Cathy Shipton

Shipton was originally considered for the role of receptionist, Susie Mercier, in the BBC medical drama Casualty. She was eventually cast as nurse Lisa "Duffy" Duffin, as part of the original cast. She continued to star in the series until 1993, when she chose to leave. She later made a guest appearance in February 1998. Shipton returned as a regular cast member in September 1998, before leaving the series for a second time in 2003. During her second stint on the show, she guest appeared in the show's spinoff series Holby City as Duffy. Shipton reprised her role for two episodes in 2006 to celebrate the show's twentieth anniversary celebrations, and for two further episodes in 2015 to celebrate the premiere of the show's thirtieth series. In June 2016, it was announced that Shipton would guest appear in the show's thousandth episode, before returning to the show as a regular cast member in August. The character was killed off on 1 February 2020.

Shipton and her partner, actor Christopher Guard, met when they both worked on Casualty. The couple live in Acton, west London, and have a daughter Tallullah Grace Lily (born March 2001), given a Cherokee name meaning "she laughs like a babbling brook", after inspiration from Jan Anderson.

Born to Irish-English parents, Shipton was raised as a Roman Catholic, and was educated in a convent in south London. She studied two languages and journalism, but her drama teacher told her that she had the potential to become an actress, and consequently she trained at Rose Bruford College from 1977 to 1980.

Catherine Ellen Shipton (born 27 March 1957) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Lisa "Duffy" Duffin in the BBC medical drama Casualty.