Sarah Lancashire – 56, Oldham

After finishing her education at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Sarah Lancashire became a busy theatre actress. She later gave mainstream work a try, but making a name for herself took time. Her breakthrough only came in the ’90s when she joined the cast of series like Coronation Street and Where the Heart Is.

She was once among the highest-paid stars in the United Kingdom because of her golden handcuffs contract with ITV. Lancashire most recently starred in a movie titled Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and sources say she has an upcoming series called Julia.