Pooky Quesnel

Joanna Gabrielle Quesnel aka Pooky Quesnel born during the mid 1960's is an English actress, screenwriter and singer. Quesnel was raised in Eccles, Lancashire, along with her six siblings. She read English at Oxford University before spending a year at drama school. In the 1980s she performed in Humphrey Carpenter's Vile Bodies band at the Ritz Hotel, and performed in a tribute concert to him following his death in 2005.

She played Dr Monica Broome in the first series of Cardiac Arrest and DC Grace Harris in the first two series of Thief Takers. She had a recurring role in the third series of Cold Feet as Emma Keaton and returned to medical dramas in 2006, playing Dr Christine Whelan in The Golden Hour. In 2007 she starred as Nita in the BBC One series True Dare Kiss, and later that year began a recurring role in EastEnders as Rachel Branning, taking over the character from Sukie Smith.

In 2003 she began screenwriting, producing scripts for Doctors and Family Affairs appearing in the latter as Diane Short.

More recently she appeared in an episode of the itv murder mystery show, "Midsommer Murders" as Julie, a journalist writing for the magazine 'Midsommer Life'.