# Elizabeth Carling
**Elizabeth Carling** (also known as **Liz Carling**) is an English actress and singer, born in 1967 in [Middlesbrough](https://www.edgepedia.org/middlesbrough), North Yorkshire, England. She is best known for her performances in the television series *Boon*, *[Goodnight Sweetheart](https://www.edgepedia.org/goodnight-sweetheart-tv-series)*, *Barbara*, and *Casualty*, and more recently as Betty Scanlon in *Hotel Portofino*.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/) |
| Signature roles | Phoebe Bamford in *Goodnight Sweetheart* (1997–2016, 32 episodes); Selena Donovan in *Casualty* (2003–2007, 127 episodes)[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/) |
| Early regular role | Laura Marsh in *Boon* (1989–1991)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/) |
| Sitcom work | Linda Pond in *Barbara* (1999–2003); a 1996 guest turn in *Men Behaving Badly*[3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/elizabeth_carling/) |
| Recent work | Betty Scanlon, the hotel cook, in *Hotel Portofino* (2022–2024, 17 episodes); Karla Hammond in the *Death in Paradise* 2024 Christmas special[4](https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/serie-tv/2022/02/28/hotel-portofino-serie-tv-cast) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling) |
| Singing | Released the album *Goodnight Sweetheart* in June 1999, a collection of 1940s ballads tied to the series in which she played Phoebe; trained alto, blues and cabaret singer[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/) |
| Training | Billingham Technical College, then the National Youth Theatre at 18[5](https://www.holby.tv/liz-carling/) |
## Television career
Carling's early television credits include an episode of *The Bill* in 1987 and a *Screen One* drama, *Frankenstein's Baby* (1990), before her regular role as Laura Marsh in the ITV drama *Boon* from 1989 to 1991.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/) Her sitcom career took off with *Goodnight Sweetheart*, the BBC time-travel comedy in which she took over the role of Phoebe Bamford from [Dervla Kirwan](https://www.edgepedia.org/dervla-kirwan) from series 4 onward, appearing in 32 episodes through the 2016 special *Many Happy Returns*.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling) • [3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/elizabeth_carling/) In 1996 she had appeared as Carol in one episode of *Men Behaving Badly*.[3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/elizabeth_carling/) Between 1999 and 2003 she played Linda Pond in the sitcom *Barbara*, and starred as Charlotte in the series *Border Cafe* (2000).[3](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/elizabeth_carling/) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling)
**Casualty.** Carling joined the BBC medical drama *Casualty* in 2003 as Selena Donovan, a role she played for four years across 127 episodes, making it her longest television credit.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/) The character's storylines included a flirtation with consultant Harry Harper that ended in tragedy, an affair-with-consequences arc in which her new husband was unfaithful after two months of marriage, and later storylines involving MRSA and single motherhood.[6](https://www.holby.tv/liz-carling-interview/) • [7](https://www.whattowatch.com/casualty/casualty-news/real-life-drama-prompted-casualty-star-to-quit-220478) Selena worked as a police surgeon, a role Carling said was "probably one of the grittiest I've ever played".[6](https://www.holby.tv/liz-carling-interview/) • [7](https://www.whattowatch.com/casualty/casualty-news/real-life-drama-prompted-casualty-star-to-quit-220478) She explained her 2007 departure in an interview: after a close friend died suddenly at 40, she decided she "didn't want to do another year" and that "life is just passing me by"; her character was written out by being shot dead.[7](https://www.whattowatch.com/casualty/casualty-news/real-life-drama-prompted-casualty-star-to-quit-220478)
## Film and recent work
Her film credits include *[The Damned United](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-damned-united)* (2009), in which she played Barbara Clough, and *Another Mother's Son* (2017).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/) • [8](https://elcinema.com/person/2209006) On television she has taken guest parts in *Vera* (Bev MacDonald, 2011), *Inspector George Gently* (Edith McDonald, 2015), *[Agatha Raisin](https://www.edgepedia.org/agatha-raisin-tv-series)* (Maggie Henderson, 2018), and the *Death in Paradise* Christmas special (2024).[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling)
In 2022 she joined the main cast of the period drama *Hotel Portofino* as Betty Scanlon, the cook of the title hotel, appearing in 17 episodes across the series' first three seasons through 2024.[4](https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/serie-tv/2022/02/28/hotel-portofino-serie-tv-cast) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling) She also narrated the 2023 series *Fur Babies*.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling)
## Singing and other activities
Carling is a trained alto, blues and cabaret singer, and in June 1999 released an album titled *Goodnight Sweetheart*, consisting of 1940s ballads, which was used in the series in which she played Phoebe.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/) She also featured on the *Border Cafe* album released in 2000.[5](https://www.holby.tv/liz-carling/) Her theater credits include *Absurd Person Singular* and *On Golden Pond*, the latter on tour with the Middle Ground Theatre Company.[5](https://www.holby.tv/liz-carling/) • [9](https://www.holby.tv/elizabeth-carling-in-theatre/) In 2003, following her twin sister's breast cancer diagnosis, she became Patron of the Holistic Cancer Care Centre in Middlesbrough.[5](https://www.holby.tv/liz-carling/)
## References
1. [Elizabeth Carling | TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/50116/elizabeth-carling)
2. [Elizabeth Carling – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137550/)
3. [Elizabeth Carling – British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/elizabeth_carling/)
4. [Hotel Portofino, il cast della serie tv – Sky TG24](https://tg24.sky.it/spettacolo/serie-tv/2022/02/28/hotel-portofino-serie-tv-cast)
5. [Liz Carling – holby.tv](https://www.holby.tv/liz-carling/)
6. [Liz Carling Interview – holby.tv](https://www.holby.tv/liz-carling-interview/)
7. [Real-life drama prompted Casualty star to quit – What to Watch](https://www.whattowatch.com/casualty/casualty-news/real-life-drama-prompted-casualty-star-to-quit-220478)
8. [إليزابيث كارلينج – elCinema](https://elcinema.com/person/2209006)
9. [Elizabeth Carling in Theatre – holby.tv](https://www.holby.tv/elizabeth-carling-in-theatre/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames C to D*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license