Five Fast Facts About British Soap Star Claire King

Claire King is a British actress who is best known for playing roles such as Kim Tate in Emmerdale and Karen Betts in Bad Girls. But she has also appeared on reality television shows.

King competed on both Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother. From where she was born and raised to her health battle, here are five fast facts about the talented actress.

Who Is Claire King?

The future star was born on January 10 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, but she grew up in Harrogate with her brother and sister. She then attended Harrogate Ladies College and initially wanted to go into the music business. She became a DJ at a nightclub in Leeds and moved to London to pursue music full-time.

A Rose By Any Other Name…
The actress was actually born with the name Jayne Claire Seed, but she had to change it when she registered with the actors’ union Equity. She changed it to Claire King because she loves horse racing, which is considered the sport of kings, and her favorite singer, Elvis Presley, is known as “The King.”

Soap Career
King officially decided to pursue acting after making her debut in the LA Mix video, Check This Out. She then started auditioning for roles and joined the cast of Emmerdale as Kim Tate, a role she played for 10 years. However, after nearly a 20-year break, she returned to the role in 2018.

Health Battle

She was diagnosed with arthritis at age 30 after experiencing terrible throbbing in her fingers. She initially thought the disease would put her in a wheelchair, but with exercise and diet, King’s been able to stay healthy. However, she’s been open about how the diagnosis has affected her life and revealed she’s worried about her health declining as she gets older.

Getting Personal With Claire King
King married actor Peter Amory, who played her stepson Chris Tate in Emmerdale, in 1994. The couple separated in 2004, and King now lives near Harrogate with her horses and dogs.

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