Kitty Castledine

Kitty Castledine (born 22 August 2002) is a British actress. Castledine is known for portraying the role of Penny Branning on the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2024–present).

Kitty Castledine
Castledine in 2024
Born	(2002-08-22) 22 August 2002 (age 22) Kingston, Surrey, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2021–present
Television	EastEnders
Parents	Stewart Castledine (father) Lucy Alexander (mother)
Relatives	Leo Castledine (brother)

Early life and education

Kitty Castledine was born on 22 August 2002 in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, the daughter of former professional footballer Stewart Castledine and TV presenter Lucy Alexander.^[1][2] She is also the sister of Leo Castledine, who plays for Chelsea.^[1] In 2010 when she was seven, Castledine was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, which left her paralysed from her waist down, following a virus.^[3]

Castledine trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).^[4]

Career

In 2021, Castledine was cast in The Break as Katy for one episode, which was Castledine's first acting role.^[5] In 2023 Castledine was cast for the role of Maggie in a short film Monotropa.^[6] In 2024 Castledine was cast in a TV series Grace as Emma Brice for one episode.^[7]

In 2024 Castledine took over the role of Penny Branning from Mia McKenna-Bruce on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.^[8] Castledine's storylines on the soap have included sneaking illegal substances into the country and framing Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa), a relationship with Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway), a feud with Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) after Chelsea was fired by Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Penny replaced her in the job, and her involvement in the crush at Peggy's.^[9][10] Castledine opened up on Penny's disability and challenges in Albert Square, saying: "Not everything is accessible in life. And it's awful; it needs to change." Castledine also spoke out to the Daily Mirror adding: "It's really important that disability is visible on screen, because there hasn't been a lot of representation, and I'm proud to be someone representing disability."^[3]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2021	The Break	Katy	Guest role; 1 episode	[5]
2023	Monotropa	Maggie	Short film	[6]
2024–present	EastEnders	Penny Branning	Regular role	[9]
2024	Grace	Emma Brice	Guest role; 1 episode	[7]