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Helen was born on August 20 1971 and grew up in Northwood, Hillingdon. An only child, her interest in acting began in drama lessons at at school and gradually overtook ambitions of becoming a doctor. After a Psychology degree from Durham University, and a stint working for an advertising agency, she trained at the Drama Centre London in Chalk Farm (now based in Clerkenwell as part of Central Saint Martins College of Art).

In 1996, she left the course a term early to begin her professional career in Channel 4’s controversial soap Brookside as Georgia Simpson, who was involved in an incestuous relationship with brother Nat. The story received considerable media coverage across a range of outlets from the Sunday tabloids to The New Statesman and even Vogue, where Helen appeared with other soap stars in an issue celebrating the British woman.

Eleven years on, Helen has worked extensively in theatre and television. Following Brookside, she landed a regular role in two series’ of John Sullivan’s Roger Roger, as Chrissie, the wife of cab driver and would-be musician Phil Goode, played by Philip Glenister. Other career highlights have included The Glass Menagerie in York with Honor Blackman, the 2005 West End revival of Terence Rattigan’s Man and Boy with David Suchet, and 18 months in the West End stage version of Dirty Dancing, completed in September 2008.

Off stage and screen, Helen’s interests include playing the piano and travel. She currently lives in Sussex with her husband, their daughter, born in 2004, and cats.