Inside TV’s Amanda Mealing’s life and career amid drug-drive ban

Actress Amanda Mealing has admitted to driving her car under the influence of drugs, leaving a nurse at the wheel seriously injured.

Magistrates heard that Mealing drifted across the road before colliding with Mark Le Sage’s vehicle whilst he commuted to work.

Amanda, 57, reportedly experienced a broken wrist, broken clavicle and a cut to the head in January 2024.

She admitted to driving with cocaine in her system and driving without due care and attention, and was banned from driving for 22 months and ordered to pay a fine, totalling £485.

The court heard that she had 18mcg of cocaine in her blood, with the legal limit being 10mcg.

She was also in excess of 240mcg of benzoylecgonine, which is the chemical that cocaine leaves after being metabolised in the body.

This is almost five times over the legal limit of 50mcg.

Who did Amanda Mealing play in Holby City?

Amanda first appeared in the role of Connie Beauchamp in Holby City in 2004, and was a regular until 2010.

She made a number of guest appearances until 2019, whilst also appearing as the same character in Casualty.

The character continued to appear across the soaps until 2022.

During her time on the shows, she was involved in some huge storylines, including a battle with cancer, a violent assault and a diazepam addiction.

In 2021, the BBC decided to axe Holby City after 22 years.

‘I can’t believe it’ Amanda told Metro.

‘Particularly for me, it’s the birthplace of Connie. It’s just heartbreaking. When I started Holby, I said to Oliver Kent, the executive producer at the time, “let’s make it the West Wing of the medical world”, it’s got those long corridors, it reminded me of the West Wing so much.

‘I’m so sad, poor Connie’s birthplace is going.’

What else has Amanda Mealing appeared in?

Her first role was in children’s soap Grange Hill in 1980, and she recently turned her hand to directing in the revival of Waterloo Road on BBC One.

This came after her direction of a number of episodes of children’s series The Dumping Ground, which is based upon the Tracy Beaker books by Jacqueline Wilson.

Away from Holby and Casualty, she has appeared in The Darling Buds of May, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Death in Paradise, The Bill and Midsomer Murders.

Is Amanda Mealing married?

Amanda has been married to screenwriter Richard Sainsbury since 1998, with whom she shares two sons.

The day after giving birth to her second son Milo, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and continued to champion Breast Cancer Care, becoming an ambassador for them in 2010.

What has Amanda Mealing said about her family life?

In 2011 she reflected on the death of her adoptive brother Stephen, who died aged 32 from substance abuse. ‘He was 14 years older than me, but we were incredibly close,’ she told The Times.

‘I think he had dabbled in drugs as a teenager. But it was just an accident. It was a real tragedy for everyone and, yes, it did influence me.

‘It reminded me that life can be short and I thought there’s no point sitting around. Go out and live each day.’

Actress Amanda Mealing has admitted to driving her car under the influence of drugs, leaving a nurse at the wheel seriously injured. Magistrates heard that Mealing drifted across the road before colliding with Mark Le Sage’s vehicle whilst he commuted to work. Amanda, 57, reportedly experienced a broken wrist, broken clavicle and a cut to the head in January…