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Leslie Ash (born 19 February 1960) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles inQuadrophenia (1979),ITV seriesC.A.T.S. Eyes (1985–1987), theBBC sitcomMen Behaving Badly (1992–1998), dramaWhere the Heart Is (2000–2003), and medical dramaHolby City (2009–2010).

Ash was born inHenley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, and first appeared on British television in 1964 at the age of four asking "Mummy, why are your hands so soft?" in an advertisement for the washing-up productFairy Liquid.^[1] She was educated at theItalia Conti Academy^[2]l and then started a career as a fashion model, appearing on the cover of a number of teen magazines, includingPink andJackie.

Having appeared with her sister Debbie in the 1978 British slapstick comedyRosie Dixon – Night Nurse,^[3] her first major film role was playing the romantic lead inQuadrophenia in 1979. In 1980, Ash appeared in theIron Maiden music video "Women in Uniform" and one of the twoDire Straits music videos of "Tunnel of Love". In 1982, she played the role of a fast food chef in the fifth series ofShelley in the episode entitled "When the Chip Hits the Fan", and appeared oppositeJoan Collins in the filmNutcracker. Also in 1982, Ash appeared in a TV adaptation ofOutside Edge. In 1983, she had the starring role inThe Balance of Nature, a film about a Cockney girl from atower block with aspirations to win theMiss United Kingdom competition.^[4] The same year, she played Julie Morgan,alias Juletta Shane, inCurse of the Pink Panther, and also appeared oppositeNicky Henson as Nancy in theITV situation comedyThe Happy Apple, playing a secretary whose opinions successfully reflected public opinion. She then played a regular role in crime seriesC.A.T.S. Eyes. From 1983 until 1987, she was a co-presenter on theChannel 4 music programmeThe Tube alongsideJools Holland andPaula Yates. In 1984, she appeared oppositeRoger Daltrey and formerQuadrophenia co-starToyah Willcox in the thrillerMurder: Ultimate Grounds for Divorce, and played Carol Landau in the 1985 comedy filmShadey, directed byPhilip Saville.

In 1987, Ash appeared in the first episode of the third series of theITV comedy seriesHome to Roost, entitled "Human Interest", where she played the role of the flamboyant cleaner, Susie Perkins.

Ash is also well known for playing Deborah (Debs), the upstairs tenant and love interest forNeil Morrissey, in the situation comedyMen Behaving Badly. One of the four regulars, she continued in the role for six seasons. She subsequently acted inBBC police dramaMerseybeat and theITV dramaWhere the Heart Is.

In 1996, during her time onMen Behaving Badly, Leslie released a single "Tell Him" with co-starCaroline Quentin, under the name of Quentin & Ash. It reached number 25 in the UK singles chart.^[5]

Ash appeared inBBC Radio 4's comic radio series,Vent (2007), alongsideNeil Pearson,Fiona Allen andJosie Lawrence.^[6]

In May 2008, Ash worked with Transparent Television to make a documentary about the unregulated cosmetic beauty industry while exploring her own experiences. The programme,Leslie Ash: Face to Face, was broadcast onITV on 23 September 2008.

In 2009, Ash appeared on daytime TV panel programmeLoose Women to discuss her new role inHolby City and her previous health problems. Leslie reappeared onLoose Women on 17 February 2012, where she discussed her stage tour ofAll the Single Ladies.

In 2014, Leslie was a contestant on theBBC programmeCelebrity Masterchef. In 2020, she appeared opposite many of herQuadrophenia co-stars in the unofficial semi-sequelTo Be Someone. In 2021, it was announced that she would be reprising her role asVanessa Lytton in an episode ofHolby City's sister seriesCasualty.^[7] In the same year, she also appeared in an episode of the BBC soap operaDoctors asMary McRae.^[8]

Her book,My Life Behaving Badly: The Autobiography, was published in 2007.

Ash is married to former footballerLee Chapman, and they have two sons. Her sister is formerHot Gossip dancer Debbie Ash. They appeared together as sisters inRosie Dixon – Night Nurse.^[9]

Ash contractedtoxoplasmosis two months into herpregnancy while in France, where it is more common than in the United Kingdom.^[10] She told theBBC that she wished to raise awareness of the issue in Britain.^[11]

Ash was hospitalised at theChelsea and Westminster Hospital in April 2004 after suffering two cracked ribs.^[12] She was discharged after a few days, but was readmitted after losing all feeling in her legs. In June 2004 while she was still in hospital, it was announced that aStaphylococcus aureus infection might have rendered her permanently unable to walk.^[13]

In January 2007 Ash confirmed she was suing the hospital. Papers lodged at the High Court asserted that Ash would never return to active TV roles. The hospital admitted breach of duty over part of her treatment but denied responsibility for the extent of her injuries^[14] and in January 2008 paid out a record £5m compensation in an out-of-court settlement. Steve Walker, chief executive of theNHS Litigation Authority, said the payout set a new record for compensation following a hospital-acquired infection.^[12] The previous highest amount was £500,000. The payment was justified by the NHS compensation body as being "because of the amount Leslie was earning at the time she fell ill and takes into account how much she might have earned in the future".^[15]

In her 30s, Ash had a collagen injection to "plump up" her lips. When she was 40 she decided to repeat the procedure with the same plastic surgeon, the mother of a Venezuelan friend. In the second procedure, liquid silicone was injected resulting in extreme swelling of her lips, a condition dubbed as "trout pout" in the press. Subsequent medical analysis showed that the silicone had set and the condition is permanent.^[16] During this time Ash starred in a series of advertisements for the DIY chainHomebase (again, withNeil Morrissey) and starred inMerseybeat, which evoked further ridicule from the media about her appearance.^[17]

Ash has since spoken out about the press ridicule she received as a result of her botched implants, commenting: "If I'd lost a leg in a car crash, people wouldn't have felt able to take the mickey out of me so mercilessly ... People don't laugh atHeather Mills because she lost a leg."^[18]

Ash and Chapman sued theNews of the World for breach of privacy over suspicions that their voicemails, and those of their two sons, were illegally accessed by private investigatorGlenn Mulcaire.^[19] They wrote to the police over their suspicions, and the police informed them that there were four pieces of paper referring to Ash in Mulcaire's notebooks, and five items relating to Chapman. There were further items relating to their children.^[19]

In August 2011, Ash and Chapman settled a claim against the paper and Mulcaire for an undisclosed sum and received an apology. They planned to take action against other newspapers.^[20]

• Leslie Ash atIMDb

• 1960 births
• Living people
• Actors from Henley-on-Thames
• Actresses from Oxfordshire
• Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
• Channel 4 people
• English autobiographers
• English film actresses
• English soap opera actresses
• English television actresses
• English television presenters
• English women television presenters

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