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Leslie Ash (born 19 February 1960) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles in ''

C.A.T.S. Eyes ''C.A.T.S. Eyes'' is a British television series made by TVS for ITV between 1985 and 1987. The series was a spin-off from ''The Gentle Touch'', and saw Jill Gascoine reprise her role as Maggie Forbes, portrayed as having left the police forc ...

'' (1985–1987), the

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sitcom ''

Men Behaving Badly ''Men Behaving Badly'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British British sitcom, sitcom that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang (Martin Clunes) and his flatmates Dermot Povey (Harry Enfield; series 1 ...

'' (1992–1997),

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

drama '' Where the Heart Is'' (2000–2003), and

...
medical drama ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', and pr ...

'' (2009–2010). Her book ''My Life Behaving Badly: The Autobiography'' was published in 2007.

Early career

Ash was born in

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buc ...

, Oxfordshire, and first appeared on British television in 1964 at the age of four asking "Mummy, why are your hands so soft?" in an advertisement for the washing-up product

Fairy Liquid Fairy is an international brand, primarily used for washing up liquid and dishwasher detergent, owned by the American multinational consumer products company, Procter & Gamble. The brand originated in the United Kingdom and is now used on a numbe ...

. She was educated at the independent

Italia Conti Academy The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts is a performing arts conservatoire based in Woking, England. It was founded in 1911 by Italia Conti, an actress. The first production at Italia Conti Academy was the play ''Where the Rainbow Ends''. For ...

stage school, and then started a career as a fashion model appearing on the cover of a number of teenager magazines, including ''Pink'', and '' Jackie'', for which she was photographed by

David Bailey David Royston Bailey (born 2 January 1938) is an English photographer and director, most widely known for his fashion photography and portraiture, and role in shaping the image of the Swinging Sixties. Early life David Bailey was born at Wh ...

. Having appeared with her sister Debbie in the 1978 British slapstick comedy '' Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse''; her first major film role was playing the romantic lead in ''

Quadrophenia ''Quadrophenia'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the two previous being the "mini-opera" song " A Quick One, While ...

'' in 1979. In 1980, Ash appeared in the

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

music video, "

Women in Uniform "Women in Uniform" is a 1978 song by the Australian band Skyhooks; it was written by the band's bass guitar player, Greg Macainsh. It was released in February 1978 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, '' Guilty Until Proven Insane' ...

" and one of the two

Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and percuss ...

music videos of Tunnel of Love. In 1982 she played the role of a fast food chef in the fifth series of Shelley entitled "When the Chip hits the Fan", and appeared opposite

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...

in the film ''

Nutcracker A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version portrays a person w ...

''. In 1983, she had the starring role in ''

The Balance of Nature ''The Balance of Nature'' is a 1983 British television drama film directed by Paul Annett, starring Leslie Ash. Outline The film is about the beauty business, seen mostly through the eyes of a Cockney girl from a tower block. Dawn Winch ( Le ...

'', a film about a Cockney girl from a

tower block A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently ...

with aspirations to win the

Miss United Kingdom Miss United Kingdom is a title held by the highest-ranked contestant from the UK in the Miss World pageant. The winner sometimes competes at Miss International the following year under the ''Britain'' or ''United Kingdom'' banner. From 1958 ...

competition. The same year, she played Julie Morgan, ''alias'' Juletta Shane, in ''

Curse of the Pink Panther ''Curse of the Pink Panther'' is a 1983 comedy film and a continuation of ''The Pink Panther'' series of films created by Blake Edwards in the early 1960s. The film was one of two produced concurrently following the death of the series' star Pet ...

'', and also appeared opposite

Nicky Henson Nicky Henson ( Nicholas Victor Leslie Henson; 12 May 1945 – 15 December 2019) was a British actor. Early life Nicholas Victor Leslie Henson was born in London, the son of Harriet Martha ( Collins) and comedian Leslie Henson. Adam Henson, a fa ...

as Nancy in the

situation comedy ''The Happy Apple'' playing a secretary whose opinions successfully reflected public opinion. She then played a regular role in crime series ''

''. From 1983 until 1987, she was a co-presenter on the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

music programme '' The Tube'' alongside

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric C ...

and

Paula Yates Paula Elizabeth Yates (24 April 1959 – 17 September 2000) was a British television presenter and writer. Yates is best known for her work on two television programmes, '' The Tube'' and ''The Big Breakfast''. She was the girlfriend of musicia ...

. In 1984 she appeared opposite

Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...

and former ''Quadrophenia'' co-star

Toyah Willcox Toyah Ann Willcox (born 18 May 1958) is an English musician, actress, and TV presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Willcox has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays an ...

in the thriller '' Murder: Ultimate Grounds for Divorce'', and played Carol Landau in the 1985 comedy film ''

Shadey ''Shadey'' is a 1985 British comedy film directed by Philip Saville and starring Antony Sher, Billie Whitelaw and Patrick Macnee. The screenplay concerns a man with clairvoyant qualities who is recruited by British intelligence for a secret mi ...

'', directed by

Philip Saville Philip Saville (28 October 1927 – 22 December 2016) was a British director, screenwriter and former actor whose career lasted half a century. The British Film Institute's Screenonline website described Saville as "one of Britain's most prolifi ...

. In 1987, Ash appeared in the first episode of the third series of the

comedy series ''

Home to Roost ''Home to Roost'' is a British sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television between 19 April 1985 and 19 January 1990. Written by Eric Chappell, it stars John Thaw as Henry Willows and Reece Dinsdale as his teenaged son Matthew. The premise is that ...

'', entitled ''Human Interest,'' where Ash played the role of the flamboyant cleaner, Susie Perkins. Ash's best known role was playing

Neil Morrissey Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July 1962) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Tony in ''Men Behaving Badly''. Other notable acting roles include Deputy Head Eddie Lawson in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'', ...

's romantic interest Deborah (Debs) in the situation comedy ''Men Behaving Badly''. She continued in the role for six series. She subsequently acted in

...
police drama ''

Merseybeat Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a British popular music genre that developed, particularly in and around Liverpool, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genre melded influences from American rock and roll, rhythm and blues, skiffle ...

'' and the

drama '' Where the Heart Is''. In 1996, during her time on ''

'', Leslie released a single " Tell Him" with co-star

Caroline Quentin Caroline Quentin (born Caroline Jones; 11 July 1960) is an English actress, broadcaster and television presenter. Quentin became known for her television appearances: portraying Dorothy in ''Men Behaving Badly'' (1992–1998), Maddie Magellan in ...

, under the name of "Quentin & Ash". It reached number 25 in the UK singles chart.

Later work

Ash appeared in

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

's comic radio series, ''

Vent Vent or vents may refer to: Science and technology Biology *Vent, the cloaca region of an animal *Vent DNA polymerase, a thermostable DNA polymerase Geology *Hydrothermal vent, a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water ...

'' (2007), alongside

Neil Pearson Neil John Pearson (born 27 April 1959) is a British actor, known for his work on television. He was nominated for the 1994 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for '' Between the Lines'' (1992–1994). His other television roles include ''Drop the D ...

Fiona Allen Fiona Allen (born 13 March 1965) is an English comedian and actress, most known for her work on Channel 4's ''Smack the Pony'' between 1999 and 2003. Career Allen has appeared in many sketch shows, including ''We Know Where You Live'' (Channel ...

and

Josie Lawrence Josie Lawrence (born Wendy Lawrence; 6 June 1959) is an English actress and comedian. She is best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' and as Manda Best in '' ...

. In May 2008, Ash worked with Transparent Television to make a documentary about the unregulated cosmetic beauty industry whilst exploring her own experiences. The programme, ''Leslie Ash: Face to Face'' was broadcast on

on 23 September 2008. In 2009, Ash appeared on daytime TV panel programme ''

Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...

'' to discuss her new role in ''

'' and her previous health problems. Leslie reappeared on ''

'' on 17 February 2012 where she discussed her on stage tour of ''All the Single Ladies''. In 2014, Leslie was a contestant on the

...
programme, ''Celebrity Masterchef''. In 2020, she appeared opposite many of her ''Quadrophenia'' co-stars in the unofficial semi-sequel ''

To Be Someone ''To Be Someone'' is a British film loosely related to the 1979 film, ''Quadrophenia''. The film is directed by Ray Burdis and written by Pete Meadows. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was initially announced to be released in April 2020. T ...

''. In 2021, it was announced that she would be reprising her role as

Vanessa Lytton Vanessa Lytton is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama '' Holby City'', portrayed by actress Leslie Ash. The character first appeared on-screen on 13 October 2009 in the episode " The Spirit Dancing" - series eleven, episode fifty- ...

in an episode of ''Holby City''s sister series ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

''. In the same year, she also appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera ''

Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

'' as Mary McRae.

Personal life

Ash is married to former footballer

Lee Chapman Lee Roy Chapman (born 5 December 1959) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker from 1978 until 1996, in which he scored over 200 first team goals. He is best known for spells with Stoke City, Leeds United, She ...

, and they have two sons. Her sister is former '

Hot Gossip Hot Gossip (1974–86) were a British dance troupe who made television appearances and in 1978 backed Sarah Brightman on her single "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper". Formation Arlene Phillips moved to London to learn and teach developin ...

' dancer Debbie Ash. They appeared together as sisters in '' Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse''.

Health

Ash contracted

toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by ''Toxoplasma gondii'', an apicomplexan. Infections with toxoplasmosis are associated with a variety of neuropsychiatric and behavioral conditions. Occasionally, people may have a few weeks or months ...

two months into her

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...

while in France, where it is more common than in the United Kingdom. She told the

...
that she wished to raise awareness of the issue in Britain. Ash was hospitalised at the

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is a 430-bed teaching hospital located in Chelsea, London. Although the hospital has been at its present site since only 1993, the hospital has a rich history in that it serves as the new site for the Westminste ...

in April 2004 after suffering two cracked ribs. She was discharged after a few days, but was readmitted after losing all feeling in her legs. In June 2004 while she was still in hospital, it was announced that a ''

Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive ...

'' infection might have rendered her permanently unable to walk. In January 2007 Ash confirmed she was suing the hospital. Papers lodged at the High Court asserted that Ash would never return to active TV roles. The hospital admitted breach of duty over part of her treatment but denied responsibility for the extent of her injuries and in January 2008 paid out a record £5m compensation in an out-of-court settlement. Steve Walker, chief executive of the

NHS Litigation Authority NHS Resolution, the operating name of NHS Litigation Authority, is an arm's length body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It changed its name in April 2017. The organisation's purpose is to provide expertise to the NHS on resolving c ...

, said the payout set a new record for compensation following a hospital-acquired infection. The previous highest amount was £500,000. The payment was justified by the NHS compensation body as being "because of the amount Leslie was earning at the time she fell ill and takes into account how much she might have earned in the future".

Lip implants

In her thirties, Ash had a collagen injection to 'plump up' her lips. When she was forty she decided to repeat the procedure with the same plastic surgeon, the mother of a Venezuelan friend. In the second procedure, liquid silicone was injected resulting in extreme swelling of her lips, a condition dubbed as "

trout pout Lip augmentation is a cosmetic procedure that modifies the shape of the Lip, lips using fillers, such as collagen or implants. The procedure may be performed to increase lip size, correct asymmetry, create protrusion, or adjust the ratio of the to ...

" in the press. Subsequent medical analysis showed that the silicone had set and the condition is permanent. During this time Ash starred in a series of advertisements for the DIY chain

Homebase Homebase is a British home improvement retailer and garden centre with stores across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Founded by Sainsbury's and GB-Inno-BM in 1979, the company was owned by Home Retail Group from October 2006, unti ...

(again, with

) and starred in ''Merseybeat'', which evoked further ridicule from the media about her appearance. Ash has since spoken out about the press ridicule she received as a result of her botched implants, commenting: "If I'd lost a leg in a car crash, people wouldn't have felt able to take the mickey out of me so mercilessly ... People don't laugh at

Heather Mills Heather Anne Mills (born 12 January 1968) is an English former model, businesswoman and activist. Mills first came to public attention in 1993 when she was a model and was involved in a traffic collision with a police motorcycle in London. T ...

because she lost a leg."

''News of the World'' legal action

Ash and Chapman sued the ''

News of the World The ''News of the World'' was a weekly national Tabloid journalism#Red tops, red top Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published every Sunday in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the world's highest-selling En ...

'' for breach of privacy over suspicions that their voicemails, and those of their two sons, were illegally accessed by private investigator

Glenn Mulcaire Glenn Michael Mulcaire (born 8 September 1970) is an English private investigator and former non-league footballer. He was closely involved in the News International phone hacking scandal, and was imprisoned for six months in 2007 for his role i ...

. They wrote to the police over their suspicions, and the police informed them that there were four pieces of paper referring to Ash in Mulcaire's notebooks, and five items relating to Chapman. There were further items relating to their children. In August 2011, Ash and Chapman settled a claim against the paper and Mulcaire for an undisclosed sum and received an apology. They planned to take action against other newspapers.

References

External links

*
IMDb profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ash, Leslie 1960 births Living people Actresses from Oxfordshire Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts English film actresses English television actresses People from Henley-on-Thames