After Dinner Speakers: Angela Griffin, Lenny Beige, Gyles Brandreth

Angela is one of the versatile actors currently proving that there is a career out there for those who leave the big soaps. Her post Coronation Street career has a been a model of variety, with Holby City's fiesty Jasmine, vain Darcey in Cutting It and now step-mother Frankie in rural drama Down to Earth. Angela began acting in youth drama groups in Leeds, and as a teenager she had a role in children's drama Just Us. She joined Coronation Street in 1993 as hairdresser Fiona Middleton. Her character had an on/off relationship with bad boy Steve McDonald and for a while it looked as if she and baby Morgan had tamed him, but he had a fling with her best friend Maxine and Fiona hit the road in 1998. Angela moved from the street to the wards of Holby City, where she played dedicated nurse Jasmine Hopkins. She tried hard to impress her superiors and was even stabbed in the line of duty. She left Holby after an affair with married man Steve turned sour. In 2001 Angela won a coveted place in the cast of BBC drama Babyfather as salsa teacher Chantelle, who stole the heart of Gus. The saga continued in the second series when their blissful marriage ran into trouble. Angela starred with Sarah Parish and Amanda Holden in the popular "hairdressers-at-war" series Cutting It. Of the gold-digging beautician Darcey, Angela said, "I've never worn so much make-up to play a character!" Angela is taking up a very different role in the new series of rural drama Down to Earth with Pauline Quirke and Warren Clarke. Her character has become step-mother to three children, and has moved to the countryside with new husband Ian Kelsey. She was born on 16th July 1976 in Leeds, Yorkshire.