She has been quietly building a well-respected career over the last two decades.

And on Monday, Kate O’Flynn’s efforts paid off as she picked up the Best Supporting Actress gong at the 2026 Emmys in LA.

It’s a remarkable achievement for the British star, who has gone from being relatively unknown on the showbiz scene to the toast of Hollywood.  

As away from the dazzling lights of the awards ceremony, Kate lives an extremely private life, having come from humble roots and choosing to eschew publicity. 

Born in Bury, a small market town in Greater Manchester, Kate was raised by her dentist father and French teacher mother, who was a long-term member of the local Summerseat Players amateur dramatic society.

Inspired by her mother’s love of the arts, Kate attended the youth theatre at the Royal Exchange in Manchester in her teenage years, before going on to train at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where she developed the craft that would underpin a career spanning theatre, television and film.

The star, 40, won the award for her performance as Patricia in the Apple TV comedy series during the 78th ceremony

She spent time at the school with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, known for her seminal drama Fleabag.

Her first job after leaving Rada was in 2008 in Mike Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky as one of the central characters’ sisters, Suzy.

During her time working with Mike, he offered advice that stayed with her throughout her career.

She recalled: ‘The most important thing he said to me was, ‘You’ve got to be in the real world, not just talking about acting and being boring all the time.’ 

In drama school, you spend three years talking about acting, talking about yourself, navel-gazing, and you have absolutely no perspective when you come out.’ 

Later that year, her performance in The Children’s Hour with the Royal Exchange Theatre Company won her the 2008 TMA Theatre Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Play.

The Guardian wrote at the time that ‘the one to watch is the outstanding newcomer Kate O’Flynn’.

She went on to star in the comedy drama Kingdom with Stephen Fry and later with Russell Tovey at London’s Royal Court Theatre in Molly Davies’ A Miracle.

In 2011, she played Elizabeth Gough in the TV film The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and as Liz in the comedy Up There, which won the Best Feature Film award at the 2012 British Academy Scotland Awards.

The following year she performed at the National Theatre in its production of Port, with her performance winning her a Critics’ Circle’s Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer.

Kate then returned to the National Theatre for its 2014 production of Shelagh Delaney’s Taste of Honey.

The following year, she starred in The Children’s Hour with the Royal Exchange Theatre Company won her the 2008 TMA Theatre Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Play

Away from stage, Kate went on to play the co-lead Fiona Lewis in Channel 4’s apocalyptic comedy Everyone Else Burns, starred alongside Olivia Colman and David Thewlis in HBO and Sky’s acclaimed true crime drama Landscapers (pictured), and appeared as DC Dinah Kowalska in Paul Abbott’s police drama No Offence

Upon accepting the role of Jo, the actress was slightly worried that she would end up typecast in native northern roles.

She told The Stage: ‘Obviously I was never going to say no to A Taste of Honey, but I was worried – was I always just going to be playing tough but damaged northern people? 

‘But then I got to do The Trial, in which I played six characters, none of whom were northern, so it’s not a worry any more.’

Kate went on to play the co-lead Fiona Lewis in Channel 4’s apocalyptic comedy Everyone Else Burns, starred alongside Olivia Colman and David Thewlis in HBO and Sky’s acclaimed true crime drama Landscapers, and appeared as DC Dinah Kowalska in Paul Abbott’s police drama No Offence. 

Film audiences also know her from Bridget Jones’s Baby, in which she played Alice. 

Her latest role as Patricia in Widow’s Bay introduced Kate to an even wider international audience.

Despite the hectic schedule, Kate always finds time to travel home.

She told The Great British Life: ‘I do love Lancashire and I love to get back every six weeks or so. I crave open spaces and friendly faces so I have to come back for a fix of Lancashire and walk in the Ribble Valley. 

‘I‘ve been in London for a decade but the draw back home is still there.’

Widow’s Bay came into the Emmys ceremony with 19 total nominations, winning a record-breaking 14 (pictured with co-star Matthew Rhys)

Advertisement

Away from work, Kate is good friends with Bridgerton and Wicked star Jonathan Bailey.

In an interview with The Times in 2018, Jonathan called Kate his ‘all-time bezzie’, and even revealed their plans to trek to Everest Base Camp.

They’ve often been pictured supporting one another at the opening nights for their various West End productions over the years, after starring together in the 2009 stage play The House of Special Purpose.

Meanwhile, Kate is extremely private about her personal relationships and hasn’t publicly documented any former flames. 

She also doesn’t use or actively maintain personal social media accounts.

But after her Emmys win on Monday, the star used her speech to pay tribute to her loved one, in which she confirmed she was married and had a daughter.

While accepting the award, she said: ‘This is the role of a lifetime.’

Kate thanked ‘my friends and family back home, mum and dad, and the loves of my life, my darling husband and our darling daughter, another sassy broad in the making’.

‘This is for all the Patricia’s out there. See you at Sunset Cocktails to celebrate.’ 

She and her co-star Matthew Rhys led the British winners at the star-studded ceremony at the Peacock Theatre, with their show going on to win a record-breaking 14 trophies.

Kate was up against co-star Dale Dickey, as well as Hannah Einbinder (Hacks), Janelle James (Abbott Elementary), Michelle Pfeiffer (Margo’s Got Money Troubles), Megan Stalter (Hacks) and Jessica Williams (Shrinking).

Horror-comedy Widow’s Bay follows Mayor Loftis as he tries to revive the economy of his struggling New England island town.

While turning it into a tourist destination, the island’s long-rumoured curse begins to come true, and he and the locals find themselves confronting a series of increasingly bizarre supernatural horrors. 

In August, series creator Katie Dippold told Deadline that the writers’ room for Season 2 was already underway.

There is football taking place in Greece for the event. A young player’s football tournament will also be held in the city centre of Thessaloniki at Aristotelous Scquare.

UEFA describe the event in a statement which said: “In the early afternoon, a grassroots football festival will take place in the city centre of Thessaloniki at Aristotelous Square, as part of the UEFA Football in Schools programme, with an opening ceremony featuring UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) president Makis Gagatsis.

“Sixty boys and girls from local schools will participate in the festival alongside a number of international and Greek football legends, including Oliver Bierhoff, Christian Karembeu, Aljoša Asanović, Nadine Kessler, Theodoros Zagorakis, Angelos Basinas, Dimitris Papadopoulos and Dimitra Panteliadou.”

While he been confirmed as a director, Edu is yet to be given any other official role, although it seems he will be involved in recruitment, just as he was at Forest, where he combined his role of global head of football with overseeing the other clubs in owner Evangelos Marinakis’ portfolio.

Hull City forward Oli McBurnie has been called up to the Scotland squad for the first time in five years while uncapped Luis Binks, Colby Donovan, Jon McCracken, Josh McPake and Stephen Welsh also makes new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli’s first selection.

As expected, Stoke City defender Luke Graham and Sevilla striker Robbie Ure receive their first senior call-ups.

McBurnie, 30, first featured for his country in 2018 and won the last of his 16 caps in 2021. He has never scored for Scotland but did net one of the penalties in the shootout that sealed a place at the delayed Euro 2020 finals.

Donovan, 20, has come to prominence filling in for injured Canada right-back Alistair Johnston in Celtic’s side this season. Like McBurnie, he has been capped at under-19 and under-21 level.

Graham was part of Scotland’s pre-World Cup training camp in May after a breakthrough campaign with Dundee, winning the Scottish Premiership club’s players’ player and young player of the year awards.

The 22-year-old was an unused substitute in the country’s send-off friendly win against Curacao, which was also Steve Clarke’s last game in the dugout at Hampden Park.

The defender, who has three caps at under-21 level, has started strongly for The Potters in the Championship, who are unbeaten in their last four games, with Graham an ever-present.

Former Rangers academy product Ure was in demand across Europe after a free-scoring spell – 20 goals and three assists in 20 matches – that took Sirius to the top of the table in Sweden and it resulted in a £5.5m summer transfer to La Liga with Sevilla.

UUP MLA John Stewart said: “Folks please be aware that Emergency services are at the scene of an ongoing serious incident at Greenisland Station.

“Ambulance crews including air ambulance and firefighters were called to reports of an incident involving a person and a train shortly earlier this morning.

“This is a very concerning incident and I pray that the person involved is ok. My sincere thanks to the emergency services for their swift response and thinking of everyone involved.”

Parts of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, have been hit by major rail disruption after suspected sabotage to the tracks, the country’s railway operator has said.

ProRail warned that passengers in the country’s centre and north should expect cancellations and delays on Tuesday, while the closure of some level crossings could cause disruption to roads.

Pipes were attached to the tracks in multiple locations, according to local media. In a statement, ProRail said the incident appeared to be “an intentional disruption… caused by human action”.

It added that no suspects or motives had been identified, but the national police unit was investigating. The BBC has contacted police for comment.

The network’s website showed that at least 15 disruptions had been recorded across the country on Tuesday, with routes to the main international airport, Schiphol, and Utrecht also affected.

A Eurostar train from Amsterdam to Paris was delayed due to “operational restrictions” at Amsterdam Centraal on Tuesday, although it was not clear if this was linked to wider disruption. The BBC has contacted Eurostar for comment.

ProRail said in a statement: “Materials were found at multiple locations in the track that were deliberately placed there. This causes section malfunctions. Sabotage appears to be involved”.

Footage published by Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Tuesday showed police carrying what appeared to be metal pipes – about 1.5 metres (5ft) long – away from railway tracks at Veenendaal in the central Netherlands.

One train in the city of Steenwijk struck one of the objects, ProRail said, but added there were no injuries as a result.

The disruption in the Netherlands came after separate reports in French media suggested a derailment in Normandy on Friday could have been an act of sabotage.

According to prosecutors, a section of rail found on the track may have caused the crash. But France’s interior minister Laurent Nunez has urged caution while an investigation is ongoing, saying that authorities are pursuing all leads.

Huntley was allegedly attacked with a metal bar in a workshop at the maximum security Frankland Prison near Durham on February 26.

Huntley was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, where he died on March 7.

A brief inquest hearing in Crook, County Durham, was held where coroner Jeremy Chipperfield was told criminal proceedings had begun and a trial was due to start on November 23.

Anthony Russell, 44, has been charged with murder and has appeared in court previously.

Mr Chipperfield asked whether Russell had entered pleas and was told by his coroner’s officer that psychiatric assessments have been carried out on behalf of the prosecution and defence.

The coroner said the inquest will remain suspended until the completion of the criminal proceedings and it will then be considered whether it was necessary to complete the inquest.

Mr Chipperfield said: “That cannot happen until we know the shape of any trial.”

He adjourned the inquest proceedings until December 16 for a further brief hearing.

Huntley was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The ex-school caretaker killed the best friends after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4 2002.

He dumped their bodies in a ditch 10 miles away.

They were not found for 13 days despite a search involving hundreds of police officers.

At the time, Huntley lived with Maxine Carr who was a teaching assistant at Holly and Jessica’s primary school.

He denied murdering the girls but was convicted after a trial at the Old Bailey in 2003.

He was jailed for life with a recommended minimum term of 40 years.

What is creatine?

What did the study find?

Private security guards carried out their first patrol in Essex today after male migrants have left women scared to go out alone.

The Reform-led county council has hired contractors to monitor migrants on the streets of Colchester, Braintree and Chelmsford – with the first walkabouts starting this morning.

Locals in Colchester say that on days when asylum seekers are brought into the city from MDP Wethersfield – a former RAF base in the Essex countryside – the atmosphere can feel very different.

Women are reportedly being told to ‘cover up’, girls are allegedly being filmed on mobile phones and groups of young men have been accused of staring, making comments and intimidating locals.

Reform said the patrols – named Operation Vanguard – came as a ‘direct response to concerns raised amongst local residents, particularly women and girls, over gatherings of male migrants in town centres’.

Within just moments of their shift starting, officers in Chelmsford were already dealing with their first incident in the city centre.

Two operatives were called by concerned members of the public who had seen a group of four masked youths enter Poundland, believing them to be migrants.

The team entered the store, asked them to leave and watched as they moved on. They also spoke to numerous locals about their roles.

Some residents in Colchester claimed that the arrival of the migrants has made some women and families avoid the city centre altogether. 

Elena Sokolova, 38, told the Daily Mail: ‘The problem is, they don’t integrate in society. I am a migrant and I integrated into the British way of life.

‘The men make comments about women, they say they should be dressed more and cover up. They film the girls in the town. It’s terrible. It’s really worrying.

‘Their attitude is totally different. More efforts need to be made to get them to integrate into the British way of life. That’s what I had to do. But they have their own culture.’

Two more security guards were seen on the streets of Chelmsford and contractors will also be conducting walkabouts in Colchester 

Private security guards chat to locals in Braintree yesterday

Advertisement

For Sophie Edmonds, 33, the problem is personal.

The shop worker says she has experienced ‘big issues’ with male migrants and now avoids walking around Colchester alone.

She added: ‘Me and my friends have had comments and looks. They make noises. I hate it. We don’t walk around here on our own. It’s too worrying.

‘They stare in groups. It’s really intimidating. I’ve lived here all my life. I never had a bad experience in Colchester until the migrants moved into the camp.

‘I feel so passionately about it because you shouldn’t feel unsafe in your own town. You should be fine to walk out in the day and go to work without fear of something bad happening. Nobody listens to us though.’

Ms Edmonds believes the impact extends beyond young women.

She added: ‘I think everyone is impacted. The town is nowhere near as busy as it used to be. You’d rather shop in a town where you’re not going to feel scared to walk through. That makes sense if people are being menaced.

‘It feels like a no-go area.’

Locals in Chelmsford said they were ‘relieved’ and ‘overjoyed’ at the scheme.

John Howes, who lives nearby, said his wife and daughter are now too scared to enter the city.

The 66-year-old said: ‘My wife and daughter came on Saturday night into Chelmsford and they won’t be coming back.

‘I think this is a really good idea. People are terrified. I know a woman who has been followed across the town by a migrant. Some are really scared.

‘The vibe of Chelmsford has changed totally since the migrants moved into that former RAF base. They hang around in big groups, it’s very disturbing.

‘People are too afraid to walk the streets alone. How did it come to this? It’s appalling. I am relieved at these new patrols in action.’

Mr Howes said he felt ‘reassured’ by the new security patrols, adding: ‘It’s a very good feeling. We need to get our area back.’

Lee Summers, 45, has lived in Chelmsford all his life and said lack of police on the streets had made the situation worse.

He added: ‘You don’t see police around here. Yet there’s been numerous reports for months and months now. I know women who come out in groups. They won’t come in here alone.

‘It’s a good idea to have these extra patrols. But how did it come to this? Where have the police been? That’s the shocking reality of it all. I feel safer for my family to know they’ll be extra boots on the ground.

‘But I’d like to see them out of that centre once and for all. I’m just overjoyed we have a council that’s finally seeing the problem and taking action.’

Lea Sessions, 59, said she was aware of reports of migrants following women in the town.

She added: ‘I feel so intimidated here. I have had someone follow me. I know migrants have followed women and girls as well. We’re all so worried.

‘I think we’re right to be worried. I’ve been saying we need some private security on the streets. It’s a really worrying situation.’

The patrols are from the company My Local Bobby, owned by former Metropolitan Police detective chief inspector David Mckelvey.

Two operatives were called by concerned members of the public who had seen a group of four masked youths enter Poundland in Chelmsford, and believed they were migrants

Advertisement

Guards spoke to members of the public in Chelmsford this afternoon 

Security officers walk through Braintree town centre, where concerns were raised over ‘gatherings of male migrants’

Officers chat to a member of the public as Operation Vanguard got underway in Braintree today

In Chelmsford, the guards were on hand to answer questions from locals

Advertisement

Guards deployed by Essex County Council patrol in Braintree town centre today

The guards were busy helping locals in the centre of Chelmsford

Reform UK-run Essex County Council has hired new security guards to ward of ‘gatherings of male migrants’ in town centres after reports of intimidation, like here in Braintree

Mr Mckelvey said he was pleased with the partnership, adding: ‘This is about making people safer and making people feel safer.

‘The patrols provide reassurance. We have teams up and down the country and this is the latest patrol we have.’

Essex County Council leader Peter Harris says the council is particularly concerned about women and girls.

He says the Home Office now operates 17 minibuses taking residents of Wethersfield into the three towns and cities on a daily basis.

Colchester City Council has welcomed the additional resources, while stressing that the transport arrangements are a Home Office decision rather than something requested by the city.

‘The transport of residents from the Wethersfield site into Colchester is a Home Office arrangement and not something requested by the City Council,’ said council leader Paul Dundas.

The Home Office now operates 17 minibuses taking residents of Wethersfield into the three towns and cities on a daily basis

Colchester City Council has welcomed the additional resources, while stressing that the transport arrangements are a Home Office decision rather than something requested by the city

The asylum accommodation lies around 15 miles away at the former RAF Wethersfield airfield

Advertisement

The Government has been accused of shifting the consequences of its asylum policy onto Essex communities such as in Colchester

Colchester shop worker Rebar Puladi, 24, believes more police are needed

RAF Wethersfield began accommodating asylum seekers in July 2023 and is operated by Clearsprings Ready Homes on behalf of the Home Office.

It provides accommodation for single adult men aged between 18 and 65 while their asylum claims are processed.

The Government says the site is intended to be as self-sufficient as possible, with communal facilities, healthcare and recreational areas. 

Security staff are also present around the clock and residents undergo checks against immigration, security and criminality databases. 

But the site’s remote location means transport is provided into nearby communities where more services are available.

This has created an unusual situation in Colchester, where groups of men from the same accommodation centre can arrive together in minibuses before spending time in the city.

Mary Sage, 70, has lived in Colchester for 30 years and believes those coming to Britain need to integrate more.

She said: ‘I think, regardless of who you are, if you’ve not lived in an area for three years then you should not get a house yet.

‘My feeling about all of this is, when will all of this stop?

‘For the migrants, what are they going to do? Dropping them off in a town means they’ll just be hanging around here in big groups. What are they going to be doing all day?

‘If you believe some people, we will soon have a doctor for every person in Colchester with the amount of migrants coming here.’

Shop worker Rebar Puladi, 24, believes more police are needed.

He said: ‘We don’t see police very often. It’s a real problem. The town is not as busy as it used to be. People, I think, have been put off from visiting.’

Alec Hillyard, 85, who has lived in Colchester all his life, also believes footfall has declined.

He said: ‘I am all for immigration, as long as when they come over here they can go to work. They should be learning skills. The town is more empty than it used to be.

‘And there’s plenty of things the taxpayer money should be spent on. We have terrible potholes for a start.’

Their concerns come as the Government prepares to increase the size of Wethersfield.

In June, the Home Office told Braintree District Council that the site’s standard operational capacity would rise from 800 to 1,245 – an increase of more than 50 per cent – and that it wants the centre to continue operating beyond 2027.

Mr Harris has accused the Government of shifting the consequences of its asylum policy onto Essex communities, arguing that while hotels are being closed, asylum seekers are instead being concentrated at sites such as Wethersfield and transported into neighbouring towns. 

Braintree District Council has also criticised the decision, saying the rural site lacks the infrastructure to accommodate such numbers.

The Home Office insists that the purpose of Wethersfield is to provide managed accommodation and help end the use of expensive asylum hotels.

It also says transport into local communities is provided where necessary to access services that are not available on site.

It also added that public safety is a priority and that the Wethersfield site has 24-hour security, CCTV and ongoing engagement with Essex Police and local authorities.