# Christine Bottomley

Christine Bottomley (born 27 April 1979) is an English actress. Her television roles include playing Kirsty in EastEnders (2001), Melanie in Early Doors (2003–2004), Susie Ward in Heartbeat (2003), and Zoey Wyatt in Shameless (2006). Other credits include Massive (2008), Hope Springs (2009), Land Girls (2009), and Hush (2008).
More recently she has starred in Fearless (2017), The End of the F***ing World (2017–2019), The Nest (2020), Back to Life (2019–2021), Domina (2021) and Sherwood (2024).

## Early life

Christine Bottomley was born in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, and grew up in a flat above the family's chemist shop. She went to several local youth drama groups before embarking on a course at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, from where she graduated in 2001.

## Career

Following graduation, she made her on-screen debut as Kirsty in EastEnders (2001). She played a regular role from 2003–2004, as Melanie in the BBC2 sitcom Early Doors. Bottomley has had numerous parts on television, including episodes of the second series of Torchwood (2008), the comedy series Massive (2008), the drama series Hope Springs (2009), and Land Girls (2009). Her first film role was in Hush, in 2009.
In 2010, she was nominated for Best New Actress at the London Film Critic's Circle Awards for her portrayal of Lisa Thompson in The Arbor. She is a three-times winner of Best Actress at the BBC Audio Drama Awards; in 2014 for My Boy; 2017 for The Sky is Wider and 2018 for Solitary.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Venus | Hospital Nurse | |
| 2007 | The Waiting Room | Fiona | |
| 2007 | Death of a Socialist | Alice | Short film |
| 2008 | Hush | Beth | |
| 2010 | The Arbor | Lisa Thompson | |
| 2010 | Little White Lies | Mum | Short film |
| 2011 | Lost Christmas | Helen | |
| 2012 | All in Good Time | Molly Batt | |
| 2012 | Strawberry Fields | Emily | |
| 2013 | Charlie Says | Liz | Short film |
| 2013 | Out of Darkness | | Short film |
| 2013 | Man in the Moon | Scarlet | |
| 2014 | Keeping Rosy | Sarah | |
| 2017 | Cowboy Dave | Debbie | Short film |
| 2017 | Funny Cow | Funny Calf's Mum | |
| 2018 | Peterloo | Female Reformer | |
| 2022 | Typist Artist Pirate King | Joan | |
| 2024 | Robin and the Hoods | Bridget | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | EastEnders | Kirsty | Episode: "21 September 2001" |
| 2002 | The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | Bride | Episode: "Missing Joseph" |
| 2002 | Holby City | Danni Simmons | Episode: "High Risk" |
| 2002 | The Bill | Sandie | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 2002 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Christine Fitzgerald | Episode: "For Love Nor Money" |
| 2003 | Heartbeat | Susie Ward | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 2003 | Grease Monkeys | Tracie | Episode: "Girl Crazy" |
| 2003–2004 | Early Doors | Melanie | Series regular; 11 episodes |
| 2004 | Sex, Footballers and Videotape | Mel | TV film |
| 2004 | Murder Prevention | Sally Brook | Episode: "False Prophet" |
| 2005 | Comedy Lab | | Episode: "Speeding" |
| 2006 | Shameless | Zoe Wyatt | Episode: "Dark Friends" |
| 2006 | The Street | Yvonne O'Neill | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| 2006 | Vincent | Selina Kenyon | Series 2, episode 1 |
| 2006 | Simon Schama's Power of Art | Fillide | Episode: "Caravaggio" |
| 2006 | Blue Murder | Mandy Breeley | Episode: "Make Believe" |
| 2006–2007 | The Innocence Project | Sarah Shawcross | Series regular; 8 episodes |
| 2007 | Instinct | Milly | TV film |
| 2007 | Sound | Lou | TV film |
| 2007 | Sea of Souls | Mary Dunbar | Episode: "The Prayer Tree" |
| 2008 | The Palace | Natalie | Recurring role; 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Torchwood | Maggie | Episode: "A Day in the Death" |
| 2008 | Tess of the D'Urbervilles | Kate | Recurring role; 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Massive | Lou | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| 2009 | Hope Springs | Shoo Coggan | Series regular; 8 episodes |
| 2009 | Land Girls | Annie Barrett | Series regular; 5 episodes |
| 2010 | The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister | Ann Walker | TV film |
| 2010 | Survivors | Clare | Series 2, episode 5 |
| 2011 | Midsomer Murders | Blaze Leadbetter | Episode: "The Oblong Murders" |
| 2011 | In with the Flynns | Sarah | Episode: "Whistleblowing" |
| 2011 | Inspector George Gently | Terri Molloy | Episode: "Goodbye China" |
| 2011 | Moving On | Caroline | Episode: "Tour of Duty" |
| 2012 | Secrets and Words | Valerie King | Episode: "Help Me If You Can" |
| 2013 | Silent Witness | DI Kate Warren | Episode: "True Love Waits" |
| 2013 | Great Night Out | Julie | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| 2013 | Frankie | Diane Preston | Series 1, episode 3 |
| 2013 | New Tricks | Becky Belgrade | Episode: "Into the Woods" |
| 2013 | Vera | Lisa Strachan | Episode: "Prodigal Son" |
| 2014 | DCI Banks | Katy Heath | Episode: "Wednesday's Child" |
| 2014 | Undeniable | Emma Rawlins | TV mini-series; 2 episodes |
| 2014–2016 | In the Club | Vicky Brierly | Series regular; 12 episodes |
| 2015 | Cucumber | Lynne | Series 1, episode 3 |
| 2017 | Fearless | Jenna Brooks | Series regular; 6 episodes |
| 2017 | The Tunnel | Helena Carver | Recurring role; 2 episodes |
| 2017–2019 | The End of the F***ing World | Gwen | Recurring role, 10 episodes |
| 2018 | Torvill & Dean | Mavis Dean | TV film |
| 2018 | Hard Sun | Maggie Sweeting | Episode: "One Thousand, Eight Hundred Days" |
| 2019 | Flack | Sally Henderson | Episode: "Anthony" |
| 2019–2021 | Back to Life | Mandy | Series regular; 11 episodes |
| 2020 | The Nest | Zoe | Series regular; 5 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | Domina | Scribonia | Series regular; 13 episodes |
| 2022 | Silent Witness | Florence Clarke | Episode: "History, Part 3" |
| 2024 | Sherwood | Rachel Crosley | Main role, second series |
| 2024 | The Wives | Annabelle Morgan | Two episodes |
| 2024 | Ridley | Katharine Penrose | Two episodes |

## Radio

| Year | Date | Title | Role | Strand | Station |
| 2004 | 29 November | Double Acts: Scissors and Ribbon | Lisa | Afternoon Play | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2007 | 23 February | Money Magic | Kathy | Friday Drama | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2008 | 15–22 March | The Dark Side | Annie | Saturday Drama | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2011–2012 | June 2011 – October 2012 | Everyone Quite Likes Justin | Lisa | Comedy | BBC Radio 4 Extra |
| 2012 | 17 March | "Tony Teardrop" | Carly | The Wire | BBC Radio 3 |
| 2012 | 19 December | My Boy | Lisa | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2013 | 12 March | Meic Povey – Take me to Hafod Owen | Vicky | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2013 | 1 October | Man in the Moon | Scarlet | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2013 | 11–15 November | Children in Need: Holding on to you | Jo | 15 Minute Drama | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2014 | 31 January – 3 February | Tony Teardrop | Carly | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2014 | 2 March | Lorca's Rural Trilogy | Martirio | Drama on 3 | BBC Radio 3 |
| 2014 | 15 June | Writing Lives: Treats | Reader | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2014 | 30 November | Dream of White Horses | Sarah | Drama on 3 | BBC Radio 3 |
| 2015 | 25–29 May | Amicable | Sally | 15 Minute Drama | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2015 | 29 May | Time for One More Question | Melanie | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2015 | 11–18 October | Reading Europe – Poland: Entanglement | Olga Kuzniecow | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2015 | 28–29 November | Blood, Sex and Money | Severine | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2016 | 6–7 July | States of Mind | Ella | Afternoon Play | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2016 | 25 September | Peter the Great: The Gamblers | Sophia | Tsar | BBC Radio 4 Extra |
| 2016 | 22 October | Between Ballards Ears | Actor | Between the Ears | BBC Radio 3 |
| 2016 | 11 December | The Tidebreak | Mrs Williams | Drama on 3 | BBC Radio 3 |
| 2017 | 7 July | The Archivist | Clare | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2017 | 7 October | Solitary | Mandy | Between the Ears | BBC Radio 3 |
| 2018 | 8–19 January | Stone (series 7) | Sarah | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2018 | 22 January – 2 February | The Truth About Hawaii | Lizzie | 15 Minute Drama | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2018 | 1–9 May | The Wings of the Dove | Susie Stringer | Henry James | BBC Radio 4 Extra |
| 2018 | 9 July | My Mother's Daughter | Helen | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2019 | 26 February | Debbie Purdy | Debbie Purdy | Test Case | BBC Radio 4 Extra |
| 2019 | 30 April | What's He Building in There? | Kate | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2019 | 17–21 June | Reading Europe – Lullaby | Louise | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2019 | 14 July | The Masque of Anarchy | | Drama on 3 | BBC Radio 3 |
| 2019 | 27 September | This Changeling Self | She | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2019 | 6 October | The Mother | Karpov / The Landlady | Drama on 3 | BBC Radio 3 |
| 2019 | 28 November | Monique & Me | Adult Cara | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2019 | 24 December | The Christmas Present | Holly | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2020 | 3–13 February | 24 Kildare Road | Hayley | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2021 | 2 March | The Ventriloquist's Dummy | Jess | | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2021 | 18 April | Killer | Dani | Drama on 3 | BBC Radio 3 |
| 2022 | 18–26 January | Money, Sex and Blood (series 3) | Maria | Fault Lines | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2022 | 29 March | Waterloo Station | Christa | | BBC Radio 4 |

## Theatre credits

| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
| 2000 | The Pleasureman | Various roles | Citizens Theatre, Glasgow |
| 2001 | Dracula | Lucy Westerman | Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama |
| 2004 | Ladybird | Lera | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| 2004 | Flush | Holly | Soho Theatre, London |
| 2005 | Rutherford and Son | Mary | Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester |
| 2005 | Osama the Hero | Mandy | Hampstead Theatre, London |
| 2005 | A Single Act | Michelle | Hampstead Theatre, London |
| 2007 | Alaska | Emma | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| 2009 | Uncle Vanya | Sonya | Young Vic, London |
| 2015 | How To Hold Your Breath | Jasmine | Royal Court Theatre, London |

## Awards

| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
| 2010 | The Arbor | London Film Critics' Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |
| 2014 | My Boy | BBC Audio Drama Awards | Best Actress | Won |
| 2017 | States of Mind: The Sky is Wider | BBC Audio Drama Awards | Best Actress | Won |
| 2018 | Solitary | BBC Audio Drama Awards | Best Actress | Won |