Michèle Winstanley

Michèle Winstanley is a British actress and playwright. She was born on 26th January 1964 in Eindhoven, Netherlands and grew up in Islington. In 1974 she began attending the Anna Scher Theatre. At 16 she was given the role of Cathy in Phil Redmond's groundbreaking drama series, 'Going Out'; the first British television series aimed specifically at teenage viewers. Winstanley is known for her works with cult director Alex Cox, including 'Straight To Hell' and 'Sid and Nancy', and for playing Karen the barmaid at The Nags Head in 'Only Fools and Horses'. Winstanley featured in over fifty Safeways commercials, playing Harry's mother in their long-running campaign which followed the adventures of Harry, a thoughtful toddler, voiced by Martin Clunes. In the mid 1990s Winstanley branched into writing. Her first play, 'Keepers', was picked up and produced at Hampstead Theatre in 2000. She is married to Ian Michie, and they have one daughter. After stepping back to raise her daughter and learn sign language, Winstanley returned to writing and acting. Her award-nominated play, 'Broken Water', debuted at the Arcola Theatre in 2024.