Catherine Jane Mitchell, known professionally as Kitty McGeever, was an English actress and comedian.
12 Facts About Kitty McGeever
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Kitty McGeever was the first blind actress to be cast in a British soap opera, playing the fictional character Lizzie Lakely in Emmerdale from April 2009 to March 2013.
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Kitty McGeever changed her name from Catherine Mitchell to Kitty McGeever as there was already an actress named Catherine Mitchell.
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Kitty McGeever trained at RADA and was diagnosed as diabetic at the age of 19.
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Kitty McGeever's son Felix was born two months early; he spent some time in a special care baby unit.
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Kitty McGeever was given a kidney transplant in a successful 12-hour operation.
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Kitty McGeever was spotted by production staff from the soap Emmerdale when she was appearing in a one-woman stage show where she talked about her life as a blind woman.
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Kitty McGeever first appeared as former criminal Lizzie Lakely in Emmerdale on 28 April 2009, at the age of 42; Lakely was the first permanent blind character in a British soap.
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Kitty McGeever was given her scripts as sound recordings and had two government-sponsored assistants to guide her around the studios; they guided her through the sets during rehearsals and ensured continuity between recordings.
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On 5 January 2010, Kitty McGeever appeared on the BBC Radio 4 programme In Touch, when she talked to Peter White about losing her sight.
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Kitty McGeever revealed that she had a number of gadgets to assist her, including a CD storage system where audible labels can be recorded, a colour detector to assist with choosing a coordinating outfit and a pair of long-armed oven gloves.
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In February 2013, it was reported that Kitty McGeever had been hospitalised and awaiting a heart transplant.