Kacey Ainsworth

Kacey Ainsworth
Ainsworth in 2013
Born (1968-10-19) 19 October 1968
Ware, Hertfordshire, England
OccupationActress
Years active1995–present
Spouse
Darren Hales
​
​
(m. 2005; div. 2023)​
Children2

Kacey Ainsworth (born 19 October 1968) is an English actress, known for her roles as Little Mo in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2000–2006) and Cathy Keating in the ITV drama series Grantchester (2014–present).

Early life

Upon finishing senior school, Ainsworth secured a job at the advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi.[1][2] She went on to train at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, completing a BA (Hons) in Acting.[1]

Career

Ainsworth began her career at the age of nine, playing orphan Tessie in the original West End run of Annie from 1978 to 1981.[2] She returned to acting in the 1990s, appearing in various guest parts on television and as Miss Fitzherbert in Mike Leigh's Oscar-nominated musical drama Topsy-Turvy (1999),[3] before joining the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, where she played Little Mo—a member of the Slater family—between September 2000 and May 2006. The storyline in which her character endured a prolonged campaign of abuse at the hands of her husband has since been recognised as one of the most powerful depictions of domestic violence in British television history,[4] with Ainsworth commenting that the role often left her physically and emotionally drained.[5]

Since leaving EastEnders, Ainsworth has appeared in a string of guest roles on series such as Hotel Babylon, Midsomer Murders, Casualty, Doctors, Call the Midwife, Moving On, Shakespeare & Hathaway, and The Madame Blanc Mysteries.[6] She also starred as Inspector Jenny Black in the BBC's HolbyBlue (2007–2008), appeared in the recurring role of Miss Gullet on the debut season of CBBC's The Worst Witch (2017), and played a supporting role in the acclaimed film Lynn + Lucy (2019).[7] She has co-starred as Cathy Keating in the ITV detective drama Grantchester since 2014,[8] writing an episode for its ninth season in 2025.[9]

On stage, Ainsworth starred in touring productions of The Taming of the Shrew (1998), Calendar Girls (2011–2012), and Steel Magnolias (2012). In 2019, her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd—at the Everyman Theatre—drew praise, with Michael Billington of The Guardian calling it an "outstanding performance".[10]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Peak Practice Julia Episode: "Walking Away"
Under the Moon Sarah Television film
1996 A Touch of Frost Carole Nash Episode: "The Things We Do for Love"
Accused Rosie Murray Episode: "Billy"
The Moonstone Drusilla Clack Television film
1996–1997 The Bill Paula Sheriton / Gail Painter 2 episodes
1997 Cone Zone Loretta 4 episodes
The Beggar Bride Tina Main cast; 2 episodes
1998 Touch and Go Val Television film
Where the Heart Is Tracey Episode: "Love"
1999 Topsy-Turvy Miss Dorothea Fitzherbert Feature film
2000 Happy Birthday Shakespeare Rita Television film
Safe as Houses Jan Television film
2000–2006 EastEnders Little Mo Mitchell Series regular; 552 episodes
2001 Girl from Rio Sales Assistant Feature film
2007 Hotel Babylon Maria Henson Episode #2.1
2007–2008 HolbyBlue Inspector Jenny Black Main cast; 14 episodes
2010 Rock & Chips Edna Episode: "Five Gold Rings"
2011 M.I. High Margaret Fontana Episode: "Bully Elliot"
Tracy Beaker Returns Xanthe Episode: "Grandad"
Midsomer Murders Nikki Rowntree Episode: "Echos of the Dead"
2013 The Wright Way Valerie Wright Main cast; 5 episodes
2014 Casualty DS Annie Reardon Episode: "Valves to Vagrants"
Doctors Ruby Slade Episode: "Snowbabies"
Call the Midwife Nancy Episode: "Christmas Special"
2014–present Grantchester Cathy Keating Main cast; 65 episodes
2016 Agatha Raisin Francie Juddle Episode: "Witch of Wyckhadden"
2017 The Worst Witch Miss Gullet Recurring; 12 episodes
2017–2018 Loose Women Self/Guest Panellist 3 episodes
2018 We the Kings Susan Feature film
2019 Lynn + Lucy Caroline Feature film
2020 Moving On Vicky Episode: "Second Sight"
Then & Now Claire 3 episodes; also co-writer
2021 The Battersea Poltergeist Lily Chibbett (voice) Podcast; 3 episodes
Torchwood Jill Kerr (voice) Podcast; episode: "The Five People You Kill in Middlesbrough"
Sliced Denise Episode: "Mad Innit?"
The Mallorca Files Linda Ball Episode: "The Blue Feather"
2023 Doctor Who: The Sixth Doctor Adventures Beryl (voice) Podcast; episode: "Girl in a Bubble"
2024 Whitstable Pearl Cassie Episode: "Death, the Devil and the Fool"
2025 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Jane Folle Episode: "A Rose by Any Other Name"
The Madame Blanc Mysteries Aurielle Alfonse Episode: "Christmas Special"

Theatre

Year Film Role Notes
1978–1981 Annie Tessie Victoria Palace Theatre
1995 Pale Horse Lucy Royal Court Theatre
1996 Serving It Up Teresa Bush Theatre
1997 Attempts on Her Life Girl Royal Court Theatre
1998 The Taming of the Shrew Kate UK tour
1999 Sleep With Me Lorraine Royal National Theatre
2006 The Exonerated Guest Lead Riverside Studios
2009 Carrie's War Auntie Lou Apollo Theatre
2011–2012 Calendar Girls Miss November UK tour
2012 Steel Magnolias Annelle UK tour
2013 Laughton Elsa Lanchester Stephen Joseph Theatre
2015 Feed the Beast Sally Birmingham Repertory Theatre
2018 Holes Warden Nottingham Playhouse
2019 Sweeney Todd Mrs. Lovett Everyman Theatre
2022 Lava Vicky Soho Theatre
2023 Little Women Marmee HOME
2024 Leaves of Glass Liz Park Theatre
Jab Anne Finborough Theatre

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 Whitney, Hilary (21 August 2009). "My Best Teacher - Kacey Ainsworth". TES. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Exclusive: Kacey Ainsworth's Story... From Saatchi Ad Job to Star of EastEnders". The Free Library. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "Topsy-Turvy - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Gay kiss 'furore' to domestic violence: How EastEnders shattered taboos". BBC Online. 19 February 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "EastEnders abuse plot had 'physical impact'". Female First. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "Why did Little Mo leave EastEnders and where is Kacey Ainsworth now?". Heart. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "Lynn + Lucy". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Barzey, Whelan (15 October 2021). "ITV Grantchester: Kacey Ainsworth's real age and ordinary life off screen with plumber husband". MyLondon. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  9. ↑ Wilson, Victoria (5 February 2025). "Kacey Ainsworth on what it was like to write a very special episode of Grantchester". Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Billington, Michael (16 April 2019). "Sweeney Todd review – raging underdog adds politics to the pies". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
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