Claire King was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, and spent her childhood in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, alongside her brother and sister.
As a Bradford-born actress, King initially gained fame for her portrayal of the devious Kim Tate on the popular British soap opera Emmerdale, a role she held for an impressive 10 years from 1989.
In 1999, King made a dramatic exit from Emmerdale, and subsequently appeared in a variety of television dramas over the next decade. One of her most notable roles during this period was that of Karen Betts in the ITV prison drama Bad Girls, a character she played for four years.
King's talents extended beyond the world of television drama, as she also demonstrated her skills on the dance floor. In 2006, she finished in sixth place on the popular BBC reality show Strictly Come Dancing.
In addition to her work on Emmerdale and Bad Girls, King also made appearances on Coronation Street, where she played the character Erica Holroyd between 2014 and 2017. Erica was a close friend of Liz McDonald and had a colourful love life, being romantically linked to Kevin Webster, Dev Alahan, and other characters. King's departure from Coronation Street in 2017 came when Erica returned to Spain.
After a brief return to Emmerdale for a special week of episodes in 2018, King returned to the soap permanently in 2019, once again bringing her iconic character Kim Tate to life and causing trouble for the residents of the Yorkshire village.
