Katherine Kelly is captivating audiences in the second season of Paramount+'s The Crow Girl, where she portrays Sophia Craven, a psychotherapist who is secretly the unstable murder suspect Victoria Burkeman, suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Lead actress Eve Myles told Digital Spy that Kelly was "absolutely a sensation" this season, calling her work "bold, ambitious, tender, [and] beautiful."
Early Life and Rise to Fame
Born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, in 1979, Kelly is the eldest of four children. She trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) alongside actors such as Laurence Fox and Elliot Cowan. Her breakthrough role came in 2006 when she joined the cast of Coronation Street as Becky McDonald, a character she played for six years.
Secret Marriage and Family Life
In 2013, Kelly married Australian digital analyst Ryan Clark in a secret ceremony at the Little Church of the West in Las Vegas. She had told her family she was going on holiday with her boyfriend but returned as a married woman. The couple had two daughters, Orla and Rose. However, in August 2020, they announced their separation, with Kelly moving back to Barnsley. A spokesman told The Sun: "They see it as a positive move for both of them and the separation is completely amicable. Their children are their top priority and they will continue to co-parent as good friends."
New Relationship and Public Appearances
In 2022, Kelly began dating Tony Pitts, known for playing Archie Brooks in Emmerdale Farm from 1983 to 1993. The couple went public at the Dancing with Heroes ball in November 2022, after reportedly being in a relationship for "some time." Pitts, 63, and Kelly have since attended events together, including the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards.
Dramatic Coronation Street Exit
More than 12 million viewers watched Kelly's dramatic exit from Coronation Street in 2012. In an emotional scene, her character Becky McDonald confronted ex-husband Steve at his wedding reception, revealing that his new wife Tracy had lied about Becky causing a miscarriage. Becky then fled to Barbados with her new partner. Kelly admitted she shed a tear when watching the episode back. Reflecting on her role, she told The Guardian: "When I finished at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2005, I found myself surrounded by exciting prospects… My biggest ambition has always been to play the widest variety of characters I can."
Post-Coronation Street Roles
After leaving the soap, Kelly starred in the BBC Four biopic Best Possible Taste as Lee Middleton, wife of Kenny Everett. She played socialite Lady Loxley in ITV's Mr Selfridge and joined Happy Valley in 2015 as DI Jodie Shackleton, a role written for her by creator Sally Wainwright. More recently, she appeared as Katrina in How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge) and is set to star in the political comedy-drama Number 10.
The Crow Girl Season 2
In The Crow Girl Season 2, Kelly's character Sophia Craven is a psychotherapist unknowingly living with Dissociative Identity Disorder, making her both a helper and a dangerous killer. Speaking on ITV's This Morning, Kelly said she had no idea of the twist: "When I took this job, I did it because I wanted to work with Eve [Myles], and they said 'Yes, she's a psychologist, helping Eve's character Jeanette solve this case.' I said 'Oh, great.' I didn't realise I was actually playing half a person." The series airs on Paramount+.
