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Jan Pearson
Jan Pearson
Jan Pearson
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Jan Pearson (born 12 April 1959) is an English actress. Pearson grew up in Wollaston, West Midlands, and began her career in various stage productions. She yearned to work in television and was soon cast as Kath Fox in the BBC medical drama Holby City in 1999, a role she stayed in until 2004. She then ventured back into theatre, before joining the BBC soap opera Doctors as Karen Hollins. For her role in Doctors, Pearson won the award for Best On-Screen Partnership twice alongside Chris Walker, at the 2010 and 2023 British Soap Awards. Pearson left Doctors in 2023.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Pearson was born on 12 April 1959 in Wollaston, West Midlands.[1] She learned ballet from a young age until she was 16 since her mother wanted her to be a dancer.[2] Pearson attended High Park School in Wollaston, then went to Kidderminster College to do her A-levels. She studied biology in an attempt to be a surgeon, but failed, as well as not being able to pursue it due to having shaky hands.[1] Pearson then studied Combined Arts at the Crewe and Alsager College of Higher Education, where she learned theatre, dance, writing, fine art and music. Her year was the first place in the UK to offer the course. Pearson did not want to go to drama school as she was worried that the people would be "luvvies".[2] However, Pearson found that since most of the staff were fresh to their positions, the teaching was poor quality who did not offer real acting training.[2]

After she left Crewe and Alsager, she applied to do a post-graduate course at the University of Bristol. However, they could only offer her a place in a two-year course, and since she only wanted to study for one year, she turned it down and chose to work.[2] At the time, Pearson was living in Wales, working in bars and a paper factory. She also worked in the Royal Exchange pub on Enville Street in Wollaston.[3] She was insistent on wanting to work in the acting industry and kept applying for positions. Due to having no experience or contacts, she found it difficult, but eventually landed a gig playing a princess for £25. She then worked as a dancer for a year.[2]

Career

[edit]

Without an agent, Pearson made her acting debut in an episode of The Chief.[1] She then ventured into theatre and despite not having an agent, got numerous roles in stage productions. These productions included: The Norman Conquests and Beauty and the Beast.[2] Pearson began to want to work in television, for which she garnered an agent. She was then cast in the BBC medical drama series Holby City in 1999. She opted to leave the series in 2004 after feeling that her character had nowhere left to go.[1] Alongside her appearances in Holby City, she played the recurring role of Maggie Hayes in The Cops from 1999 to 2001. She wanted to return to theatre, but found it difficult to enter back into the industry following her television appearances.[2] Pearson then appeared in films such as Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence and Terror! Robespierre and the French Revolution.[1]

On 23 February 2009, Pearson made her debut appearance in the role of receptionist Karen Hollins in the BBC soap opera Doctors.[4] At the 2010 British Soap Awards, Pearson and Chris Walker, who played her on-screen husband Rob Hollins, won the award for Best On-Screen Partnership.[5] In 2012, Pearson was nominated for Best Comedy Performance.[6] She was later nominated for the British Soap Award for Best Actress and Best Leading Performer.[7] On 30 March 2023, Pearson made her final appearance as Karen when the character dies.[8] She explained that she wanted a break from her career after 14 consecutive years on the series. Pearson admitted that she asked producers to kill Karen off, to which they were surprisingly obliging. She was pleased with her exit scenes and stated: "they gave me a lovely death, actually – I was very pleased with it. Chris was extraordinary. It was great. I was very, very pleased."[9]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1994 The Chief Landlady Episode: "4.2"
1994 Wycliffe Mary Clark Episode: "The Pea Green Boat"
1996 The Bill Ann Davis Episode: "Repossession"
1997 Underworld Susan & William's Mother 2 episodes
1998 The Bill Doctor Episode: "Daydream Believer"
1999–2001 The Cops Maggie Hayes Recurring role
1999–2004 Holby City Kath Fox Series regular
2004 Where the Heart Is Gina Thorpe Episode: "Skin Deep"
2004 Doctors Michelle Howarth Episode: "Life Skills"
2005 Silent Witness Heather Deans Episode: "Mind and Body"
2007 The Bill Kerry Malcolm Episode: "Cop Killer: Part 1"
2008 Doctors Chrissie Clarkson Episode: "Served Cold"
2009 Terror! Robespierre and the French Revolution Narrator (voice) Television film
2009–2023 Doctors Karen Hollins Regular role

Stage

[edit]
Title Role Director Venue Ref.
The Censor Miss Fontaine Anthony Neilson Royal Court Theatre [10]
The Norman Conquests Ruth Terry Hands Theatr Clwyd [11]
Sabina Emma Jung Andy Wilson Bush Theatre [12]
Beauty and the Beast Various Laurence Boswell Royal Shakespeare Company [12]
Realism Mother Antony Neilson National Theatre of Scotland [12]
Long Time Dead The Widow Roxanna Silbert Paines Plough [12]
The Cleansing of Constance Brown Various James Yarker Stan's Cafe [12]
The Wide Night Lorraine Lucy Morrison Clean Break [12]
Little Eagles Various Roxanna Silbert Royal Shakespeare Company [12]
Relocated Marjory Anthony Neilson Royal Court Theatre [12]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Result Ref.
2010 British Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership
(with Chris Walker) 		Won [13]
2012 British Soap Awards Best Comedy Performance Nominated [14]
2013 British Soap Awards Best Actress Nominated [15]
2014 RTS Midlands Awards Best Female Acting Performance Nominated [16]
2014 British Soap Awards Best Actress Nominated [17]
2016 British Soap Awards Best Actress Nominated [18]
2018 British Soap Awards Best Actress Nominated [19]
2021 Inside Soap Awards Best Daytime Star Nominated [20]
2022 British Soap Awards Best Leading Performer Nominated [7]
2022 British Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership
(with Walker) 		Nominated [21]
2022 Inside Soap Awards Best Daytime Star Nominated [22]
2023 British Soap Awards Best On-Screen Partnership
(with Walker) 		Won [23]
2023 Inside Soap Awards Best Daytime Star Nominated [24]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Jan Pearson

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Jan Pearson (born 12 April 1959) is an English actress renowned for her portrayals of strong, resilient characters in British television dramas. Best known for her role as the outspoken receptionist in the Doctors, which she played from 23 February 2009 until her character's death in March 2023 after 14 years on the show, Pearson's performance earned her widespread acclaim for bringing depth to the role's domestic and professional challenges. Earlier in her career, she gained prominence as ward sister Kath Fox (later Kath Shaughnessy) in the medical series , appearing from 1999 to 2004 and depicting the character's struggles with domestic abuse and workplace dynamics. Her film work includes a role in the Martha – Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence (1998), one of her early cinema appearances. Born in Wollaston, , in the West Midlands of , Pearson initially pursued a career in , performing in various stage productions before making the transition to television in the late . Throughout her tenure on Doctors, her character Karen evolved from a gossipy to a multifaceted figure dealing with life alongside husband (played by Chris Walker), including raising adopted children and navigating personal crises like health scares. Pearson's departure from the series was marked by a dramatic storyline involving Karen's sudden death from a heart condition, which she later described as a deliberate choice to take a after over a decade of continuous work. In addition to her television roles, she has made guest appearances in other series and continues to be recognized for her contributions to British soap and drama genres.

Early life

Childhood

Jan Pearson was born on 12 April 1959 in Wollaston, near , West Midlands, . She was raised in Wollaston, where she spent her formative years in a close-knit family setting. From an early age, Pearson harbored ambitions in the medical field, dreaming of becoming a doctor or due to its perceived glamour. By her teenage years, however, she recognized that she did not possess the required academic qualifications, such as a , to follow this path. Pearson began studying as a young child, continuing her training until the age of 16. Despite her personal dislike for the discipline, she persisted in order to fulfill her mother's expectations and ambitions for her. During her , Pearson supported herself by working several years as a barmaid at the Royal Exchange pub on in . This job provided her with practical experience and financial independence amid her evolving interests.

Education and training

Jan Pearson attended High Park School in Wollaston, near , for her primary and secondary education. She then pursued studies at Kidderminster College, where she initially focused on with aspirations to become a , drawn by the perceived glamour of the profession, though she did not achieve her Biology A-level. At this stage, Pearson began exploring arts subjects beyond her childhood training, marking an early shift in her interests. Pearson enrolled at Crewe and Alsager College of Higher Education (now part of ) for its inaugural Combined Arts degree, the first such program in the country, which encompassed , , writing, , and . There, she received no formal acting training but engaged in workshops and collaborative projects that exposed her to stage work, ultimately solidifying her passion for drama and over . She also trained in techniques, including and Graham, building on her foundational experience from childhood, which she had pursued until age 16 despite disliking it. Following graduation, Pearson secured a one-year professional position as a dancer, leveraging her background before fully transitioning to .

Acting career

Theatre work

Pearson's professional career commenced following her studies at and College, with her debut in regional stage productions alongside Insomniac Productions. Notable early works included The Sleep, The Fall of Lucas Fortune, If We Shadows, L'Heptaméron, L’Ascensore, and the Utopia Trilogy, where she contributed to devised performances emphasizing collaborative creation. She established a longstanding collaboration with Stan's Cafe Theatre Company, spanning over three decades and marked by robust performances in experimental, devised pieces. Roles were frequently obtained through personal networking rather than formal auditions, reflecting her unconventional entry into British theatre circles. A key production was The Cleansing of Constance Brown (2007), directed by James Yarker, in which she portrayed multiple characters in a physically demanding ensemble work. After a five-year television commitment that she later described as derailing her theatrical momentum, Pearson returned to the stage in 2004 with the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing Helene and the Witch in a family-oriented adaptation of Beauty and the Beast at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. This marked her re-entry into major institutional theatre following a challenging four-year period without stage work. Pearson revitalized her career through repeated collaborations with director Anthony Neilson, beginning with The Censor (1997) at the Royal Court Theatre, where she embodied Miss Fontaine in a psychological drama exploring repression and power dynamics. She continued with Neilson in Relocated (2008), a fragmented thriller addressing trauma and loss, performed in the intimate Jerwood Theatre Upstairs space. She also appeared in Long Time Dead (2007) for Paines Plough. These roles highlighted her versatility in intense, contemporary works. Throughout her 30-year theatre tenure, Pearson has emphasized the distinct demands of live performance, favoring devising processes that foster imagination and physicality. She has candidly discussed rare audition successes—only one in her career—and the disruptions caused by long-term screen commitments, yet maintained an enduring presence in innovative British stage productions. Among her most fulfilling experiences was portraying Lorraine in Chloe Moss's This Wide Night (2008), a Clean Break production examining female incarceration and relationships.

Television roles

Pearson's early television appearances included minor roles in British crime dramas. She made her TV debut in an episode of the ITV series The Chief in 1994, portraying a landlady. In 1994, she guest-starred as Mary Clark in an episode of Wycliffe. She also appeared in The Bill in 1998, playing a doctor in a guest capacity. From 1999 to 2001, Pearson had a recurring role as Maggie Hayes, the HR manager, in the BBC police drama The Cops, appearing in 12 episodes across seasons 2 and 3. Pearson's breakthrough came with her role as ward sister Kath Fox in the BBC medical drama Holby City, which she portrayed from 1999 to 2004. Introduced in series 2, episode 5 ("Knife Edge"), Fox was a dedicated nurse navigating hospital politics, personal relationships, and ethical dilemmas, including a notable euthanasia storyline. Pearson appeared in the series until series 6, episode 26 ("Pastures New"), contributing to her establishment as a fixture in medical dramas. In 2009, Pearson joined the BBC daytime soap Doctors as Karen Hollins, initially a receptionist at The Mill Health Centre who later became practice manager. She portrayed the character for 14 years, appearing in over 2,400 episodes until her departure in March 2023. Hollins' storylines explored family dynamics with her husband Rob (Chris Walker) and children, health crises such as cancer and mental health struggles, and community involvement in Letherbridge, earning praise for Pearson's nuanced performance that highlighted the character's resilience and emotional depth. Her exit featured a dramatic death from a brain aneurysm during a planned relocation, which shocked viewers and was lauded for its emotional impact. Following her Doctors departure, Pearson attended the 2023 British Soap Awards, where she and co-star Chris Walker won Best On-Screen Partnership for their portrayal of the Hollins couple. In February 2025, she discussed the role's emotional toll and her exit on the podcast Chicken Soap for the Soul. Other television credits include a two-episode guest role as Heather Deans in the 2005 series Silent Witness.

Film roles

Jan Pearson's contributions to film are limited, with her most prominent role being that of Susan and William's mother in the 1997 Channel 4 mini-series Underworld, a black comedy crime drama that examines family trauma and the protagonists' entanglement in the criminal underworld after a personal betrayal. Directed by Liddy Oldroyd, the production features Pearson as the supportive yet strained maternal figure amid the siblings' desperate search for their missing sister-in-law, highlighting themes of loss and moral descent. This role marked her primary foray into cinematic storytelling, though it aired as a television mini-series adaptation of a black-comedy script by Andy Hamilton. Early in her career, Pearson expressed a passion for , citing classic movie stars like as key influences that sparked her interest in performance, though she noted television ultimately became her main medium. Despite these aspirations, she pursued no major feature films after 1997, instead channeling her energies into long-running television roles that offered sustained character development.

Awards and nominations

Wins

Jan Pearson has received two for her portrayal of in the Doctors, both in the category of Best On-Screen Partnership shared with co-star Chris Walker, who played her on-screen husband . Her first win came in , when the panel recognized the duo's compelling depiction of the married couple navigating family and professional challenges in Letherbridge, highlighting their natural rapport and emotional depth in storylines involving personal crises and community involvement. This accolade underscored the Hollins' popularity as a stable, relatable partnership amid the soap's medical dramas. Pearson secured a second victory in the same category at the , a panel-voted honor awarded in shortly after her character's dramatic exit from the series in March, where Karen suffered a fatal heart attack. The win celebrated the enduring chemistry between the actors, which had sustained the couple's arcs over 14 years, including themes of resilience, humor, and tragedy that resonated with viewers.

Nominations

Jan Pearson has garnered significant recognition through nominations at , particularly for her role as in Doctors, underscoring her versatility in both comedic and dramatic performances. In , she received a for Best Comedy Performance, celebrating her contributions to lighthearted episodes that highlighted the character's wit and relatability. Pearson earned multiple nominations for , including in 2013, 2014 and 2016, which spotlighted her ability to portray the emotional depth and evolving challenges faced by Hollins, from family dynamics to professional dilemmas. She was further nominated for Best Leading Performer in 2022, a category introduced to honor standout sustained performances, reflecting her long-term impact in the soap genre. In the same year, Pearson and Walker were nominated for Best On-Screen Partnership.

References

  1. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/49347-jan-pearson
  2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3QxQGYQzkSzqF830NVk35QF/karen-hollins
  3. https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/doctors/a44107434/doctors-jan-pearson-karen-hollins-death-explained/
  4. https://holby.fandom.com/wiki/Jan_Pearson
  5. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0669286/
  6. https://tv.apple.com/us/person/jan-pearson/umc.cpc.5f5e5zl5ltifjl0wmiwwqazqk
  7. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/doctors-axed-bbc-newsupdate/
  8. https://alchetron.com/Jan-Pearson
  9. https://www.holby.tv/jan-pearson/
  10. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/jan-pearson.html
  11. https://stans.cafe/essay/janpearson/
  12. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/tv/doctors-star-jan-pearson-on-black-244087
  13. https://stans.cafe/essay/essays-jan-pearson/
  14. https://stans.cafe/project/project-constance-brown/
  15. https://theatricalia.com/person/9b4/jan-pearson
  16. https://livingarchive.royalcourttheatre.com/plays/the-censor/
  17. https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/relocated-rev
  18. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163964/
  19. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163964/fullcredits/
  20. https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/underworld/
  21. https://www.britishsoapawards.tv/history
  22. https://www.itv.com/presscentre/media-releases/british-soap-awards-2023-winners-list
  23. https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-17628076
  24. https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a464745/british-soap-awards-2013-voting-opens-nominations-revealed/
  25. https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/british-soap-awards-2014-longlist-3252054
  26. https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/a789178/british-soap-awards-2016-nominations-which-corrie-eastenders-emmerdale-and-hollyoaks-stars-are-up/
  27. https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/a39952260/british-soap-awards-2022-nominations-shortlist/
  28. https://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/a40251617/british-soap-awards-2022-winners/
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