1. Rachel Joy Shenton was born on 21 December 1987 and is an English actress and writer.
26 Facts About Rachel Shenton
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Rachel Shenton is known for her role as Courtney in Waterloo Road and has starred in the ABC Family drama Switched at Birth, the BBC2 sitcom White Gold, and the Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small.
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In 2018, Shenton won an Academy Award for her short film The Silent Child, which she wrote, produced and starred in.
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Rachel Shenton is fluent in British Sign Language and American Sign Language.
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Rachel Shenton went on to study performing arts at Stoke-on-Trent College.
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Rachel Shenton started her career at Edinburgh fringe festival, where her play received critical acclaim.
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Rachel Shenton's acting career began with small recurring parts in various television series such as Holby City and Waterloo Road.
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Rachel Shenton filmed various television commercials for the Ministry of Defence, DFS and Sega Superstars Tennis and appeared in two British films.
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Rachel Shenton continued recurring appearances in 2008 appearing in Nickelodeon's series Genie in the House and Five's Sophia's Diary, playing Sofia's wayward sister 'Trisha'.
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Rachel Shenton described her character as being the complete opposite of her.
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Rachel Shenton's casting came as part of new producer Paul Marquess' major revamp of the serial.
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On 20 December 2012, Rachel Shenton announced her decision to leave Hollyoaks.
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On 28 April 2014, it was announced that Rachel Shenton would make her US television debut in season 3 of the ABC Family drama Switched at Birth playing young student teacher Lilly Summers.
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Rachel Shenton went on to shoot season 4 and 5 which was when the show ended.
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Rachel Shenton kept a promise she had made to the young lead actress and signed her acceptance speech.
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In March 2019, Rachel Shenton joined the cast of the BBC2 comedy series White Gold, playing Jo Scott, a motivational speaker turned window saleswoman, alongside James Buckley and Joe Thomas.
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Rachel Shenton is due to star in the upcoming six-part scripted podcast series that she has written called 'Gladstone Girls.
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When Rachel Shenton was 12, her father became deaf after undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
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In 2011, Rachel Shenton was made ambassador for the National Deaf Children's Society and she continues to raise awareness of deafness in the UK.
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In March 2011, Rachel Shenton completed a skydive in aid of National Deaf Children's Society.
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In February 2012, Rachel Shenton announced that she was due to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of the charity.
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In May 2011, Rachel Shenton helped to launch a social networking website for deaf people named "Viewtalk".
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Rachel Shenton founded The Midlands Screen Acting School in 2013, creating opportunities for actors wanting to enter the industry in her home town of Stoke-on-Trent.
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Rachel Shenton married British actor and filmmaker Chris Overton in summer 2018.
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In July 2019, Rachel Shenton was commended with an honorary degree from Keele University for her "outstanding contribution in raising awareness for educational support for disabilities in children, as an inspirational role model for young people, and for her commitment to equality and diversity".
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In November 2023, Rachel Shenton was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts at Staffordshire University for her work as an actress as well as helping aspiring actors through The Midlands Screen Acting School and her work campaigning for the deaf community.