Kym Marsh

Kimberley Gail Marsh (previously Ryder, Lomas and Ratcliff; born 13 June 1976) is an English actress, television presenter and singer. In 2001, she won a place in the band Hear'Say as a result of appearing on the reality television series Popstars. Hear'Say enjoyed brief success, achieving two UK number-one singles and a UK number-one album, but Marsh left the band in 2002 to pursue a solo career. She released an album titled Standing Tall in 2003, which peaked at number nine in the UK and spawned two UK top-ten singles.

From 2006 to 2019, she portrayed Michelle Connor on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She won the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer at the 2007 British Soap Awards, as well as winning the Newcomer category at the 2007 National Television Awards and being nominated for Best Female Dramatic Performance at the 2017 British Soap Awards. In 2010, she finished in fourth place on Popstar to Operastar, a reality show featuring well-known pop stars being trained to sing opera. Since October 2020, Marsh has co-fronted the BBC One morning lifestyle programme Morning Live alongside Welsh presenter Gethin Jones. From 2023, Marsh appeared in the revival of the BBC school drama series Waterloo Road.

Early life Kimberley Gail Marsh was born on 13 June 1976 at Whiston Hospital in Whiston, Merseyside, to Pauline and David Marsh, who lived in Garswood. She has two older brothers and one older sister. Her father was a joiner and in his spare time was the lead guitarist for the band Ricky and the Dominant Four who were a supporting act to The Beatles at The Cavern Club. She attended Cansfield High School in Ashton-in-Makerfield and the Elliot Clarke Stage School in Liverpool for two years, leaving when she was 15.

Music career Early singing career and Hear'Say

Marsh provided session vocals for artists including Matt Darey, the group Freaky Realistic and the duo Hemstock & Jennings. She sang in Norwegian on the latter's track "Arctic", which caught the attention of Paul van Dyk, and was remixed and re-recorded with additional vocals from Jan Johnston. The track, renamed "Nothing But You", was released in the UK via Positiva and reached number 14 in the UK charts.

In late 2000, Marsh auditioned for the ITV talent show Popstars. She was one of the five singers chosen for the newly formed band Hear'Say, along with Danny Foster, Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw and Noel Sullivan. In March 2001, Hear'Say released their first single "Pure and Simple", a cover of a track by Girl Thing. She was hailed by her girl bandmates as "the funniest out of the bunch". The song went straight to number 1 on the UK Singles Chart in March 2001, selling just under 550,000 copies. The group then released their second single, "The Way to Your Love," in June 2001. The song became their second consecutive number 1 single. Shortly afterwards the group toured the UK. In January 2002, Marsh announced that she was leaving Hear'Say. Auditions were held to find a replacement for her, but the group split up in October 2002.

Solo career

After a while out of the spotlight Marsh signed a solo record deal with Island Records. Her first single, "Cry", went to number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and her second single, "Come on Over," made it to number 10. In July 2003, Marsh released her debut solo album, Standing Tall, which peaked at number 9 in the UK.

Television career Marsh made her television acting debut in 2005, in an episode of the BBC One soap opera Doctors, playing a character called Ruth Parry. That same year, she also became a regular panellist on ITV's daytime show Loose Women for its eighth series. In 2006, she played sex worker Kay Price in the first 2 episodes of Channel 4's soap opera Hollyoaks: In the City.

Marsh joined the cast of Coronation Street, playing Michelle Connor from April 2006 a role she held until 2019. For her role on the show she has subsequently received Newcomer awards at the 2007 British Soap Awards and the 2007 National Television Awards, among others. The baby-swap storyline, which Michelle was central to, was largely panned by both fans and critics, columnist Grace Dent said of the plot; "...It feels like something ripped from a copy of Pick Me Up magazine and read to me laboriously over 22 weeks". In contrast, the 2017 stillbirth storyline as well as Marsh's performance received rave reviews and were praised by the stillbirth charity Sands. Marsh, whose real-life son Archie was also stillborn, explained that it was important for her to take on the storyline in order to raise awareness of the issue. She also voiced for the change in law which would see stillborn children receive birth certificates. The actress also stated it was "the best way to honour" her son. She later won the 2017 British Soap Award for Best Female Dramatic Performance.

Marsh began presenting the daily morning magazine show Morning Live on BBC One on 26 October 2020, alongside Gethin Jones. The series ended on 18 December 2020 and the BBC confirmed on 17 December it would return in 2021 for a second series. In March 2021, Marsh appeared in the fourth series of the BBC One drama The Syndicate as Donna.

In February 2022, she was announced as one of the starring cast members of BBC's revival of their school drama Waterloo Road, which began airing in January 2023.

On 4 August 2022, it was announced that Marsh would be competing on the twentieth series of Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with Graziano Di Prima. The series launched on 24 September 2022. On 22 November 2022, it was announced that Marsh had tested positive for COVID and would, therefore, have to miss that Saturday's appearance on the show. She was the tenth celebrity to be eliminated, on 3 December 2022, after losing the dance off to Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu.

On 21 July 2025, it was announced that Marsh would appear in the UK/Australian co-commissioned series Imposter alongside Neighbours actress Jackie Woodburne.

Personal life

Marsh has been married and divorced three times and has three children and two grandchildren. She has a son named David (born 1995) and a daughter named Emilie (born 1997) from a relationship with Dave Cunliffe. She married the actor Jack Ryder in St Albans, Hertfordshire, on 10 August 2002. It was announced on 20 March 2008 that the couple had decided to separate and would be seeking a divorce; they announced their divorce on 12 August 2009.

In July 2008, Marsh began dating actor Jamie Lomas. They married in Cheshire in September 2012. She and Lomas announced that they were expecting a baby in 2009. Their son, Archie, was born 18 weeks early on 11 February and died moments after birth. On 23 March 2011, their daughter, Polly, was born. On 3 October 2012, Marsh announced that she would be taking Lomas' name professionally. They separated in 2013 and divorced in 2014. During the later stages of Marsh and Lomas’ marriage, Marsh had an affair with Coronation Street co-star Oliver Mellor.

In May 2017, a wax figure of Marsh's Coronation Street character was added to the gallery of Madame Tussauds Blackpool.

In May 2019, Marsh became a grandmother when her daughter Emilie had a son. On 14 June 2021, Marsh announced her engagement to army major Scott Ratcliff and they were married on 16 October 2021.

Marsh became a grandmother for the second time in August 2022, when her son David and his fiancée Courtney had a son named Clayton.

Marsh announced her separation from Ratcliff in May 2023 and they divorced later the same year.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2020 The Loss Adjuster Angie Dyer

Television

Theatre Year Title Role(s) Playwright Venue(s) Ref. 2023 Greatest Days Rachel Tim Firth UK & Ireland Tour 2024 101 Dalmatians Cruella De Vil Zinnie Harris UK & Ireland Tour 2026 Single White Female Hedy John Lutz UK & Ireland Tour

Discography

Studio albums Title Album details Peak positionsUK Standing TallReleased: 21 July 2003 Label: Island Formats: CD, digital download 9

Extended plays Title Album details Red Room SessionsReleased: 2003 Label: Island Formats: CD

Singles Year Single Peak positions Album UK Best Actress Sexiest Female 2007 Inside Soap Awards Best Actress Best Couple 2007 TV Choice and TV Quick Awards Best Soap Newcomer 2007 TV Now Awards Favourite Newcomer to Irish 2007 National Television Awards Most Popular Newcomer 2008 2008 Digital Spy Soap Awards Sexiest Female 2008 British Soap Awards Sexiest Female Best Actress 2008 Inside Soap Awards Best Dressed Soap Star Best Actress 2008 TRIC Awards TV Soap Personality 2008 TV Now Awards Favourite Female Soap Star 2008 Inside Soap Awards Best Dressed Soap Star 2008 All About Soap Bubble Awards Best Celebrity Style Best Dressed Soap Star 2010 2010 British Soap Awards Sexiest Female 2010 TV Now Awards Ireland's Most Glamorous TV Star 2015 2015 Inside Soap Awards Sexiest Female 2015 TRIC Awards Soap Personality 2016 2016 Inside Soap Awards Sexiest Female 2017 2017 TRIC Awards Soap Personality 2017 British Soap Awards Best Female Dramatic Performance Best Actress 2017 TV Choice Awards Best Soap Actress 2017 Inside Soap Awards Best Actress 2017 RTS North West Awards Best Performance in a Continuing Drama Digital Spy Awards Best Soap Actress 2017 TVTimes Awards Favourite Soap Star 2018 2018 TRIC Awards Soap Actor 2022 2022 RTS North West Awards Best Breakthrough Talent Morning Live 2023 2023 Inside Soap Awards Best Drama Star Waterloo Road 2024 2024 TV Choice Awards Best Actress

Other Year Award Result 2008 La Redoutes 2008 Celebrity Mum of the Year Award Tesco Magazines 2008 Mum of the Year Award 2009 Bountys 2009 Celebrity Mum of the Year Award 2015 2015 Rear of the Year Award