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Who is Heartbeat actress Sarah Tansey?

Sarah appeared in the drama for three years


sarah tansey heartbeat© Photo: Rex
Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
September 9, 2020
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Classic episodes of ITV's Heartbeat have been keeping TV lovers going recently, especially since many television programme came to a sudden halt thanks to the coronavirus. Luckily, there are 18 seasons and plenty of episodes to lap up in the meantime.

MORE: Where is Heartbeat actress Tricia Penrose now?

heartbeat cast© Photo: Getty Images

The police drama was a TV favourite

Many characters from the show were hugely popular during the course of its 18 years on TV, but many are wondering whatever happened to a few of them? One character that fell into this category was Jenny Latimer, played by Sarah Tansey.

But who is Sarah? And where is she now? We've done some investigating – here's what we know...

MORE: 10 celebrities you didn't know had cameo appearances in Heartbeat

jenny and dennis heartbeat© Photo: Rex

Sarah and Duncan Bell as Jenny and Dennis

Who did Sarah Tansey play in Heartbeat?

London born actress Sarah Tansey, 48, played the role of Jenny Latimer in the police drama. It was her longest-running role and made her a household name. The actress joined the series in 2001 during series 11 and subsequently left three years later in series 14.

During her time in the village, Jenny worked at the Summerbee's Aidensfield surgery after being transferred from a hospital. Jenny worked as a pharmacist alongside Dr Liz Merrick (Aislin McGuckin) and Dr Tricia Summerbee (played by Clare Calbraith).

jenny heartbeat© Photo: Rex

Sarah was in the show for three years

Soon after arriving as the new girl, Jenny began dating PC Phil Bellamy, but the relationship fizzled out. She then began a relationship with Sergeant Dennis Merton (Duncan Bell) and the two married during episode 13.

Just three years later, it was Sarah's turn to leave the show. Her character Jenny suffered a mental breakdown in series 14 and was subsequently taken into care. This lead to her and Duncan Bell's departure from the show.

What else has Sarah Tansey been in now?

Heartbeat was one of Sarah's earlier roles that catapulted her career. However, prior to the ITV drama she was no stranger to acting. Sarah had starred in the TV film adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel Far From the Madding Crowd, and had also appeared in independent film Beginners Luck.

After a successful three years in the show, Sarah went on to land other roles in popular shows such as The Bill and Where the Heart Is.

jenny heartbeat 1© Photo: Rex

Sarah played Jenny in the drama

Where is Sarah Tansey now?

In 2005, shortly after leaving the police drama, Sarah married fellow actor Hywel Simons. Hywel has credits in shows such as The Bill, Little Britain and BBC's Roughnecks. Since then, Sarah has kept a low-profile and veered away from acting.

Her most recent work was in Casualty, playing Lexi Coulson and Heather Stanley over the course of two years. And in 2015, Sarah played Trudie Wilson in comedy series In and Out of the Kitchen.

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