale. Inspired by the Time's Up movement, the film stars several A-list actresses auditioning for a leading lady role, offering a critique of the casting process. It premiered o ...
'' (2018), a short film inspired by the Time's Up movement and starring Tate as a
casting director In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, scr ...
auditioning several A-list actresses for a
leading lady A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...
role. In October 2016, Tate began touring British theatres with '' The Catherine Tate Show Live'', guest starring Brett Goldstein (who also co-wrote the show with Tate) and her long-time collaborators
Mathew Horne Mathew Frazer Horne (born 6 September 1978) is an English actor, comedian, television presenter and narrator. He is best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably ''Gavin & Stacey'' (as Gavin Shipman), ''The Ca ...
and
Niky Wardley Nichola Petra "Niky" Wardley (born 11 August 1973) is an English stage and screen actress. Her most notable role is schoolgirl Lauren Cooper's sidekick in the BBC's Emmy and BAFTA-nominated sketch series '' The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2 ...
. Most of the main characters from the original television show, such as Nan, Lauren, nurse Bernie, Geordie Georgie and Derek Faye, all featured in the show. Some pre-recorded sketches, including cameos by
Nick Grimshaw Nicholas Peter Andrew Grimshaw (born 14 August 1984), also known as Grimmy, is an English television and former radio presenter, podcaster and author. He became known for having hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1. He is also known as a t ...
and
Billy Connolly Sir William Connolly (born 24 November 1942) is a Scottish actor, retired comedian, artist, writer, musician, and presenter. He is sometimes known, especially in his homeland, by the Scots nickname the Big Yin ("the Big One"). Known for his ...
, were shown during each of the many changes of Tate's costumes and wigs. In late 2018, she brought the show to
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
with the help of two new cast members, David O'Reilly and Alex Carter, before finishing her tour at London's
Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the archit ...
in January 2019. Around the same time, she hosted the 2018 Laurence Olivier Awards. An edited version of the ceremony was broadcast on ITV. It was also covered live on
Magic Radio Magic Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer. The station is available on 105.4 FM in London and across the UK on Digital Radio, on the Magic Radio app, television and online. It had previously been a part of a ...
, where listeners heard Tate hilariously going back on fluffed lines multiple times, occasionally swearing. She later apologised after it was pointed out the event was going out live. In 2016 and 2019, Tate and David Tennant reprised their ''Doctor Who'' roles in two volumes of the full-cast audio series '' The Tenth Doctor Adventures'' from
Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on cult science fiction properties. These include '' Doctor Who'', th ...
. Talking about his frequent colleague during the recording session, Tennant said: "I love working with Catherine because of the life that she brings to something and the way that she can turn the most mundane line into something glorious and sparkling. I love Catherine for what she is most famous for, and that's being funny and brilliant and witty and quick, but I love the fact that she's a great and proper actress." In October 2017, Tate was revealed to be part of the cast of
Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven yea ...
's ''
DuckTales ''DuckTales'' is an American animated television series produced by Disney Television Animation. The original cartoon series premiered on syndication and on Disney Channel on September 18, 1987 and ran for a total of 100 episodes over four sea ...
'' reboot, providing the voice of the villainous sorceress
Magica De Spell Magica De Spell (''magica'' being the feminine of ''magico'', ) is a cartoon character created in 1961 by Carl Barks for the Duck universe. An Italian sorceress, she constantly attempts to steal Scrooge McDuck's Number One Dime, which she belie ...
following the death of the character's long-time
voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talen ...
, June Foray, in July of the same year. Tennant provided the voice of the show's protagonist,
Scrooge McDuck Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. Appearing in Disney comics, Scrooge is a Scottish-American anthropomorphic Pekin duck. Like his nephew Donald Duck, he has a yellow-orange bill, l ...
. In April 2020, Tate revived her popular character Lauren Cooper for ''
The Big Night In ''The Big Night In'' was a British telethon that was broadcast by BBC One from 7 pm to 10 pm on 23 April 2020 to support those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the first joint initiative between two BBC telethon charities, ...
'', a telethon held during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, in a skit that had her being schooled remotely by a teacher played again by Tennant. Another popular character from ''The Catherine Tate Show'', Nan, made a return the next year in a Comic Relief sketch starring Daniel Craig as
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
, followed by the feature film '' The Nan Movie'' (2022). In April 2022, she starred as six different characters in ''
Hard Cell ''Hard Cell'' is a British mockumentary sitcom streaming television series developed by Catherine Tate, who also plays six of the main characters. The series premiered on 12 April 2022 on Netflix, and consists of six episodes. The series was ...
'', a
Netflix original Netflix is an American global Internet streaming-on-demand media provider that has distributed a number of original streaming television shows, including original series, specials, miniseries, and documentaries and films. Netflix's original pr ...
mockumentary sitcom set in a women's prison. She co-wrote the series with
Niky Wardley Nichola Petra "Niky" Wardley (born 11 August 1973) is an English stage and screen actress. Her most notable role is schoolgirl Lauren Cooper's sidekick in the BBC's Emmy and BAFTA-nominated sketch series '' The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2 ...
and Alex Carter and co-directed all six episodes with James Kayler. In May, it was announced Tate would re-reprise her role as Donna Temple-Noble alongside David Tennant as the 14th Doctor for the 60th anniversary of ''Doctor Who''. In August, the BBC commissioned '' Queen of Oz'' (2023), a sitcom written by and starring Tate as a disgraced member of a fictional British Royal Family sent to rule Australia.


Personal life

Tate's former boyfriend is stage manager Twig Clark. They have a daughter Erin, who was born at London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in January 2003 and was delivered following an emergency surgery. Tate suffered from post-natal depression, from which she only recovered after the filming of the second series of ''The Catherine Tate Show''. She also suffers from occasional
panic attack Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and discomfort that may include palpitations, sweating, chest pain or chest discomfort, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, numbness, confusion, or a feeling of impending doom or of losing ...
s. Regarding her personal outlook, Tate has said, "I'm an incredibly negative person, so any form of success is only ever going to be a relief to me and set my default position back to neutral." It was announced in early 2019 that Tate had become engaged to American screenwriter Jeff Gutheim.


Charity work

Tate is a patron of the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust, supporting the charity since 2006. Since then, she has hosted a fundraising auction, filmed a five-minute film featuring herself and
David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show ''Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...
on the set of ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
'' for the charity's annual ball and taken part in its 2011 calendar with the
Huddersfield Giants Huddersfield Giants are an English professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, the birthplace of rugby league, who play in the Super League competition. They play their home games at the John Smiths Stadium which is sha ...
. She is also the current patron of the Addie Brady Foundation, raising funds for research into high-grade paediatric
brain tumours A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondar ...
and supporting families with
Li–Fraumeni Syndrome Li–Fraumeni syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant, hereditary disorder that predisposes carriers to cancer development. It was named after two American physicians, Frederick Pei Li and Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr., who first recognized the syndro ...
, and was a patron of the children's cancer charity the Joe Glover Trust for a number of years since its launching in 2007. Since 2005, Tate has been a frequent supporter of two BBC
telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause. Most telethons f ...
charities, Children in Need and
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
. For the latter, she so far has starred in eleven sketches and a
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...
. She also appeared as
Lauren Cooper Dame Lauren Chantelle Bluebelle Gazelle Roselle Alesha Masheka Funeshka Tanesha Felicia Jane Harry Kane Liam Payne Cooper is a fictional character in ''The Catherine Tate Show''. Lauren is one of the show's main characters and is portrayed by Cat ...
from ''The Catherine Tate Show'' live on stage during the Red Nose Day 2005 and 2017 events, and as Nan in 2009. In August 2017, after being asked at the Wizard World Chicago convention about what her career would look like if she hadn't become an actress and comedian, Tate said: "I'd definitely work with animals. In fact, sometimes I do feel, 'Oh, am I sort of wasting my time doing ctingwhen I should be doing sort of like stuff with animals in need?' because I'm a big
animal welfare Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevit ...
kind of person,
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the s ...
person." She has supported the animal rescue centre Battersea Dogs & Cats Home on multiple occasions and adopted cats from there. In 2018, she presented the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
hour-long documentary ''Saving the British Bulldog'' about the health issues affecting one of the most popular dog breeds in the UK. In 2020, she featured in a video aimed to raise funds for the
Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained the London Zoo, and since 1931 Whipsnade Park. History On 29 ...
after it was badly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.


Filmography


Film


Television


Acting credits


Presenting and game show credits


Radio and audio dramas


Video games


Music videos


Theatre


Discography


Awards and nominations


References

;Notes ;Citations


External links


Catherine Tate
at
bbc.co.uk BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, the childre ...
/comedy
''The Catherine Tate Show''
at
bbc.co.uk BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, the childre ...
/comedy * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tate, Catherine Living people 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English comedians 21st-century English actresses 21st-century English comedians 21st-century English women writers 21st-century English writers Actresses from London Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Audiobook narrators British sketch comedians English film actresses English Shakespearean actresses English stage actresses English television actresses English television writers English women comedians English women writers National Youth Theatre members People from Bloomsbury People from Holborn Royal Shakespeare Company members British women television writers 1969 births