Saira Choudhry

Saira Choudhry (born July 1982) is a British actress.[2] She is best known for portraying Saira in BBC's Life, Naila in ITV's Coronation Street and Anita Roy in Hollyoaks and Tegan in Paul Abbott's No Offence.[3][4]

Saira Choudhry
BornJuly 1982 (age 41)[1]
Cheetham Hill, Manchester, England
OccupationActress
Years active2008–present

Early life

Saira Choudhry was born in Cheetham Hill, an inner-city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England. She was born to an Irish mother and an Indian father, the latter of whom died when Choudhry was ten years old.[5]

Career

Choudhry first came to prominence in 2008, when she joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Anita Roy,[6] a part she played for 198 episodes, leaving the series in 2011.

After appearing in shows such as Coronation Street[7] and Doctors, Choudhry starred as PC Tegan Thompson in Channel 4's comedy drama series No Offence from 2015 to 2018.[8] On playing Tegan, Choudhry told the Manchester Evening News: "[Tegan]'s braver than me. She’s completely different to any character I’ve been known for before [...] It was nice to play such a strong female character and I think the way Paul has written her and the other women in the show is amazing. Women and men love to see that."[9][10]

In 2020, Choudhry appeared as Saira Malik in the BBC drama series Life.[11][12][13]

In 2022, Choudhry appeared as Alice in one episode of BBC comedy Peacock, alongside Allan Mustafa. Later in 2022, Choudhry starred as Nancy in the CBBC series Dodger, a reimagining of the Dickens’ character's life before Oliver Twist.[14][15]

Personal life

Chaudhry's mother, Fae, is a no-smoking advisor. In 2010, Chaudhry helped to launch that year's No Smoking drive.[16][17]

In 2014, Choudhry set up her own drama school, TV Talent.[18][19]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2008–2011 Hollyoaks Anita Roy 198 episodes
2012 Crime Stories Molly 1 episode
Credited as Saira Choudry
2013, 2015,
2017–2019		 Coronation Street Naila Badal 7 episodes
2014 Doctors Farah Episode: "The Girl in the Photograph"
2014 The Driver Tasha 1 episode
2015 Fungus the Bogeyman Carly Series 1 Episodes 1 & 2
2015–2018 No Offence PC Tegan Thompson 21 episodes
2017 Porridge Joanne 1 episode
Cold Feet Vedika Jawad Series 7 Episodes 1 & 7
2020 Life Saira Malik 6 episodes
2021 McDonald & Dodds Alliyah Episode: "The War of the Rose"[20]
2022 Peacock Alice 1 episode
Dodger Nancy 4 episodes, 1 episode uncredited

References
  1. "Company Check TV Talent". Company Check. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  2. "Who is Life actress and Michelle Keegan lookalike Saira Choudhry?". Entertainment Daily. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  3. Heward, Emily (3 August 2015). "No Offence star Saira Choudhry on returning to the scene of the crime for series two". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  4. "Guz Khan - Saira Choudhry". BBC. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  5. Kearney, Sarah-Louise (15 February 2017). "Saira Choudhry talks Acting, TV shows and Diversity". Desi Blitz. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  6. Kilkelly, Daniel (18 April 2009). "Choudhry praises 'Hollyoaks' race plot". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  7. Bourne, Dianne (27 July 2018). "Corrie journalist Naila is back - this is where you've seen her before". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  8. Griffin, Susan (26 September 2018). "No Offence star Saira Choudhry on life after Corrie and why she set up a drama academy for kids". I Love Manchester. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  9. Heward, Emily (3 August 2015). "No Offence star Saira Choudhry on returning to the scene of the crime for series two". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  10. "Saira Choudhry: No Offence. Guz finds out about what it takes to play a feisty female cop and where to draw the line with Saira in a game of No Offence". BBC Asian Network. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  11. "Saira Choudhry - Life (TV Mini Series 2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  12. Polianskaya, Alina (27 October 2020). "Life cast: Who stars with Saira Choudhry in BBC One drama series, and what time it's on tonight". iNews. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  13. McLennan, Patrick (13 October 2020). "Life twist completely bamboozles viewers of the hit BBC One drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  14. "Production has wrapped on hit family comedy drama Dodger". BBC Media Centre. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  15. Cremona, Patrick (7 February 2022). "Meet the cast of CBBC Dickens series Dodger". Radio Times. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  16. "Hollyoaks' actress Saira Choudhry launches World No Tobacco Day campaign". Liverpool Echo. 31 May 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  17. "Soap star Saira Choudhry urges young women to kick the habit". The Scotsman. 31 May 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  18. "Company Check TV Talent". Company Check. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  19. Kearney, Sarah-Louise (15 February 2017). "Saira Choudhry talks Acting, TV shows and Diversity". Desi Blitz. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  20. Rhind-Tutt, Louise (18 January 2021). "Middleton actress Saira Choudhry to star in ITV's McDonald & Dodds". I Love Manchester. Retrieved 29 January 2022.


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