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Susan Hanson

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Susan Hanson
Born
Susan Hanson

(1943-02-11) 11 February 1943 (age 81)
Preston, Lancashire, England, UK
OccupationTelevision actress
Years active1964–1987, 2006–present
Spouse(s)1. Tommy Vance (? – ? Divorced)
2. Carl Wayne (1974–2004, his death)
ChildrenJack

Susan Hanson (born 11 February 1943) is an English actress who played the part of Diane Lawton (later Parker and Hunter) in the long-running British soap opera Crossroads from 1965–87, when her character was controversially killed off. She also had a brief role in the film Catch Us If You Can, (1965) which starred The Dave Clark Five.

Early life

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She attended the independent Woodlands School in Preston, and lived on Central Drive in Penwortham.[1][2]

Career

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After a short-lived marriage to BBC Radio 1 DJ Tommy Vance in the 1960s,[3] Hanson married musician Carl Wayne in 1974; they had a son, Jack. After leaving Crossroads she appeared in the film Out of Order (1987), and then remained out of the limelight until her husband died of cancer in 2004. A few years later, she returned to British TV screens in the role of the mother of Todd Carty's character in an episode of Holby City, whilst also appearing in That's What I Call Television, alongside former colleagues Jane Rossington (Jill Chance), Tony Adams (Adam Chance) and Paul Henry (Benny Hawkins). [citation needed]

In November 2009, Hanson made appearances on both The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Loose Women, with each interview giving her the chance to promote Network DVD's new boxset marking Crossroads' 45th anniversary.[4][5]

In August 2012, it was announced that Hanson had joined the cast of long-running soap opera Coronation Street. Her character, Penny Thornley, began the chain of events leading to the departure of Lewis Archer (Nigel Havers). Hanson played most of her scenes opposite Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts), who had previously appeared with Hanson in Crossroads during the mid-1960s as the character Marilyn Gates.[6]

In 2023, Hanson appeared in a cameo role in the ITVX miniseries Nolly, which dramatised the life of her former Crossroads colleague Noele Gordon, and in which Hanson herself was portrayed by Chloe Harris.[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ Lancashire Evening Post Monday 10 January 1955, page 2
  2. ^ Lancashire Evening Post Friday 20 May 1955, page 11
  3. ^ Wall, Mick (4 December 2005). "The lives they lived: Tommy Vance, Monster of rock, died aged 64 on 6 March". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Crossroads' Susan Hanson On The Alan Titchmarsh Show - (45th Annivsersary Box Set)". YouTube. 6 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  5. ^ "Crossroads' Susan Hanson On Loose Women - (45th Annivsersary Box Set)". YouTube. 13 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  6. ^ White, Steve (23 August 2012). "Crossroads to Corrie: Soap legend Miss Diane to join Coronation Street". Daily Mirror. Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  7. ^ "Crossroads stars reunite for emotional cameos in Nolly finale". Radio Times. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Nolly cast: Meet the actors and their real-life counterparts". Radio Times. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
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