Shelley King

Shelley King (born 25 September 1955) is a British actress, known for her roles as Jay Harper on the BBC drama series Angels and Yasmeen Nazir on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.

Early and personal life King was born in Calcutta, India in 1955 to Kelly King, a photographer in India and the UK. She grew up in New Malden, Surrey, and attended Coombe Girls School. In April 2018, during an interview on ITV's This Morning, King opened up about being a lesbian and discussed her own struggles and difficulties which she had with her own sexuality. While appearing in Angels, King was in her mid–20s, and producers of Angels wanted to make her character gay, but due to struggling with her own sexuality, she declined. She also revealed that at that time, she was turned away from entering a lesbian club due to them not believing that she was gay. In 2023, she announced she was being tested for autism, and subsequently confirmed she had been diagnosed the following year.

Career King made her television debut in the BBC drama series Angels as Jay Harper in 1978. She remained in the series until 1979, after which she appeared in various British television series including The Jewel in the Crown, Tandoori Nights, King of the Ghetto and The Demon Headmaster. In 2010, she appeared as Nakuru Kapur, in an episode of The Bill, titled, “Intervention”..Then in 2014, King made her debut appearance as Yasmeen Nazir in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Her character began featuring in a high-profile coercive control storyline from May 2019 with her on-screen husband Geoff Metcalfe (Ian Bartholomew). It was announced in January 2025 that King had quit her role as Yasmeen, with her final scenes set to air later in the year.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1978–1979 Angels Jay Harper Main role 1984 The Jewel in the Crown Hospital Receptionist Episode: "Daughters of the Regiment" 1985–1987 Tandoori Nights Bubbly Sharma 12 episodes1986 King of the Ghetto Nasreen Main role Casualty Rama Patel Episode: "Teeny Poppers" 1987 Brookside Mrs Patel 1 episode1988 Rockliffe's Babies Ruth Cellan Episode: "Looking After Your Own" Wipe Out Dr. Kumar Episode #1.2 South of the Border Aisha Dillon Episode #1.8 1992, 2007, 2010 The Bill Mrs. Winton; Akhtar Dewan; Nalira Kapur 4 episodes1996 A Secret Slave Kuman Television film The Demon Headmaster Hospital Doctor Recurring role 1998 Where the Heart Is Dr. Bell Episode: "Ice Pops" 1999 See How They Run Nina Pagetter 2 episodes 2003 Code 46 William's Boss Film 2003, 2007 Silent Witness Suchvinder Juttla; Professor Jyoti Ibrahim 3 episodes 2005 Twisted Tales Larissa Episode: "The Magister" 2006 Banglatown Banquet Nazreen Television film 2008 Holby City Fadwar Kermani Episode: "Separate Lives" 2012 All in Good Time Auntie Laxmi Film2013 EastEnders Mrs. Kayani Episode dated: 1 January 2013 Atlantis Celandine Episode: "A Girl by Any Other Name" 2014–2025 Coronation Street Yasmeen Nazir Regular role, 839 episodes 2016 One Crazy Thing Mum Veer Film