Natalie Gumede
Natalie Gumede is an English actress of stage and screen, known for the portrayals of Kirsty Soames in Coronation Street, Maggie in Free Rein, Mercy Graves in Titans, as well as her appearance in Strictly Come Dancing’s 11th season in 2013.
Having caught the showbiz bug at a young age, Gumede moved to London in her teens to pursue her acting dream, graduating from the Italie Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in 2003.
During the noughties, Gumede appeared in a range of different productions including Emmerdale, Clubbed, Doctors and Ideal (alongside Johnny Vegas). In 2011 she secured the series regular role of Kirsty Soames in Coronation Street, building a solid rapport with audiences. Gumede won three British Soap Awards for the role – Best Newcomer, Best Dramatic Performance and Best Villain.
After two years and 192 episodes, Gumede moved on from the ITV classic to appear in a string of other productions including Death in Paradise, the TV mini series of Jekyll and Hyde and the festive Doctor Who episode, Last Christmas.
Natalie appeared in the 11th season of Strictly Come Dancing, the biggest show on UK television, reaching the final with partner Artem Chigvintsev. Gumede also became a fan favourite during her run on Netflix young adult drama Free Rein, as Maggie. Gumede has also been involved with several Big Finish audiobook productions.
More recently, she has been seen in BBC’s The Jetty, in the role of Kaye in Your Christmas or Mine? 1 & 2 on Amazon Prime, as well as the second and fourth seasons of Titans in the role of Lex Luthor’s bodyguard Mercy Graves.
