Kara Tointon, the star of Channel 5's new drama Too Good To Be True, has had an interesting life off-screen. From her famous sister to a split, the former EastEnders actress is now playing Rachel, a woman struggling to make ends meet until she meets a mysterious client.
Kara first appeared on our screens as an extra on EastEnders in 1994, before landing the role of Dawn Swann from 2005 to 2009. She was known for her spicy affair with Phil Mitchell.
After leaving EastEnders, Kara took on various roles. She played Kate Middleton in The Windsors West End production and Maria in ITV's live production of The Sound of Music Live. In 2010, Kara won Strictly Come Dancing with her pro partner Artem Chigvintsev. The pair sparked up a relationship after their win.
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The Basildon-born actress has enjoyed romances with her EastEnders co-stars. She was previously in a relationship with James Alexandrou, who played Martin Fowler. After their split, Kara moved on with James Bourne, a member of pop rock band Busted. Kara then dated co-star Joe Swash, who is now married to Stacey Solomon and played Mickey Miller in the BBC soap.
Kara left EastEnders in a dramatic way after her affair with Phil Mitchell was revealed to Garry, whom she was supposed to marry. Garry forgave Kara and with baby Summer, they left Albert Square on a boat journey down the canal in 2009. After departing from the soap opera, Kara took part in various shows and stage productions.
She acted alongside her then-boyfriend Joe Swash in a Snow White pantomime in Bristol's Hippodrome in 2009. However, rumoured disputes behind the scenes led to their split.
Yearning for marriage with her co-star, she eventually found romance on Strictly Come Dancing. In 2010, she joined the Strictly ensemble and paired up with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev, but they parted ways after four years.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Kara revealed that she wanted to dedicate her attention to her forthcoming role in Mr Selfridge, a period drama. From 2015 to 2016, she portrayed Rosalie De Bolotoff.
Kara met Marius Jensen, a Norwegian chiropractor, in 2016 and they became engaged two years later. The pair welcomed two children, Frey, now five, and Helly, now three. However, it was reported in October 2022 that Kara and Marius had separated before getting married. A source informed The Sun: "Kara and Marius quietly separated around ten months ago. There was no wrong-doing on either side, and they both still care about each other." "But they came to the decision that there was no future for them as a couple."
Kara's sister, Hannah Tointon, 36, is also a successful actress known for her roles as Katy Fox in Hollyoaks and Tara Brown in The Inbetweeners. She's been living with her partner Joe Thomas, who played Simon Cooper in The Inbetweeners, in London since 2012. They got engaged in 2017 and welcomed their first child together in 2022.
The Tointon sisters, who look identical, have even starred together in Mr Selfridge's third series as Harry Selfridge's daughters. Hannah has also showcased her talent in the West End, taking over the role of Dawn in Waitress in December 2019.
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