Katy Manning was born in 1948, the daughter of sports columnist J. L. Manning. At the age of eighteen she went to America and was offered a five-year contract with MGM. However, her father insisted that she return to England and study acting there. She trained at the Webber Douglas drama school for a year, then joined a Wolverhampton repertory company and made her debut in 1970 in Man at the Top. However, Katy is short even by Doctor Who Companion standards -- five feet even -- which proved to be rather a disadvantage in theatre.
She turned to television instead and made several commercials for ITV before appearing in an episode of Softly Softly. Later in 1970 Barry Letts cast her in the role of new Companion Jo Grant in Doctor Who, and she stayed for three years.
Following Doctor Who she presented the BBC crafts programme Serendipity and appeared as Miss Damina in the film Don't Just Lie There, Say Something. She returned to the theatre in West End productions of Why Not Stay for Breakfast, There's a Girl in My Soup, and, with future Doctor Colin Baker, Odd Man In. In 1975 she made a guest appearance in the series Target. She also appeared in a Yorkshire Television production of Oliver Twist.
She married actor Raynor Burton in 1975, but the marriage only lasted a few weeks. In 1978 she gave birth to twins Jonathan and Georgina.
She eventually found England to be stifling and in 1982 she moved to Australia where she has appeared in Educating Rita (as Rita), Blithe Spirit, Run for Your Wife, and The Odd Couple. She also wrote the television series Private Wives and both wrote and starred in the television series Don't Call Us.
Biographical information adapted from Doctor Who: Companions.
Since Katy Manning has been living in Australia for many years, she has been a difficult performer for Americans to see. I was fortunate enough to be able to make it to the first Whoosiercon ("The UNIT Reunion"), where I not only got to see her, but she sat at my table for a few minutes. Her attention was all for a youngster at our table, though, and all the rest of us cheerfully sat and listened.
I do have one anecdote to relate that might give you an idea of her sense of humor. At the Friday night reception at Whoosiercon, each of the guests got up to talk briefly (before going around and visiting the tables). She said the usual words about being happy to be here, etc., then said her kids wouldn't believe she was at a convention unless she took a picture. She then whipped out a tiny little (Instamatic-sized) camera and asked all 150 or so of us to squeeze in together so she could get a photograph. She is truly an irrepressible woman.
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