Pooky Quesnel

Pooky Quesnel, is an English actress, screenwriter and singer.

Quesnel was raised in Eccles, Lancashire, along with her six siblings. She read English at Oxford University before spending a year at drama school. 

In 2003 she began screenwriting, producing scripts for Doctors and Family Affairs, appearing in the latter as Diane Short. She practices kick boxing and flamenco.

She played Dr Monica Broome in the first series of Cardiac Arrest and DC Grace Harris in the first two series of Thief Takers. She had a recurring role in the third series of Cold Feet as Emma Keaton and returned to medical dramas in 2006, playing Dr Christine Whelan in The Golden Hour. In 2007 she starred as Nita in the BBC One series True Dare Kiss, and later that year began a recurring role in EastEnders as Rachel Branning, taking over the character from Sukie Smith. In February 2008 she played the spoken title role in a City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra production of Stravinsky's Pers�phone, broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In July 2008, she appeared in an episode of the ITV murder mystery series, Midsomer Murders as journalist Julie Benson, and in an episode of George Gently entitled "The Burning Man", playing the character Wanda Lane. In March 2010 she appeared as Maureen in BBC One's second series of Five Days. 

She played the spaceship captain in the Doctor Who' 2010 Christmas special, "A Christmas Carol" 

Biography from the Wikipedia article, licensed under CC-BY-SA