Kara Tointon

Essex-born star Kara Tointon has been acting since the age of seven when she started taking drama and speech lessons and performing poetry at local music festivals. Her first real acting job, in an Essex theatre production of The Sound Of Music, also brought her love. She fell for fellow cast member James Bourne, who later found fame with pop group Busted. The pair went on to date on and off for seven years. A family girl at heart, Kara - whose roles in Eastenders and football drama Dream Team have made her a familiar face on UK TV - lives in London flat in the same building as her mum and Hollyoaks actress sister Hannah.