Rachel Shenton

Rachel Joy Shenton (born 21 December 1987 ) is an English actress and writer.

She 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'.

She gained prominence through her role as Mitzeee Minniver in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks (2010–2013).

In April 2010, it was announced that Shenton had been cast in Hollyoaks as Mitzeee Minniver, an aspiring glamour model.

Shenton described her character as being the complete opposite of her.

Her casting came as part of new producer Paul Marquess' major revamp of the serial.

Before her character had appeared on-screen Shenton received media attention for her image, with tabloids reporting on her likeness to Cheryl Cole.

Shenton described the attention and comparisons as "very flattering".

On 20 December 2012, Shenton announced her decision to leave Hollyoaks.

Shenton's final scenes as Mitzeee aired on 15 February 2013, when the character moved to the United States.

She is also known for her role as Courtney in Waterloo Road and has starred in the ABC Family drama Switched at Birth (2014–2017), the BBC2 sitcom White Gold (2019), and the Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small (2020–).

On 28 April 2014, it was announced that Shenton would make her US television debut in season 3 of the ABC Family drama Switched at Birth playing young student teacher Lilly Summers.

Shenton went on to shoot season 4 and 5 which was when the show ended.

The final season aired in February 2017.

In August 2017, Shenton appeared in The Silent Child, a film which she created and co-produced with her husband Chris Overton.

The film was based on Shenton's own experiences as the child of a parent who became deaf.

The film features profoundly deaf six-year-old first-time actor Maisie Sly as the titular child.

British Sign Language (BSL) is used in the film.

The film won best short film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in August 2017.

That made it eligible for the Oscars.

In December 2017, the film was selected as one of the final ten films in the Live Action Short Film category for the 90th Academy Awards.

In 2018, Shenton won an Academy Award for her short film The Silent Child, which she wrote, produced and starred in.

She is fluent in British Sign Language and American Sign Language.

Shenton attended two secondary schools, one in Cheadle.

Shenton went on to study performing arts at Stoke-on-Trent College (Burslem Campus).

In between studying and acting roles, she volunteered at her local charity, Deaflinks.

Shenton started her career at Edinburgh fringe festival, where her play received critical acclaim.

Shenton's acting career began with small recurring parts in various television series such as Holby City and Waterloo Road.

She also filmed various television commercials for the Ministry of Defence, DFS and Sega Superstars Tennis and appeared in two British films.

On 23 January 2018, it was announced that The Silent Child had been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for the 90th Academy Awards, which it won.

Shenton kept a promise she had made to the young lead actress and signed her acceptance speech.

In March 2019, 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.

In September 2020, she began appearing as Helen Alderson in the Channel 5 and PBS adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small.

Significant changes were made from the source material (both the previous television series and the memoir), allowing the role of Helen to be greatly expanded.

The programme was renewed for a second series, which aired in September 2021, with a third series broadcast in 2022.

In June 2023, she played Emily in For Her Sins, a TV drama broadcast on Channel 5.

Also in 2023, she starred in the short film In Too Deep, directed by Chris Overton.

Rachel is due to star in the upcoming six-part scripted podcast series that she has written called 'Gladstone Girls.' The series tells the story of a group of female workers in the Stoke-On-Trent potteries.

They fight to keep their factory traditions alive after a new boss comes along and tries to change things.

When Shenton was 12, her father became deaf after undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.