Latest news with #AmandaMealing
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Casualty's Amanda Mealing's new job after drug crash left nurse with injuries
Amanda Mealing admitted driving with cocaine in her system following a crash close to her home in Deeping St Nicholas, Lincolnshire, in January 2024 Casualty's Amanda Mealing has landed herself a new job after cocaine-fuelled car crash left a nurse with life-changing injuries. The actress has a new project to focus on as she headed out to Malta earlier this month to work on a special episode of Channel 5 show Good Ship Murder alongside well-known faced Catherine Tyldesley, Shayne Ward and Ross Adams. The 57-year-old has been offered the lifeline back into showbiz after admitting to driving with cocaine in her system and driving without due care and attention after a crash near her home in Deeping St Nicholas, Lincolnshire, back in January 2024. While the court hearing was going on this March, Amanda's solicitor said how the actress turned to cocaine to cope while going through a divorce from husband Richard Sainsburys. She was also going through the deaths of her father, best friend and her dog. Amanda was also diagnosed with blood cancer, after being diagnosed with breast cancer years before. It was reported that she had taken cocaine the night before the crash and was driving home when her car drifted across the road and hit an oncoming Skoda driven by nurse Mark Le Sage. He was left seriously injured and had to change his career due to the crash. The actress who plays Connie Beauchamp on Casualty was banned from driving for 28 months, reduced to 22 months as she had already served a six-month interim ban. The court also fined her £482 and ordered to pay £400 costs and a surcharge of £194. She agreed to pay at a rate of £100 a month. The MailOnline reported that a source said: "Amanda is a phenomenal actress and has made many friends within the industry. Everyone has been rallying around her. She admitted what she did and opened up about what was going on in her life at the time. "She is not a bad person and has been through a lot. She was already in talks about appearing on the murder mystery drama before the court case. And once it was all over, the little guest role gave her the life-line she very much needed." Good Ship Murder has become a popular series on Channel 5 and sees different much-loved celebs appear each week. The third series will air on our screens next year. Other stars due to appear on the next series will include Birds of a Feather legends Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph. Since leaving her job at Casualty in 2021, Amanda has moved from acting to directing which included for an episode of the BBC TV series Waterloo Road.
Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Shamed Casualty star who left nurse unconscious in cocaine-fuelled car crash given second chance with new C5 show
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHAMED Casualty star Amanda Mealing has been given a second chance in telly after landing a brand new role. Amanda, 57, who played Connie Beauchamp in the BBC soap, has been given the lifeline by Channel 5 following a cocaine-fuelled car crash that left a male nurse unconscious. 4 Shamed Casualty star Amanda Mealing has been given a second chance in telly after landing a brand new role Credit: Getty Earlier this month, she travelled to Malta to film a guest appearance in a special episode of The Good Ship Murder. She joined regulars Catherine Tyldesley, Shayne Ward and Ross Adams for the project. A source told MailOnline: "Amanda is a phenomenal actress and has made many friends within the industry. Everyone has been rallying around her. "She admitted what she did and opened up about what was going on in her life at the time. She is not a bad person and has been through a lot. "She was already in talks about appearing on the murder mystery drama before the court case. "And once it was all over, the little guest role gave her the life-line she very much needed." Good Ship Murder has become a huge hit for Channel 5, featuring a different guest star each week. The third series is currently in production and will air next year, with guest appearances by Birds of a Feather stars Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph. The Sun has contacted representatives for Amanda and Channel 5 for comment. Since her departure from Casualty in 2021, Amanda has shifted her focus toward directing, including an episode of Waterloo Road. The Good Ship Murder Channel 5 Trailer Her return to the small screen comes after a crash last January that left theatre nurse Mark Le Sage unconscious. Amanda had taken cocaine the night before and veered across the road in her Mini, ploughing into Mr Le Sage's Skoda as he drove to work in Deeping St Nicholas. He later told MailOnline: "I was very lucky I was in such a substantial car. I very nearly took my motorbike out that day." Mr Le Sage, 58, said he remembered an "explosion and his car began to spin" after Amanda smashed into his vehicle. He added: "I just came around the corner and 'bang' it was right in front of me and she hit the front corner of my car." The dad-of-three was knocked unconscious and 'came around to find the car was filled with smoke.' Believing his 1.6-ton SUV was on fire, he 'bashed' his way out through the passenger side. Once free, he turned his attention to Amanda. "I looked over and saw she had blood running down the left side of her face," he said. 'My nursing instincts kicked in and I had to make sure she was OK.' In court, Amanda pleaded guilty to drug driving and driving without due care and attention. She was banned from driving for 22 months and fined £485. The court heard she had 18mcg of cocaine in her blood—almost twice the legal limit of 10mcg—and nearly five times the legal threshold for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of the drug. She sustained a broken wrist, a broken clavicle, and a cut to the head. Prosecutor Marie Stace said: 'He started to panic, the car was full of smoke and he couldn't get out because his foot was stuck under the pedal. 'He did get out and was assessed by a paramedic who said he needed to go to hospital. 'There was a witness following the Mini, who said he assumed there was something in the road because it went onto the other side of the carriageway.' The crash has had life-changing consequences for Mr Le Sage, who is no longer able to work as a theatre nurse due to his impaired motor skills. A district councillor, father-of-three, and grandfather-of-five, he also had to give up playing keyboards in his local band Zebra and can no longer play water polo. He still suffers from flashbacks, as well as sight and hearing issues. The court was told Amanda had been struggling in the lead-up to the crash after the death of her father and her dog. She had taken cocaine at a friend's house before setting off home. She has not been able to offer an explanation for why her car crossed to the opposite carriageway. Paramedics initially thought she may have been having a hypoglycemic episode due to her alarmingly low blood sugar levels, which could have contributed to the crash. Her lawyer Edward Lloyd told the court: 'In terms of the offence, my client pleaded guilty to drug driving at the very first opportunity. 'It's something she's deeply ashamed of. She's not somebody who takes drugs at all. 'Her brother died of a drugs overdose when he was 18 and she says herself that she should have known better.' The court also heard that Amanda is not currently in regular work and receives a 'token salary' of £935 per month. Speaking after sentencing, Mr Le Sage said: 'I'm glad it's over for my family and I'm so lucky and grateful for their support over what has been a very difficult time. 'I hope the Sainsbury family can now also get on with their lives.' 4 She joins Catherine Tyldesley and Shayne Ward in The Good Ship Murders Credit: Channel 5 4 Amanda played Connie Beauchamp in the BBC soap Credit: BBC/Alistair Heap
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Shamed Casualty star who left nurse unconscious in cocaine-fuelled car crash given second chance with new C5 show
SHAMED Casualty star Amanda Mealing has been given a second chance in telly after landing a brand new role. Amanda, 57, who played Connie Beauchamp in the BBC soap, has been given the lifeline by Channel 5 following a cocaine-fuelled car crash that left a male nurse unconscious. Earlier this month, she travelled to Malta to film a guest appearance in a special episode of The Good Ship Murder. She joined regulars Catherine Tyldesley, Shayne Ward and Ross Adams for the project. A source told MailOnline: "Amanda is a phenomenal actress and has made many friends within the industry. Everyone has been rallying around her. "She admitted what she did and opened up about what was going on in her life at the time. She is not a bad person and has been through a lot. "She was already in talks about appearing on the murder mystery drama before the court case. "And once it was all over, the little guest role gave her the life-line she very much needed." Good Ship Murder has become a huge hit for Channel 5, featuring a different guest star each week. The third series is currently in production and will air next year, with guest appearances by Birds of a Feather stars Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph. The Sun has contacted representatives for Amanda and Channel 5 for comment. Since her departure from Casualty in 2021, Amanda has shifted her focus toward directing, including an episode of Waterloo Road. Her return to the small screen comes after a crash last January that left theatre nurse Mark Le Sage unconscious. Amanda had taken cocaine the night before and veered across the road in her Mini, ploughing into Mr Le Sage's Skoda as he drove to work in Deeping St Nicholas. He later told MailOnline: "I was very lucky I was in such a substantial car. I very nearly took my motorbike out that day." Mr Le Sage, 58, said he remembered an "explosion and his car began to spin" after Amanda smashed into his vehicle. He added: "I just came around the corner and 'bang' it was right in front of me and she hit the front corner of my car." The dad-of-three was knocked unconscious and 'came around to find the car was filled with smoke.' Believing his 1.6-ton SUV was on fire, he 'bashed' his way out through the passenger side. Once free, he turned his attention to Amanda. "I looked over and saw she had blood running down the left side of her face," he said. 'My nursing instincts kicked in and I had to make sure she was OK.' In court, Amanda pleaded guilty to drug driving and driving without due care and attention. She was banned from driving for 22 months and fined £485. The court heard she had 18mcg of cocaine in her blood—almost twice the legal limit of 10mcg—and nearly five times the legal threshold for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of the drug. She sustained a broken wrist, a broken clavicle, and a cut to the head. Prosecutor Marie Stace said: 'He started to panic, the car was full of smoke and he couldn't get out because his foot was stuck under the pedal. 'He did get out and was assessed by a paramedic who said he needed to go to hospital. 'There was a witness following the Mini, who said he assumed there was something in the road because it went onto the other side of the carriageway.' The crash has had life-changing consequences for Mr Le Sage, who is no longer able to work as a theatre nurse due to his impaired motor skills. A district councillor, father-of-three, and grandfather-of-five, he also had to give up playing keyboards in his local band Zebra and can no longer play water polo. He still suffers from flashbacks, as well as sight and hearing issues. The court was told Amanda had been struggling in the lead-up to the crash after the death of her father and her dog. She had taken cocaine at a friend's house before setting off home. She has not been able to offer an explanation for why her car crossed to the opposite carriageway. Paramedics initially thought she may have been having a hypoglycemic episode due to her alarmingly low blood sugar levels, which could have contributed to the crash. Her lawyer Edward Lloyd told the court: 'In terms of the offence, my client pleaded guilty to drug driving at the very first opportunity. 'It's something she's deeply ashamed of. She's not somebody who takes drugs at all. 'Her brother died of a drugs overdose when he was 18 and she says herself that she should have known better.' The court also heard that Amanda is not currently in regular work and receives a 'token salary' of £935 per month. Speaking after sentencing, Mr Le Sage said: 'I'm glad it's over for my family and I'm so lucky and grateful for their support over what has been a very difficult time. 'I hope the Sainsbury family can now also get on with their lives.' 4 4 4
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Shamed Casualty star who left nurse unconscious in cocaine-fuelled car crash given second chance with new C5 show
SHAMED Casualty star Amanda Mealing has been given a second chance in telly after landing a brand new role. Advertisement 4 Shamed Casualty star Amanda Mealing has been given a second chance in telly after landing a brand new role Credit: Getty Earlier this month, she travelled to Malta to film a guest appearance in a special episode of The Good Ship Murder. She joined regulars Catherine Tyldesley, Shayne Ward and A source told "She admitted what she did and opened up about what was going on in her life at the time. She is not a bad person and has been through a lot. Advertisement read more on Amanda Mealing "She was already in talks about appearing on the murder mystery drama before the court case. "And once it was all over, the little guest role gave her the life-line she very much needed." Good Ship Murder has become a huge hit for Channel 5, featuring a different guest star each week. The third series is currently in production and will air next year, with guest appearances by Advertisement Most read in Drama The Sun has contacted representatives for Amanda and Channel 5 for comment. Since her departure from Casualty in 2021, Amanda has shifted her focus toward directing, including an episode of Waterloo Road. The Good Ship Murder Channel 5 Trailer Her return to the small screen comes after a crash last January that Amanda had taken cocaine the night before and veered across the road in her Mini, ploughing into Mr Le Sage's Skoda as he drove to work in Deeping St Nicholas. Advertisement He later told MailOnline: "I was very lucky I was in such a substantial car. I very nearly took my motorbike out that day." Mr Le Sage, 58, said he remembered an "explosion and his car began to spin" after Amanda smashed into his vehicle. He added: "I just came around the corner and 'bang' it was right in front of me and she hit the front corner of my car." The dad-of-three was knocked unconscious and 'came around to find the car was filled with smoke.' Advertisement Believing his 1.6-ton SUV was on fire, he 'bashed' his way out through the passenger side. Once free, he turned his attention to Amanda. "I looked over and saw she had blood running down the left side of her face," he said. 'My nursing instincts kicked in and I had to make sure she was OK.' In court, Amanda pleaded guilty to drug driving and driving without due care and attention. She was banned from driving for 22 months and fined £485. Advertisement The court heard she had 18mcg of cocaine in her blood—almost twice the legal limit of 10mcg—and nearly five times the legal threshold for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of the drug. She sustained a broken wrist, a broken clavicle, and a cut to the head. Prosecutor Marie Stace said: 'He started to panic, the car was full of smoke and he couldn't get out because his foot was stuck under the pedal. 'He did get out and was assessed by a paramedic who said he needed to go to hospital. 'There was a witness following the Mini, who said he assumed there was something in the road because it went onto the other side of the carriageway.' Advertisement The crash has had life-changing consequences for Mr Le Sage, who is no longer able to work as a theatre nurse due to his impaired motor skills. A district councillor, father-of-three, and grandfather-of-five, he also had to give up playing keyboards in his local band Zebra and can no longer play water polo. He still suffers from flashbacks, as well as sight and hearing issues. The court was told Amanda had been struggling in the lead-up to the crash after the death of her father and her dog. Advertisement She had taken cocaine at a friend's house before setting off home. She has not been able to offer an explanation for why her car crossed to the opposite carriageway. Paramedics initially thought she may have been having a hypoglycemic episode due to her alarmingly low blood sugar levels, which could have contributed to the crash. Her lawyer Edward Lloyd told the court: 'In terms of the offence, my client pleaded guilty to drug driving at the very first opportunity. Advertisement 'It's something she's deeply ashamed of. She's not somebody who takes drugs at all. 'Her brother died of a drugs overdose when he was 18 and she says herself that she should have known better.' The court also heard that Amanda is not currently in regular work and receives a 'token salary' of £935 per month. Speaking after sentencing, Mr Le Sage said: 'I'm glad it's over for my family and I'm so lucky and grateful for their support over what has been a very difficult time. Advertisement 'I hope the Sainsbury family can now also get on with their lives.' 4 She joins Catherine Tyldesley and Shayne Ward in The Good Ship Murders Credit: Channel 5 4 Amanda played Connie Beauchamp in the BBC soap Credit: BBC/Alistair Heap 4 The scene of the horror crash Advertisement
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Casualty star Amanda Mealing is handed a career lifeline after her cocaine-fuelled car crash left a nurse with life-changing injuries
Casualty star Amanda Mealing has been offered a lifeline back on to television screens following her cocaine-fuelled car crash that left a male nurse unconscious. The actress, 57, flew out to Malta earlier this month to film a special episode of Channel 5 drama Good Ship Murder alongside its stars Catherine Tyldesley, Shayne Ward and Ross Adams. The guest role comes after she admitted driving with cocaine in her system and driving without due care and attention following the crash close to her home in Deeping St Nicholas, Lincolnshire, in January 2024. During the court hearing in March of this year, her solicitor revealed how she'd turned to cocaine while going through a divorce from film producer Richard Sainsbury, and dealing with the traumatic deaths of her father, her best friend and her dog. It was also revealed that since the crash, she had been diagnosed with blood cancer following a breast cancer battle decades earlier. She had taken the Class A drug the night before the smash and was driving home when her car drifted across the road and hit an oncoming Skoda driven by nurse Mark Le Sage, who was seriously injured and had to change his career as a result. Amanda - who played Connie Beauchamp on Casualty - was banned from driving for 28 months, reduced to 22 months as she had already served a six-month interim ban. She was also fined £485, and ordered to pay £400 costs and a surcharge of £194. She offered to pay at a rate of £100 a month, which was accepted by the court. A TV insider told MailOnline: 'Amanda is a phenomenal actress and has made many friends within the industry. 'Everyone has been rallying around her. She admitted what she did and opened up about what was going on in her life at the time. 'She is not a bad person and has been through a lot. She was already in talks about appearing on the murder mystery drama before the court case. 'And once it was all over, the little guest role gave her the life-line she very much needed. Good Ship Murder has become a huge hit for Channel 5 and features different guest stars each week. The third series is currently being filmed and will hit our TV screens next year. It will also include guest appearances from Birds of a Feather legends Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph. Since leaving Casualty in 2021, Amanda has been moving from acting into directing, including for an episode of the BBC TV series Waterloo Road. In 2002, Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer, just 24 hours after giving birth to her second son, Otis. Her older son, Milo, was three at the time. She had been aware of a small lump in her breast when pregnant, but ignored it. She said: 'I definitely thought it could have been mastitis. But a large part of it was that ridiculous thing where I thought, 'If I don't go to the GP, they can't tell me it's breast cancer and therefore I can pretend it's no'. But if I'd done something about it at the time, I may not have had to endure what I did. It's ridiculous. I played with my life. I gambled. 'It must have been three months. And it went from being a pea-sized lump to a mass. It was huge. 'I remember seeing the mass when I had my ultrasound and I knew. It was like the air just went out of me. I got very angry at the cancer. I thought, 'How dare you do this to me when my newborn baby is just hours old? I won't let it happen'.' She had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Five years after she had completed her treatment she was diagnosed with PTSD. Her sister in law and a close friend, both diagnosed with breast cancer at around the same time, did not survive. Amanda has undergone therapy to cope with survivor's guilt, which led to panic attacks and depression.
