Sunetra Sarker is famous for her roles in some of TV’s most popular series – including Casualty, Ackley Bridge, Sherwood, and The Bay – and now she’s adding Professor T to her already impressive résumé.
The actress joins the cast of the ITV Ben Miller show in series 3, which is currently airing on ITV1 and ITVX. She plays DI Maiya Goswami, who takes charge of the police force with DS Dan Winters (Barney White) at her side.
But did you know the actress first appeared on TV in hit series Bread? Here’s everything you need to know about Sunetra, including how she became famous, her ‘sad’ marriage breakdown, and why she really left Casualty…
Who plays Maiya Goswami in Professor T?
Sunetra Sarker portrays DI Maiya Goswami in Professor T series 3. She first appears in episode 4, after Ben Miller‘s character is finally released from prison.
DI Goswami takes charge of the police force as Christina Brand’s replacement. Her management style is described as “abrasive and direct”. Time will tell how well she gets on with autistic criminologist Professor Jasper Tempest, who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder.
Her predecessor Christina Brand was previously played by Juliet Aubrey, who left in episode 3 of series 3. The professor had decided to change his plea to guilty in a bid to save his ex but, in an unexpected turn of events, he pleaded not guilty and was set free from prison.
When Christina and Jasper met after his release, she said: “I wanted to say how sorry I am… What I put you through trying to keep my job.”
To which Professor T replied: “It was not your responsibility. I made that choice… And did you? Keep your job?”
Christina went on to say she quit before “they could fire me”. She added: “I am still under investigation; I have no future in the force. I am here to say goodbye.”
She explained she was moving to the coast with Michael and the kids.
What is Sunetra Sarker famous for? What’s she been in?
Sunetra is a popular TV actress, known for her roles in several of the UK’s top dramas. She’s actually been on our screens ever since 1991, when she appeared in an episode of Bread as a nurse. She was just 18 years old.
Subsequently, Sunetra appeared in small roles in Cracker, Playing the Field, and Starting Out, before winning the high-profile role of Nisha Batra in Brookside. Nisha was the daughter of Manju and Krishan Murthy, and appeared in 28 episodes, over the course of 1988 and 2003.
She went on to appear as Priti Chowdry in four episodes of ITV1’s Emmerdale. However, it was arguably her role as Anji Mittel in No Angels that really catapulted her into most people’s living rooms. The Channel 4 series was a comedy drama, following a group of nurses who worked hard, and played harder.
In 2007, Sunetra won her most significant role to date – as Zoe Hanna in Casualty (see below). After leaving Casualty in 2015, the actress went on portray Sahana Harrison in Broadchurch, DCI Jane Burr in Safe House, and Sadia Shar in The Informer.
Cold Feet fans might remember her popping as a Deborah in four episodes of the romcom in 2020, before she went on to portray Stella Bradwell in The Bay.
Between 2017 and 2022, Sunetra portrayed Kaneez Paracha in Ackley Bridge. Other notable roles include Sheriff of Nottingham in Sherwood, and Meena in Breeders. She’s also been in films, including Grey Matter, You, Me and Him, and Flight.
She’s also known for being a regular participant on Celebrity Gogglebox, and became a panellist on the lunch time chat show Loose Women in 2021.
Why did Sunetra Sarker leave Casualty?
Sunetra Sarker decided to leave Casualty after nine years. After joining the medical drama in 2007, she left the series in 2015.
The actress, who played senior consultant Dr Zoe Hanna on the BBC show, later admitted on Zoe Ball on… Sunday that she wanted to “find something very different” to the show she was already doing.
And she certainly did that, by playing the part of Kaneez Paracha in Ackley Bridge – who couldn’t have been more different to her alter ego on Casualty.
Sunetra told Zoe Ball: “She looks nothing like me, she sounds nothing like me. She’s funny and she has a personality in a way that you don’t usually see a Pakistani woman having…”
But Sunetra’s love for the new role didn’t mean she valued her time on Casualty any less. She admitted that the cast and crew at the show remain like family to her.
Sunetra did revisit the role when she went back for a one-off episode in 2018, which she described as being like “a school reunion”. She also returned to the series in 2024 for Charlie Fairhead’s big send off.
Was Professor T star Sunetra Sarker on Strictly? Who was she paired with?
Strictly Come Dancing fans will remember Sunetra Sarker from the 2014 series, in which she danced with Brendan Cole. The pair made it to week nine.
Speaking about the experience later, she confessed she was left feeling “vulnerable” during her time on the BBC show. The actress also admitted she feels “nervous” when the music comes on.
During a discussion with Kaye Adams, Sunetra said the show still had “power over her”. She added: “That music. No matter what year it is, and I’m a good eight years on… I am [still recovering], it’s like I’m in AA! I’m on the other side of it, in a big way.”
She continued: “Whenever I hear that, ‘Dancing the tango with their partner,’ I go, ‘Oh god it’s happening, it’s happening again,’ because you can’t believe you’ve put yourself in such a vulnerable position and your nerves.”
How old is Sunetra Sarker?
Sunetra was born on June 25 1973. She is currently 50 years old.
She was born in Liverpool, into an Indian family. Her father is a retired doctor, and her mother Bisakha taught Indian classical dance, for which she was awarded an MBE in December 2013.
A very talented family then!
Where is Sunetra Sarker from?
Sunetra is of Bengali origin. In 2017, she took part in Who Do You Think You Are? on BBC One.
She traced her ancestors to Bengal, where she learned about her family’s involvement in the struggle for independence in India. Sunetra also discovered one of her ancestors’ connection to Gandhi..
The actress travelled to Bangladesh, where she visited her great-grandmother’s ancestral village. There, she discovered the story of how her family were caught up in the Bangladeshi war of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
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Is Sunetra married? Who is her husband?
Sunetra is currently married to Scott Carey. She wed the company director in 2018 after six years of dating.
Sunetra has said about their relationship: “We went to college together in 1991 and reconnected in 2012 – and have been together ever since.”
They married in two ceremonies – one traditionally British, the other Indian – at the Matara Centre in the Cotswolds. At the time of their marriage, the pair lived apart and had no plans to change that.
She lives in Bristol with her 23-year-old son Noah from her first marriage, while Scott lives in Kent with his two children. She reasoned: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Sunetra and Scott are business partners, too, having set up the food firm Keep Me Fresh together. Talking about their relationship, she has said: “Scott and I were friends all through college and met again by chance after we were both divorced.
“It was like a thunderbolt for us both at that reunion and we had such a connection, we knew we’d be together forever. We’re like soppy teenagers who leave each other surprise love notes and have such a harmonious relationship. We both feel equally lucky to have found each other.”
Who is Sunetra Sarker’s first husband?
Sunetra was previously married to Nick Corfield, from 2003 to 2009. They split amid rumours of the so-called Strictly curse, although had in fact split many years before.
Although she admits the split was “sad”, she insists the split was “amicable”.
In an interview with the Daily Record in 2014, the actress refuted claims her marriage ended during Strictly. She explained: “The truth is three years ago me and my husband amicably split up and we’ve been quite grown-up about it. It obviously had nothing to do with Strictly.
“We share the care of Noah, so we both still live in Bristol. We see each other all the time at the school gates or cheering him on at football. It obviously had nothing to do with Strictly.
“When two people part it’s always sad, but our focus was making sure we could still be a modern family for Noah.” Sunetra also revealed at the time that there were “no bad feelings” when it came to the end of her marriage.
Does Professor T star Sunetra Sarker have children?
Actress Sunetra shares one child with her ex-husband Nick Corfield. Their son is now 23 years old, and lives between both parents in Bristol.
Sunetra and Noah shared custody of Noah since their “amicable” split in 2009. Last year, Sunetra admitted she likes keeping her son on his toes with plenty of pratical jokes and pranks.
She also admitted that she had to talked into doing Strictly by her son. Speaking in 2014, she revealed she initially turned down the offer to join the dance show, but was persuaded into it by her “excited” son.
Watch Sunetra Sarker in Professor T series 3, which is currently airing on Wednesdays at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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