Amanda Burton
Amanda Burton is a Northern Irish actress. Her notable credits include Heather Haversham in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1982–1986), Beth Glover in the ITV drama series Peak Practice (1993–1995), Sam Ryan in the BBC crime drama series Silent Witness (1996–2004, 2022), Clare Blake in the ITV crime drama series The Commander (2003–2008), Karen Fisher in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road (2010–2011) and Katherine Maguire in the ITV detective series Marcella (2020).
Also recorded as Irene Amanda Burton
Amanda Burton
- Name
- Amanda Burton
- Birthplace
- Derry, Northern Ireland
- Occupation
- Actress
- Awards
- National Television Award TV Quick Award
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Education
- Manchester Metropolitan University · Manchester School of Theatre
- Languages
- English
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Amanda Burton is a Northern Irish actress. Her notable credits include Heather Haversham in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1982–1986), Beth Glover in the ITV drama series Peak Practice (1993–1995), Sam Ryan in the BBC crime drama series Silent Witness (1996–2004, 2022), Clare Blake in the ITV crime drama series The Commander (2003–2008), Karen Fisher in the BBC school-based drama series Waterloo Road (2010–2011) and Katherine Maguire in the ITV detective series Marcella (2020).
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Amanda Burton (born 1956) is a British actor, actress and film actor. The actor was born in Derry. Amanda Burton studied at Manchester Metropolitan University and Manchester School of Theatre. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 29 September 2026
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wikidata · Q452326 · wikipedia · Amanda Burton
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Amanda Burton • Birthplace — Derry, Northern Ireland • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1981–present • Children — 2 • Awards — National Television Award TV Quick Award
Early life and education
Early life and education
Burton was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, the youngest of four sisters. Her father, Arthur Burton, was a primary school headmaster at Ballougry Primary School, which she attended as a child. She was raised at Ballougry, a rural townland on the south-western outskirts of Derry City, where her family lived in a house beside Ballougry Primary School, right beside County Londonderry's boundary with County Donegal. After later attending Londonderry High School, she moved to England at the age of 18, where she spent three years studying drama at the Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre.
Career
Career
Although best known for her television roles, Burton had worked almost exclusively in the theatre prior to landing the role of Heather Haversham in Channel 4's Liverpool-based flagship soap opera Brookside. After four years in the role, during which time Heather had become one of the show's most popular characters, Burton began to "lose sympathy" with Heather and decided to leave. Following her departure her television work consisted mainly of guest appearances, with parts in a number of peak-time drama series including Minder, Inspector Morse, Boon, Medics, Van Der Valk, Stay Lucky and Lovejoy. In 1993, Burton starred alongside Kevin Whately in Peak Practice. She played the role of Doctor Beth Glover in the medical drama series, based in Derbyshire's Peak District, for three series until her departure in 1995. In 1996 she then took the main role of Professor Sam Ryan in the highly acclaimed BBC drama Silent Witness; she held this role until 2004. Though her decision to portray Ryan as a reflective personality – sometimes staring into space – was satirised by the comedienne Jennifer Saunders, she helped lay the groundwork for what was to become one of the most popular BBC series, continuing to run, albeit without her, until her return in 2021. After Silent Witness, she took on the title role of Prosecutor Helen West in a series based on Frances Fyfield's novels. She also played Aunt Polly in a 2003 remake of Pollyanna and Commander Clare Blake in Lynda La Plante's drama, The Commander. In 2010, Burton appeared in the sixth series of BBC drama Waterloo Road as new headteacher Karen Fisher, and departed the show in 2011. She took part in BBC1's Celebrity Masterchef and made it through to the semi-finals. She appeared as gangster's wife Cherie Le Saux in ITV drama The Level in Autumn 2016. In 2020, she had a starring role as crime family matriarch Katherine Maguire in the third season of Marcella.
Personal life
Personal life
In 1976 Burton married theatre technician Jonathan Hartley, whom she met while at Manchester School of Theatre. They divorced in 1982. She married professional photographer Sven Arnstein in 1989, and the couple had two daughters before divorcing in 2004. Burton currently lives in Hastings, East Sussex (in 2016).
Charity
Charity
Burton is an ambassador for The Children's Trust, a UK charity for children with brain injury and neurodisability.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1982–1986 — Brookside — Heather Haversham — Regular role; 249 episodes • 1987–1988 — Boon — Margaret Daly — Main role; 14 episodes • 1988 — Inspector Morse — Mirella Lunghi — Episode: "The Settling of the Sun" • 1989 — Where There's A Will — Alice — Television film • Frederick Forsyth Presents — Nicola — Episode: "A Casualty of War" • 1990 — Medics — Vikki — Episode: "Jessica" • The — Aithra — 1 episode • 1991 — Van der Valk — Elly van Roekel — Episode: "Doctor Hoffmann's Children" • Stay Lucky — Jane Higgs — Episode: "The Food of Love" • 1992 — Lovejoy — Bonnie Wright — Episode: "Kids" • 1993 — Minder — Prosecuting Counsel — Episode: "Looking for Mr. Goodtime" • 1993–1995 — Peak Practice — Dr. Beth Glover/Kerruish — Regular role; 36 episodes • 1996 — Screen Two — Rosie Willis — Episode: "The Precious Blood" • 1996–2004, 2022 — Silent Witness — Prof. Sam Ryan — Regular role; 61 episodes • 1998 — The — Lynn — Television film • 1999 — Forgotten — Rachel Monroe/Carla Hayden — 3 episodes • 2000 — Little Bird — Rachel Lewis — Television film • 2001 — The — Laura Tracey — 2 episodes • 2002 — The — Helen West — 3 episodes • 2003 — Pollyanna — Aunt Polly — Television film • 2003–2008 — The — Commander Clare Blake — Main role; 17 episodes • 2009 — Agatha Christie's Marple — Sister Clotilde — Episode: "Nemesis" • 2010–2011 — Waterloo Road — Karen Fisher — Regular role; 28 episodes • 2015 — Midsomer Murders — Carole Latimer — Episode: "Murder by Magic" • 2016 — The — Cherie Le Saux — 6 episodes • 2020 — White House Farm — June Bamber • Marcella — Katherine Maguire — 8 episodes • 2021 — Anne Boleyn — Anne Shelton — 3 episodes
Presenter
Presenter
• Year — Title — Notes • 2013 — Amanda Burton: Killer Forensics — Discovery
Identity
Identity
Amanda Burton is recorded as actress.
Film
• Year — Title — Role • 2009 — Bronson — Charlie's Mum • 2017 — The Dog with the Woman — Alice Wilson • 2020 — Body of Water — Susan
Awards and nominations
• Year — Organisation — Category — Nominated work — Result • 1998 — National Television Award — Most Popular Actress — Silent Witness • 1999 • TV Quick Award — Best Actress • 2001 — National Television Award — Most Popular Actress • 2003 • 2004 — IFTA Award — Best Actress in a TV Drama • 2011 — TV Quick Award — Best Actress — Waterloo Road
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Bearn, Emily. Being Amanda Burton. telegraph.co.uk. 10 May 2002.
- 2.Trevor Cole - Ballougry is a small school with a very big message. The Derry Journal. 10 June 2022.
- 3.'Derry TV star Amanda Burton praying for Ballougry' (The Derry Journal, 3 June 2022). https://www.derryjournal.com/education/derry-tv-star-amanda-burton-prays-for-ballougry-3719166
- 4.Amanda Burton calls for Ballougry Primary to remain open. 2022-05-18.
- 5.Ballougry Townland, Co. Londonderry. www.townlands.ie.
- 6.Amanda Burton. tvguide.com.
- 7.Waterloo Road Press Release, bbc.co.uk; accessed 12 August 2015.
- 8.Amanda Burton quits Waterloo Road, digitalspy.co.uk; accessed 12 August 2015.
- 9.Lockyer, Daphne. The Level's Amanda Burton: Ageing is all about what's going on in your mind. The Express. 25 September 2016.
- 10.Our ambassadors | The Children's Trust. www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk.
References
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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