Rachel Shenton, known for her role as Helen Herriot in the Channel 5 period drama All Creatures Great and Small, is married to actor and filmmaker Chris Overton. The couple, who met on the set of Hollyoaks, won an Academy Award for their short film The Silent Child in 2019.
From Stoke-on-Trent to Hollywood
Rachel originates from Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. She attended two secondary schools before studying performing arts at Stoke-on-Trent College. Her career began at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where her play received critical acclaim, leading to minor TV roles on shows such as Holby City and Waterloo Road.
Rachel featured in Nickelodeon's Genie in the House and Five's Sophia's Diary, and appeared in adverts for DFS and the Ministry of Defence. Her big break came in 2010 when she was cast as Mitzeee Minniver in Hollyoaks. She left the soap in December 2012, with her final scenes airing the following year.
Oscar-Winning Duo
In 2014, she made her American TV debut in Switched at Birth, remaining on the show until its final season in 2017. She has also starred in dramas including For Her Sins, A Confession, and The Rumour.
Rachel and her husband, Chris Overton, received critical acclaim for their short film The Silent Child, which follows a six-year-old deaf girl who lives in silence until she meets a kind social worker. While Rachel wrote and starred in the short, Chris directed. The couple won numerous awards for the film, including an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film in 2019.
Marriage and Family Life
Rachel married Chris during the summer of 2018. The pair reportedly first met on the set of Hollyoaks in 2010, when she played Mitzeee and he played Liam McAllister. Chris, 37, has appeared in various TV shows including Doctors, Prisoner's Wives, DCI Banks, and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.
Their private wedding coincided with their Academy Award win. Speaking to The Sun, Rachel disclosed: "We got married not that long ago in amongst all the madness. It was a very private event; we wanted to keep it private, but I am so happy though."
The couple lives in London with their son, Orson Wilde Overton, born in April 2025. Announcing the news on social media, Rachel shared a black-and-white photo of her newborn's feet with the caption: "On the 09.04.2025 my dream came true….Welcome to the world Orson Wilde Overton….Our hearts are yours."
All Creatures Great and Small airs Thursday at 9pm on Channel 5.
