Nearly two decades after the iconic lesbian show first aired, we still miss it every day
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY CHANNEL 4
The 2005 Channel 4 show Sugar Rush has captured the hearts of sapphics everywhere since its release, marking an important milestone for sapphic representation in the early noughties. Before we had shows like Heartstopper and Sex Education, Sugar Rush showed us lesbian characters like we had never seen them before.
Following the life of 15-year-old Kimberly Daniels, Sugar Rush watched as Kimberly grappled with moving to Brighton, her dysfunctional family, and (of course) her gigantic crush on a straight girl called Sugar.
Nearly two decades after the show aired, what have its stars been up to since?
Olivia Hallinan (Kimberly Daniels)
Taking on the role of lesbian protagonist Kimberly Daniels, Olivia Hallinan actually played the iconic role during her time at university. Since then she has starred as Laura Timmins in the BBC show Lark Rise To Candleford and as Ellie in the CITV adaption of Jacqueline Wilson’s book Girls In Love.
Lenora Crichlow (Maria “Sugar” Sweet)
Playing the bashful and carefree Maria “Sugar” Sweet, Lenora Crichlow has since gone on to star in a number of exciting projects. She played Annie Sawyer in the supernatural show Being Human and even featured in the wildly popular Black Mirror franchise in the fan-favourite episode White Bear.
Sarah-Jane Potts (Saint)
Saint quickly became pretty iconic on the show for working in the sex shop named The Munch Box and for being a DJ at the CC (short for the Clit Club). After playing Saint, Sarah-Jane Potts went on to play Ellie in Casualty and Joe Lipsett in Waterloo Road.
Sara Stewart (Stella Daniels)
Playing Kim’s rather dysfunctional mum, Sara Stewart would later go on to star in a number of big hitters such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Transformers: The Last Night, Fresh Meat, and Doctor Foster.
Laura Donnelly (Beth)
Starring as Kim’s best friend Beth, Laura Donnelly has had an impressive career since the show ended. In 2018 she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Ferryman, and was nominated for a Tony the following year for the same role. She’s also starred in films like Tolkien and shows like Outlander, Merlin, and The Fall.
Anna Wilson-Jones (Anna)
And finally, taking on the role of Anna – who seduced Kim and then tossed her aside – is Anna Wilson-Jones. Since starring in Sugar Rush, she has acted in shows like ITV’s Victoria and even as Lady Livingston in Netflix’s Bridgerton.
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
