Pamela Connolly's Biography

Pamela Stephenson was born on 4 December 1949, in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand, however she grew up in Australia.

Pamela Stephenson was sent to ballet classes when she was 5 to strengthen her limbs after contracting polio.

She graduated from Australia's national Institute of Dramatic Art in 1971.

Pamela Stephenson had numerous stage credits in Australia before coming to the UK in 1976.

Her big breakthrough in the UK, came in 1979 with her role alongside Rowan Atkinson, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones in the acclaimed sketch show Not The Nine O'Clock News.

In 1984 she joined the popular US show Saturday Night Live for a season.

In 1989 she married Billy Connolly.

Subsequently she wrote two best-selling memoirs about him and revealed for the first time to the public the abuse he suffered from his father.

Pamela Stephenson would also have Billy Connolly 'on her couch' in her Channel 4 show Shrink Rap.

In 1996, Pamela Stephenson had been awarded a doctorate in clinical psychology.

In 2010, Pamela Stephenson was paired with James Jordan in Strictly Come Dancing.

Pamela and James reached the final three of Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, however they ended up in third place.