She stayed in the role for two years, during which her character was involved in a rape scene that won her the British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance in 2009.

Aged 19, Carey and her then fiancé, Steve Hodson, successfully auditioned to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama, which she attended from 1967 to 1970.

[3] Some of Carey's early roles were in programmes such as Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, I Didn't Know You Cared, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?

[4] In 2006, Carey had a small role as a voice actress playing Venat in the PlayStation 2 game Final Fantasy XII.

[9] In 1973, while appearing in a stage production in Sheffield, Carey met actor Mark Wing-Davey, a member of the company there.