Sarah Anne Akers (née Jones; born 27 August 1978), known professionally as Suranne Jones, is an English actress and producer. She rose to prominence as Karen McDonald in Coronation Street between 2000 to 2004. Upon leaving, she furthered her television career in drama series including Vincent (2005–2006), Strictly Confidential (2006) and Harley Street (2008). Her portrayal of convicted murderer Ruth Slater in the mini-series Unforgiven (2009) received acclaim. Between 2011 and 2016, Jones starred as Detective Rachel Bailey in the police procedural Scott & Bailey, her second collaboration with screenwriter Sally Wainwright after Unforgiven. She garnered further attention for her roles in Single Father, Five Days (both 2010) and The Crimson Field (2014), as well as stage work including productions of A Few Good Men (2005), Blithe Spirit (2009), Top Girls (2011), Beautiful Thing (2013) and Orlando (2014). For her portrayal of Gemma Foster, a successful GP who suffers personal betrayal, in Doctor Foster (2015–2017), Jones won several awards including a Broadcasting Press Guild award and the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress in 2016. Following the conclusion of Doctor Foster, Jones returned to theatre, starring in a production of Frozen for which she received favourable notices. On television, Jones has starred in Save Me (2018), Vigil (2021) and Gentleman Jack (2019–present), the latter her fourth collaboration with Wainwright. Early life Jones was born Sarah Anne Jones in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, on 27 August 1978. She has an older brother named Gary. Jones was brought up as a Catholic; her priest suggested to her father she be christened Sarah Anne instead of Suranne, her great-grandmother's name, as Suranne was not "a proper name". She grew up in a house on Foxdenton Lane, surrounded by two farms and their fields and commented that one of her earliest memories is of "cows looking in the window as we ate our tea". As a child she was talkative, and later recounted that her priest would tell her, "I'm praying you can concentrate just a bit more". Jones suffers from carpophobia, a fear of wrists, which she believes possibly developed from viewing imagery of Christ's crucifixion and stigmata as a child. Jones was educated at Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School in Middleton. Talking of her childhood, she commented, "I think I always wanted to be different and felt very stifled at school". She also said, "I was bullied at school and I let