Patricia Jude Francis Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress, singer, and model. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit first gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Birds Eye frozen peas. She… Patricia Jude Francis Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress, singer, and model. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit first gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Birds Eye frozen peas. She went on to appear in films such as The Great Gatsby (1974), Gold (1974), Hennessy (1975), The Blue Bird (1976) and Hanover Street (1979). In 1983, Kensit formed and became the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder, which released the top-20 hits "I'm Not Scared" and "Cross My Heart" before disbanding in 1989.
Kensit achieved further success in her breakthrough role as Suzette in the musical film Absolute Beginners (1986) and as Rika van den Haas in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) before starring in the films Twenty-One (1991), Blame It on the Bellboy (1992), Angels & Insects (1995) and Grace of My Heart (1996), and has since starred in a number of both big-budget and independent films.
Following a return to television, between 2004 and 2006, and again from 2026, Kensit plays the role of Sadie King in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale and then that of Faye Morton in the BBC One medical drama Holby City from 2007 to 2010, and again for an episode in 2019. Throughout 2023, she played Emma Harding in EastEnders.
Kensit has been married to musicians Dan Donovan, Jim Kerr, Liam Gallagher, and Jeremy Healy. Kensit's personal life, particularly her high profile marriages to Kerr and Gallagher, has drawn considerable tabloid press and media attention, notably through the Cool Britannia cultural period.
Kensit was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Juvenile Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in Hanover Street (1979). In 1991, she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead in Twenty-One (1991), and later had several nominations for her role in Emmerdale.
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