Sarah Lancashire: Life and career of Happy Valley star as Oldham actor wins at BAFTAs

Oldham-born actor Sarah Lancashire has made a name for herself playing superb roles in often gritty TV shows. Perhaps most well known for her leading role in Happy Valley, Lancashire is back in the news with an award win. 

It was a successful weekend as she claimed the best Leading Actress award at the 2024 BAFTAs. This was for her role as the no-nonsense police sergeant Catherine Cawood in the drama ‘Happy Valley’. 

The show’s final series aired last year and had a dramatic conclusion which saw Cawood put through the ringer once again. ‘Happy Valley’ also claimed the memorable moment award at the awards ceremony. 

Following Lancashire's BAFTA win, her second for leading actress, we take a look back at her career highlights and see just why she is so highly thought of by fans. 

The Early Years 

Sarah Lancashire was born in Oldham in 1964. Her father was a script writer on popular soap Coronation Street and her mother was his assistant. 

She was educated at Oldham Hulme Grammar School between 1976 and 1981. In 1986, Lancashire graduated from the  Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. 

First roles in acting

Sarah Lancashire’s first acting roles were given to her by the Manchester Library Theatre Company. She starred in two productions,  Pacific Overtures and The Beauty Game, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

During the early years of her career, Lancashire also spent five years working as a drama tutor at Salford University. In 1990, she received her first West End break when she was cast in ‘Blood Brothers’ at Albery Theatre. 

Coronation Street 

In 1991, Lancashire first appeared in hit soap Coronation Street as Raquel Watts. She played the role until 1996, coming back for one episode on January 2 2000. 

Her next TV role started in 1997. This saw Lancashire star in the show ‘Where The Heart Is’, playing Ruth Goddard for three series. 

Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley 

Lancashire had a wide range of roles through the early 2000s, and by the 2010s she would have two more major roles lined up. The first of these was ‘Last Tango In Halifax’ in which she starred alongside Derek Jacobi and Nicola Walker.

The show ran for five series between 2012 and 2020, and Lancashire played the part of Caroline Dawson. The show was created by Sally Wainwright, who would also go on to create ‘Happy Valley’.  

In 2014, the first series of ‘Happy Valley’ aired on BBC. Viewers got their first glimpse of PC Sergeant Catherine Cawood and a rollercoaster of an emotional journey began. 

Cawood is a tough, no nonsense sergeant who is forced to fight hard to protect those she loves. The show was consistently very popular, with an average of around 9 million viewers for each of the three series.