# Amanda Burton

Amanda Burton (born 10 October 1956) is a Northern Irish actress. Her notable credits include Heather Haversham in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1982–1986), Beth Glover in the ITV drama series Peak Practice (1993–1995), Sam Ryan in the BBC crime drama series Silent Witness (1996–2004, 2022), Clare Blake in the ITV crime drama series The Commander (2003–2008), Karen Fisher in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road (2010–2011) and Katherine Maguire in the ITV detective series Marcella (2020).

## Early life and education

Burton was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, the youngest of four sisters. Her father, Arthur Burton, was a primary school headmaster at Ballougry Primary School, which she attended as a child. She was raised at Ballougry, a rural townland on the south-western outskirts of Derry City, where her family lived in a house beside Ballougry Primary School, right beside County Londonderry's boundary with County Donegal. After later attending Londonderry High School, she moved to England at the age of 18, where she spent three years studying drama at the Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre.

## Career

Although best known for her television roles, Burton had worked almost exclusively in the theatre prior to landing the role of Heather Haversham in Channel 4's Liverpool-based flagship drama series Brookside. After nearly four years in the role, during which time Heather had become one of the show's most popular residents of Brookside Close, she began to lose sympathy with her character and decided to leave. Following her departure her television work consisted mainly of guest appearances, with parts in a number of peak-time drama series including Minder, Inspector Morse, Boon, Medics, Van Der Valk, Stay Lucky and Lovejoy.
In 1993, Burton starred alongside Kevin Whately in Peak Practice. She played the role of Doctor Beth Glover in the medical drama series, based in Derbyshire's Peak District, for three series until her departure in 1995. In 1996 she then took the main role of Professor Sam Ryan in the highly acclaimed BBC drama Silent Witness; she held this role until 2004. Though her decision to portray Ryan as a reflective personality – sometimes staring into space – was satirised by the comedienne Jennifer Saunders, she helped lay the groundwork for what was to become one of the most popular BBC series, continuing to run, albeit without her, until her return in 2021.
After Silent Witness, she took on the title role of Prosecutor Helen West in a series based on Frances Fyfield's novels. She also played Aunt Polly in a 2003 remake of Pollyanna and Commander Clare Blake in Lynda La Plante's drama, The Commander.
In 2010, Burton appeared in the sixth series of BBC drama Waterloo Road as new headteacher Karen Fisher, and departed the show in 2011. She took part in BBC1's Celebrity Masterchef and made it through to the semi-finals. She appeared as gangster's wife Cherie Le Saux in ITV drama The Level in Autumn 2016. In 2020, she had a starring role as crime family matriarch Katherine Maguire in the third season of Marcella.

## Personal life

In 1976 Burton married theatre technician Jonathan Hartley, whom she met while at Manchester School of Theatre. They divorced in 1982. She married professional photographer Sven Arnstein in 1989, and the couple had two daughters before divorcing in 2004. Burton currently lives in Hastings, East Sussex (in 2016).

## Charity

Burton is an ambassador for The Children's Trust, a UK charity for children with brain injury and neurodisability.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2009 | Bronson | Mum |
| 2020 | Body Of Water | Susan |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982–1986 | Brookside | Heather Haversham | Regular role |
| 1987–1988 | Boon | Margaret Daly | Main role; 14 episodes |
| 1988 | Inspector Morse | Mirella Lunghi | Episode: "The Settling of the Sun" |
| 1989 | Where There's A Will | Alice | Television film |
| 1989 | Frederick Forsyth Presents | Nicola | Episode: "A Casualty of War" |
| 1990 | Medics | Vikki | Episode: "Jessica" |
| 1990 | The Storyteller: Greek Myths | Aithra | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Van der Valk | Elly van Roekel | Episode: "Doctor Hoffmann's Children" |
| 1991 | Stay Lucky | Jane Higgs | Episode: "The Food of Love" |
| 1992 | Lovejoy | Bonnie Wright | Episode: "Kids" |
| 1993 | Minder | Prosecuting Counsel | Episode: "Looking for Mr. Goodtime" |
| 1993–1995 | Peak Practice | Dr. Beth Glover/Kerruish | Regular role; 36 episodes |
| 1996 | Screen Two | Rosie Willis | Episode: "The Precious Blood" |
| 1996–2004, 2022 | Silent Witness | Prof. Sam Ryan | Regular role |
| 1998 | The Gift | Lynn | Television film |
| 1999 | Forgotten | Rachel Monroe/Carla Hayden | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Little Bird | Rachel Lewis | Television film |
| 2001 | The Whistle-Blower | Laura Tracey | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | The Helen West Casebook | Helen West | 3 episodes |
| 2003 | Pollyanna | Aunt Polly | Television film |
| 2003–2008 | The Commander | Commander Clare Blake | Main role; 17 episodes |
| 2009 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Sister Clotilde | Episode: "Nemesis" |
| 2010–2011 | Waterloo Road | Karen Fisher | Regular role; 28 episodes |
| 2015 | Midsomer Murders | Carole Latimer | Episode: "Murder by Magic" |
| 2016 | The Level | Cherie Le Saux | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | White House Farm | June Bamber | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Marcella | Katherine Maguire | 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Anne Boleyn | Anne Shelton | 3 episodes |

### Presenter

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2013 | Amanda Burton: Killer Forensics | Discovery |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Organisation | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1998 | National Television Award | Most Popular Actress | Silent Witness | Won |
| 1999 | National Television Award | Most Popular Actress | Silent Witness | Won |
| 1999 | TV Quick Award | Best Actress | Silent Witness | Won |
| 2001 | National Television Award | Most Popular Actress | Silent Witness | Won |
| 2003 | National Television Award | Most Popular Actress | Silent Witness | Nominated |
| 2004 | IFTA Award | Best Actress in a TV Drama | Silent Witness | Nominated |
| 2011 | TV Quick Award | Best Actress | Waterloo Road | Won |

## References and notes

* 1 2 Bearn, Emily (10 May 2002). "Being Amanda Burton". telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 August 2009.
* 1 2 "Trevor Cole - Ballougry is a small school with a very big message". The Derry Journal. 10 June 2022.
* ↑ 'Derry TV star Amanda Burton praying for Ballougry' (The Derry Journal, 3 June 2022). https://www.derryjournal.com/education/derry-tv-star-amanda-burton-prays-for-ballougry-3719166
* ↑ "Amanda Burton calls for Ballougry Primary to remain open". 18 May 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
* ↑ "Ballougry Townland, Co. Londonderry". www.townlands.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Amanda Burton". tvguide.com. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
* ↑ Waterloo Road Press Release, bbc.co.uk; accessed 12 August 2015.
* ↑ Amanda Burton quits Waterloo Road, digitalspy.co.uk; accessed 12 August 2015.
* 1 2 Lockyer, Daphne (25 September 2016). "The Level's Amanda Burton: Ageing is all about what's going on in your mind". The Express. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
* ↑ "Our ambassadors | The Children's Trust". www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk.