Trigger Point star Gabrielle Glaister plays no-nonsense Martina Wyatt in the ITV drama, but she’s perhaps better known for her more comedic roles…
The actress pops up in episode 3 of the Vicky McClure drama, alongside an impressive ensemble cast. And TV viewers will no doubt recognise her for her numerous high-profile soap roles.
As well as appearing in Trigger Point, Gabrielle also guest stars in the current series 13 of Death in Paradise…
So who is Gabrielle Glaister, what has she been in before, and what is her unusual allergy? Here’s everything you need to know!
Who plays Martina Wyatt in the cast of Trigger Point series 2?
Gloucestershire-born actress Gabrielle Glaister, 63, joins the cast of Trigger Point as Martina Wyatt.
Martina Wyatt is a character who makes a brief appearance in episode 3 of the explosive ITV drama. She’s keen to discover who is the latest casualty of the terrorist currently terrorising London’s streets.
Anyone who has watched the episode will probably still be stunned by the shocking death of an established character (no spoilers here!).
What is Trigger Point star Gabrielle Glaister famous for?
Soap fans will know Gabrielle Glaister best from a handful of high-profile roles. She famously portrayed Patricia Farnham in the Channel 4 soap Brookside between 1990 and 1997. Patricia moved to Brookside Close with husband Max in July 1990. She was known for her feud with Max’s ex wife Susannah, and for having a child with Down’s syndrome. She departed in 1996 when she fled to France.
Her next major soap role was playing troublemaking hairdresser Debs Brownlow in Corrie. Debs was the sister of Street legend Natalie Barnes (also known as Natalie Horrocks). And, to Corrie fans’ astonishment, she turned out to be even more trouble than her sister!
Debs was a hairdresser and beautician, who arrived in Coronation Street after a stint working on cruise ships. She landed on the cobbles with a bang, surprising her sister who wasn’t expecting to see her!
Debs got a job at Audrey’s salon and started a romance with Duggie Ferguson – Natalie’s boss at the Rovers. But Duggie was still grieving the death of his wife and Debs had a fling with Dev Alahan. She and Duggie eventually reunited, and Debs settled in Coronation Street.
What soap was she in?
After leaving Coronation Street, Gabrielle went on to play another Patricia – ‘Trish’ Wallace in Channel 5 soap Family Affairs. She first arrived in Charnham in 2004, and left in 2005 in dramatic circumstances. Pete Callan shot her during a siege at The Black Swan. She was hospitalised and later jailed.
She subsequently appeared in Emmerdale in 2019, playing Hilary Benshaw. Hilary became a rival to Nicola King when she ran for election to the local council.
Years later, Gabrielle returned to Weatherfield to play Bernie’s lookalike Fern Lindon. The actress also famously played the iconic Bob in BlackAdder, Alison Pinion in Unforgotten, and Donna Collyer in Silent Witness. In 2024, she will join the cast of BBC One Caribbean crime series Death in Paradise as Cora.
Is Gabrielle sisters with Jane Hazlegrove in real life?
Despite playing lookalikes in Coronation Street, Gabrielle Glaister and Jane Hazlegrove – aka Fern Lindon and Bernie Winter – are not related.
Although she admits they’ve been mistaken for each other for years.
At the time of joining the ITV soap, she said: “We’ve been mistaken for each other for flamin’ years! She’s spent her whole life going, ‘No, I’ve not been in Brookside’. And I’ve been saying, ‘No, I’ve not been in Casualty’.
Because of their similarities, Jane came up with the idea of Gabrielle joining Corrie as a double for her character, Bernie Winter.
Who played Bob in Blackadder?
Actress Gabrielle played iconic Bob in Blackadder II. Of course, fans of the show will know she was really a character called Kate, posing as a man. Kate was the love interest of Rowan Atkinson‘s character Edmund Blackadder.
She played the role in 1986, and was one of the first characters to appear in the series.
In 1989, she played Driver Parkhurst in Blackadder Goes Forth.
Who is Trigger Point star Gabrielle Glaister married to?
Gabrielle is married to Irish stage actor Simon Nelson, who she fell in love with “pretty much at first sight”. They met through a Brookside friend and “just clicked”, before moving into a two-bedroom flat in West Hampstead, London.
She credits their success with many shared interests, including “sea diving, going to the cinema, and visiting museums”.
The pair have a son called Clement, who is now 21. Speaking to Metro in 2022, she admitted he’d started university that year. She said: “Until recently, I had a child at home but I dropped him off at university, so I’ve no idea what I’m going to do with myself.
“When we left him in his rooms, I couldn’t stop crying. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but he’s my only child so it’s just awful!”
How old is she? Where is she from?
Gabrielle was born on July 27, 1960, in Stow-on-the-Wold, Cotswolds.
She is currently 63 years old.
Glaister attended Chichester College where she studied English and Drama. She then trained at the National Youth Theatre, before appearing on Broadway.
What is Trigger Point actress Gabrielle allergic to?
Speaking in her 30s, the actress revealed she suffered from numerous allergies.
She said: “I’m allergic to quite a lot of things, particularly nickel. At home I make sure I’ve got bone or plastic-handled cutlery or I break into terrible rashes.”
Sounds itchy!
Read more: Vicky McClure: Ultimate profile of the Trigger Point star, including career, and director husband
Trigger Point series 2 continues on Sundays at 9pm on ITV1, or all episodes are currently available to watch on ITVX.
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