Wales


<p>Welsh on-screen darling Kimberley Nixon – aka the irrepressible Slaggy Lindsay in <em>Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging</em>, the oh-so-sweet Kate in <em>Wild Child</em>, comedy queen Josie in <em>Fresh Meat</em>, and a standout in period favourite <em>Cranford</em> &#8211; is something of a national treasure (and refreshingly down-to-earth with it), quietly rooted in the South Wales Valleys.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon.png" alt="Kim Nixon" class="wp-image-5561" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-200x300.png 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-683x1024.png 683w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-768x1152.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>But don&#8217;t be fooled by the low-key lifestlye &#8211; Kim&#8217;s been seriously busy. In recent years she&#8217;s spoken with admirable honesty about living with OCD, as well as autism and ADHD. Beyond acting, she’s a passionate advocate for perinatal mental health and patron of <a href="https://mothersmatter.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mothers Matter Cymru</a>, and she’s also touring her co-created play <em><a href="https://www.nelsonnutmegpictures.com/babybrainplay" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Baby Brain</a></em>, currently warming up before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer.</p>



<p>And as if that weren&#8217;t enough, Kim’s debut book, <em><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/she-seems-fine-to-me/kimberley-nixon//9781398557536" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">She Seems Fine To Me</a></em>, lands on <strong>Thurs 7 May</strong> &#8211; while she’s just appeared in <em><a href="https://wales.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/must-visit-welsh-locations-in-sky-atlantics-under-salt-marsh-starring-kelly-reilly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Under Salt Marsh</a></em> as the mother of a murdered nine-year-old boy. Multifaceted, fearless, and ridiculously talented, Kimberley Nixon is &#8211; quite simply &#8211; a total legend. We sit down to find out how to see how she pulls it all off.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-a-typical-day-look-like-for-you">What does a typical day look like for you?</h2>



<p>Well, I&#8217;m usually woken up by either my son or my dog. First step is always coffee, then if it&#8217;s a weekday and he’s off to school, I can do an audition or carve out some time for reading and writing, or if it&#8217;s a weekend, then forest walks and nature trails with the dog. And woven through it all, of course, is a generous sprinkling of anxiety and self-doubt… just to keep things interesting!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-ve-starred-in-some-incredible-series-and-films-and-you-re-still-a-ponty-girl-have-you-been-tempted-to-move">You&#8217;ve starred in some incredible series and films, and you&#8217;re still a Ponty girl. Have you been tempted to move?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Slaggy-Lindsay.png" alt="Slaggy Lindsay" class="wp-image-5570" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Slaggy-Lindsay.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Slaggy-Lindsay-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Slaggy-Lindsay-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Slaggy-Lindsay-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>I grew up in Ponty and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. The plan was always to move to London after graduating&#8230; but life had other ideas. The first 18 months of my career were a bit of a whirlwind &#8211; filming <em>Cranford, Wild Child, Angus Thongs, Cherrybomb</em>, and more. So, whenever I <em>did</em> get a break, all I wanted to go home. Before I knew it, I’d carved out this lovely balance: a career that often takes me to London, but a real life rooted here in Wales. And honestly? I think I’d have missed the landscape far too much if I’d left for good. Give me a pair of walking boots and a good view, and I’m at my happiest.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-have-you-been-most-starstruck-at-work">When have you been most starstruck at work?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Cranford.png" alt="Cranford" class="wp-image-5554" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Cranford.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Cranford-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Cranford-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Cranford-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>I mean, <em>Cranford </em>was completely insane. I hadn’t even graduated from drama school, and suddenly I&#8217;m sitting around in full costume waiting for the next shot with Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Michael Gambon and Eileen Atkins. Completely pinch-me territory. And then at the weekend, I’d head home to Ynysybwl – which made the whole thing feel even more surreal.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-has-anything-embarrassing-ever-happened-on-set">Has anything embarrassing ever happened on set?</h2>



<p>Honestly, it would be quicker to list the times it <em>hasn&#8217;t</em>. I’m quite clumsy, so there&#8217;s a lot of falling over, walking into furniture, that sort of thing. I’ve had my fair share of sex scenes, and they tend to make me nervously laugh. I also have a knack for getting the wrong end of the stick or making wildly inappropriate jokes when I&#8217;ve just met people. But the low point? Probably having to confess to the costume department on <em>Cranford </em>that I&#8217;d managed to spill my lunchtime curry all over my authentic 19th century costume. Safe to say, I haven’t eaten in costume since!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-still-excites-you-about-acting-after-all-these-years">What still excites you about acting after all these years?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-1.png" alt="Kim Nixon" class="wp-image-5562" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-1.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-1-200x300.png 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-1-683x1024.png 683w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-1-768x1152.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>There&#8217;s honestly no feeling quite like getting a job. It&#8217;s not just the chance to perform &#8211; it&#8217;s also meeting new people, discover new places and, let&#8217;s be honest, pay the bills. Acting is a very rocky, unstable career. I’ve auditioned hundreds and hundreds of times and only got something like 30 jobs in nearly 20 years.</p>



<p>The reality is, I don’t work anywhere near as much as I don’t. The longest stretch I had with absolutely nothing was about a year and a half, and I genuinely thought that was it for me&#8230; and then <em>Fresh Meat</em> came along. Since Covid and having a baby, it&#8217;s felt even tougher to land work. But if nothing else, this career teaches you resilience &#8211; how not to take rejection, and, crucially, how not to validate yourself by your career success.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-would-be-your-dream-play-show-or-film-to-star-in">What would be your dream play, show or film to star in?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-baby-brain.png" alt="Kim Nixon baby brain" class="wp-image-5565" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-baby-brain.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-baby-brain-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-baby-brain-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-baby-brain-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>I’m actually doing it right now. I’m performing in a one-woman show, <em>Baby Brain</em>, which I co-created. It’s dark, funny and I feel completely liberated performing in it. It’s also my first role since being diagnosed as autistic and ADHD, and I think that’s set me free a little.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-were-in-the-recent-crime-thriller-under-salt-marsh-what-was-that-like-to-film">You were in the recent crime thriller <em>Under Salt Marsh</em>. What was that like to film?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Under-Salt-Marsh-4.png" alt="Under Salt Marsh" class="wp-image-5558" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Under-Salt-Marsh-4.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Under-Salt-Marsh-4-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Under-Salt-Marsh-4-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Under-Salt-Marsh-4-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Filming <em>Under Salt Marsh</em> was a huge challenge &#8211; for the cast, yes, but especially for the crew. The logistics of shooting in rural North Wales, in freezing cold, relentless rain were truly something else! But creatively, it was incredibly rewarding. I got to play a character who doesn’t really look like me, or sound like me and again, I found that so freeing. And I also had the chance to perform in Welsh, having learned the language, which felt really special. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-a-bit-about-your-upcoming-book-launch">Tell us a bit about your upcoming book launch</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/She-seems-fine-to-me.png" alt="She seems fine to me" class="wp-image-5545" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/She-seems-fine-to-me.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/She-seems-fine-to-me-200x300.png 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/She-seems-fine-to-me-683x1024.png 683w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/She-seems-fine-to-me-768x1152.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>I still can’t quite believe someone is asking me about my book launch. A launch&#8230; for a book I wrote! It’s all very overwhelming and almost like an alternate reality. I wrote <em>She Seems Fine to Me</em> as a final breaking of shame around all things female for me. Fertility, birth, my severe postnatal OCD and motherhood. All whilst trying to be an actor, where everyone has an opinion on how I look but seemingly don’t care about what’s going on inside. It’s deeply personal, and at times quite dark – but I really hope it’s funny too.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-do-you-do-to-keep-your-head-above-the-waves">What do you do to keep your head above the waves?</h2>



<p>There’s actually a bit in the book about this very thing. I once saw it on an RNLI poster about what to do if you&#8217;re drowning: don&#8217;t panic, don’t fight it &#8211; lie back, let it wash over you, and eventually you’ll be carried back to shore. It might sound a bit cliché, but it’s a metaphor that’s really stayed with me.</p>



<p>And honestly, my biggest inspiration is my little boy. He’s five, and just so funny, curious and completely alive. Kids have this ability to live in the moment &#8211; whereas I can get stuck replaying the past or worrying about what&#8217;s coming next. So I try to be more like him. What can you see, hear, smell, feel in this moment? It always makes me smile.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-about-your-favourite-places-near-to-you-that-feel-like-untold-secrets">Tell us about your favourite places near to you that feel like untold secrets</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-country.png" alt="Kim Nixon country" class="wp-image-5547" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-country.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-country-200x300.png 200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-country-683x1024.png 683w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/Kim-Nixon-country-768x1152.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Living in Pontypridd is pretty ideal for us. We’re surrounded by family, which is everything, and Cardiff is just 20 minutes away. The beach? A breezy 40 minutes away. But better than that, in under three minutes, we&#8217;ve got forests, mountains, rivers and waterfalls right on our doorstep. Plus, there are three castles within easy reach too. That’s pretty cool. I do have some special, secret spots I escape to – but I’m afraid they’ll have to stay that way… otherwise everyone would be there!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-exciting-projects-do-you-have-coming-up">What exciting projects do you have coming up?</h2>



<p>Honestly, this year is all about my book <em>She Seems Fine to Me</em> and our play <em>Baby Brain</em>. They’re taking me all over the country and as nervous as I am to share these darker, less talked about aspects of motherhood and mental health with people, I’m also really proud of myself for doing it anyway.</p>



<div style="height:100px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">In the mood for more?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://wales.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/walks-near-me/the-best-bluebell-walks-in-wales/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomin’ gorgeous! The best bluebell walks in Wales</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wales.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/latest-news/superflash-cardiffs-hottest-new-openings-you-need-on-your-radar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Superflash! Cardiff’s hottest new openings you need on your radar</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wales.muddystilettos.co.uk/drink/wine/aa-sommelier-cathryn-bell-interview/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pouring perfection: Muddy chats to the AA Sommelier of the Year</a></li>
</ul>


Muddy meets: Kimberley Nixon

You may also like