If you've ever tuned in to the hit soap opera Emmerdale, chances are you remember the fiery character Colleen King, brought to life by the talented actress Melanie Ash.
Colleen's character had her fair share of drama. She made brief appearances in the village back in 2004 and 2005 when her little ones paid visits to their father, Carl, before returning in January 2010.
She was the ex-wife of Carl King, with whom she shared two children, Thomas and Anya King. Her character's tumultuous journey through the village was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride.
READ MORE: Want more showbiz? Daily Star has just the thing for you!
READ MORE: Want more TV? Daily Star has just the thing for you!
Let's dive into the details of what Melanie Ash, the actress who portrayed Colleen, is up to now, including her famous son and career U-turn.
Rival soaps
Melanie Ash is no one-trick pony. Apart from her sensational stint as Colleen King on Emmerdale that made her a household name, she's graced our screens in various other TV shows, including fan favorites like Casualty, Coronation Street, Ackley Bridge, Doctors, and The Bay.
Fans may remember her playing Sue Hodgkins in Corrie all the way back in 2014 when Nicky Tilsley was still in Weatherfield and trying to split up Kal and Leanne Battersby. In medical drama Casualty she played the role of Jenny Calder for three episodes between 2012 and 2015 and dazzled fans as Sophie Blezzard in The Bay back in 2012.
After meeting her partner in Bolton four years ago, she's now a proud local in Bolton, Manchester where she has a passion for playing the saxophone and violin. Melanie also showed off her other talents when she lent her voice to various television commercial and even dazzled She is also an avid saxophone and violinist.
Famous Son
Behind the scenes, Melanie is a loving mother to her son, Leo Ashton, who's following in her footsteps as an actor. Leo starred as the young Prince Aemond Targaryen, a dragon-rider member of House Targaryen in the TV adaptation of Game Of Thrones.
It’s far from Leo’s debut as an actor as despite being just 15 years old he has acted in Red Rose, which is currently on BBC iPlayer, The Bay, Deep Water, Doctors and Mike Leigh film Peterloo. He’s starred alongside many famous names including Anna Friel, Morven Christie and Maxine Peake.
Taking to Instagram he spoke about his excitement for the role and expressed his “dream job”. “Been working hard in TV to make a future for myself for a while now. Was a dream to get to @WBSleavesdon (Warner Bros studios in Leavesdon) filming last year. Always wanted to play James Bond since I was like three, Yea mum let me watch James Bond as a toddler .. So blame her if I’m a pyscho in @houseofthedragonhbo.”
Career U-turn
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Melanie embarked on a career U-turn in 2005 setting up the renowned Meladrama acting school. The school has become a launchpad for many young actors, some of whom have graced our screens in hit shows like Coronation Street, The Bay, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks.
Melanie is deeply committed to providing opportunities for aspiring actors, especially those from the north, where she now lives in Bolton, Manchester. Melanie knows firsthand the challenges that young talents face in the cutthroat entertainment industry.
In her own words: "I'm really passionate about giving kids like me opportunities. It's such a hard industry anyway – but even tougher for kids from the north, which is wrong as the areas we have classes – Preston, Chorley, Warrington, and now Bolton, are absolutely screaming with raw talent."
Her own upbringing, where her mother worked tirelessly to support her and her brother's extracurricular activities, has fueled her desire to help young talents chase their dreams.
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