Carla was born in Coventry to parents who were both accomplished dancers. Her English mother, who was performing with a company in Lisbon at the time, met her Portuguese husband-to-be, and the couple subsequently relocated to England. Carla's family consists of two brothers, one of whom, Jorge, made a remarkable career change at the age of 36, becoming the youngest-ever Colonel in the British Army.
Carla pursued her academic interests at the University of Warwick, where she earned a degree in Dramatic Arts and Theatre Studies in 1985. Following her graduation, she embarked on a journey in the theatrical world, which eventually led her to gain widespread recognition for her work in television comedy, particularly in two popular children's shows: My Dad's the Prime Minister (2003) and My Parents Are Aliens (1999),the latter of which enjoyed a successful seven-year run, although Carla was not part of the initial series.
When ITV, the parent company, made the difficult decision to discontinue afternoon children's programming in 2006 due to financial constraints, Carla, along with her co-star Tony Gardner from My Parents Are Aliens, took the initiative to spearhead the Save Kids' TV campaign, although their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. Since then, Carla has appeared in various television shows, including 2 series of So Awkward for ChannelX/CBBC, and is currently preparing to film a third series. In addition to her television work, Carla has been actively involved in theatre productions, including performances at the RSC, Royal Exchange, and Tobacco Factory, and is set to appear in series 4 of So Awkward for Channel X.
In her personal life, Carla is married to actor and writer Clive Mantle.
