Kelvin Fletcher


Kelvin Warren Fletcher is an English actor and racing driver, best known for playing Andy Sugden in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 1996 until 2016. In 2019, Fletcher won the seventeenth series of Strictly Come Dancing with his professional partner Oti Mabuse.

Career

He attended Mayfield Primary School in Derker for his primary school education, and North Chadderton School for his secondary education.
Born the oldest of three boys, his youngest brother Brayden Fletcher also acts. At the age of six, Fletcher started attending drama classes at the Oldham Theatre Workshop and was first seen on television on a Saturday Disney report when he was starring as Charlie in Charlie Is My Darling, which he also performed in a special show at the London Palladium. From there he went on to star in a string of television shows, in programmes such as In Suspicious Circumstances, Cracker, Heartbeat and Chiller. He also co-presented an episode of You've Been Framed with Jeremy Beadle. He also had a bit part in another famous British soap opera, Coronation Street. In 1996 he was selected to audition for Emmerdale for the part of tearaway Andy Hopwood, a schoolfriend of Robert Sugden. The character was originally only scripted to appear in 3 episodes but was soon offered a longer contract. Fletcher went on to become one of the leading and most popular characters in the show, winning Best Actor and Best Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards.
Kelvin was once a National Champion in the minority sport Inline Hockey. He played for local club 'Chaddy' Wildsharks. He was a national champion in 1998 when he and his team travelled to Newcastle and won the tournament over a weekend. Whilst playing for the 'Chaddy' Wildsharks he gained many young fans who knew him from Emmerdale fame. They would turn out to watch him play, giving the 'Chaddy' Wildsharks junior team a larger than average audience.
On 8 September 2019, it was announced that Fletcher would be a competitor in the 2019 series of the BBC television competition Strictly Come Dancing, as a replacement for actor Jamie Laing, who had to withdraw from the show prior to airing due to a foot injury. He went on the reach the final and win the competition. This also meant that his dance partner, Oti Mabuse, won her first title on the show.

Motor racing career

Fletcher first ventured into motor racing after a visit to a motoring show with his father in January 2012. He obtained an MSA Competition Licence and won the 2012 Silverstone Classic Celebrity Challenge race. Fletcher also competed in the Mighty Mini's and the Team Trophy. He was invited to partake in the Porsche Supercup support race of the 2014 British Grand Prix, where he finished 22nd.
He signed a contract to drive a Chevrolet Cruze entered by the Power Maxed Racing team in the 2016 British Touring Car Championship in March that year. Fletcher missed the Knockhill Racing Circuit and the Rockingham Motor Speedway rounds because his wife was due to give birth to their first child imminently. Dave Newsham drove his car instead. During the season, Fletcher competed in 24 races spread over eight rounds of three events. He scored no points and was 31st in the final drivers' championship standings.
For the 2017 season, Fletcher moved to the British GT Championship and shared a Nissan 370Z Nismo with fellow driver Tim Eakin for the UltraTek Racing RJN in the GT4 category. He was mentored by FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans class victor Martin Plowman during his rookie season. After three years of running in GT4 with Plowman, they will move up to the GT3 class in a Bentley Continental.

Personal life

Fletcher married fellow actor Elizabeth Marsland, whom he had known since aged eight, in a secret ceremony on 28 November 2015. They have two children. Fletcher is also a fan of rugby league; growing up, he was a fan of Paul Sculthorpe and Kevin Sinfield as they were both from Oldham, and he makes occasional appearances at testimonial matches of famous players. He is also a fan of Speedway and was a friend of former World Champion Chris Holder and Darcy Ward

Filmography

Racing results

Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain results

YearTeamCarClass12345678910111213141516171819DCPoints
2014Redline RacingPorsche 991 GT3BRH
1
12		BRH
2
11		DON
1
DON
2
SIL
1
8		SIL
2
6		BRH
1
BRH
2
13th46
2014Team Parker RacingPorsche 991 GT3THR
1
10		THR
2
10		SAR
1
CRO
1
CRO
2
SNE
1
SNE
2
KNO
1
KNO
2
ROC
1
ROC
2
13th46

Complete Porsche Supercup results

† As Fletcher was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930DCPoints
2016Power Maxed RacingChevrolet CruzeBRH
1
Ret		BRH
2
25		BRH
3
Ret		DON
1
24		DON
2
Ret		DON
3
20		THR
1
Ret		THR
2
23		THR
3
17		OUL
1
29		OUL
2
23		OUL
3
22		CRO
1
Ret		CRO
2
22		CRO
3
Ret		SNE
1
Ret		SNE
2
Ret		SNE
3
18		KNO
1		KNO
2		KNO
3		ROC
1		ROC
2		ROC
3		SIL
1
22		SIL
2
22		SIL
3
26		BRH
1
24		BRH
2
24		BRH
3
21		31st0

Complete British GT Championship results

YearTeamCarClass12345678910DCPoints
2017Team RJN Nissan with UltraTekNissan 370Z GT4GT4OUL
1
23		OUL
2
19		ROC
1
22		SNE
1
25		SNE
2
19		SIL
1
24		SPA
1
23		SPA
2
23		BRH
1
19		DON
1
Ret		22nd9
2018UltraTek Racing / Team RJNNissan 370Z GT4GT4OUL
1
32		OUL
2
17		ROC
1
13		SNE
1
22		SNE
2
22		SIL
1
19		SPA
1
20		BRH
1
10		DON
1
Ret		9th65.5
2019Beechdean AMRAston Martin Vantage GT4GT4OUL
1
18		OUL
2
17		SNE
1
21		SNE
2
19		SIL
1
14		DON
1
20		SPA
1
23		BRH
1
17		DON
1
15		5th98.5