Pamela Stephenson

Pamela Stephenson, Lady Connolly (born 4 December 1949) is a New Zealand-born psychologist, writer, actress and comedian. She moved with her family to Australia in 1953 and studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). After playing several stage and television roles, she emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1976. Parts in television shows including Space: 1999, New Avengers, The Professionals and Tales of the Unexpected preceded her breakthrough role in the satirical sketch show Not the Nine O'Clock News (1979–1982) alongside Rowan Atkinson, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. She was shortlisted in both the Actress and Light Entertainment performance categories at the 1981 BAFTAs for her part in the programme. She acted in the films History of the World, Part I (1981) and Superman III (1983). In 1984–85, she was in the cast of American comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live for season 10. She co-founded the Parents for Safe Food group, which successfully campaigned for a ban on Alar, which was believed to be carcinogenic, being sprayed on apples and pears for human consumption in the UK. Since a career change to clinical psychology, and obtaining her doctorate, she has written several books, which include two about her husband Sir Billy Connolly. She presented a psychologically themed interview show called Shrink Rap (2007) and is the author of Head Case: Treat Yourself to Better Mental Health (2009) and Sex Life: How Our Sexual Encounters and Experiences Define Who We Are (2011). She was a finalist in the eighth series of the BBC1 television show Strictly Come Dancing in 2010. Her autobiography, The Varnished Untruth, was published in 2012.


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