Kate Ford was born 29th December 1976 in Salford. The daughter of a teacher and a businessman, she first appeared as an extra in Coronation Street in the early 1990s. After taking part in a local theatre group, she trained at the Webber Douglas School of Acting in London and took over the role of Tracy Barlow from December 2002 onwards. She has also appeared in Doctors, and Cambridge Spies.