Soap opera actor and TV presenter who appeared in EastEnders, Emmerdale and Countdown

Kathryn Apanowicz, who has died aged 64 after a long illness, was a child performer who grew up to find her best roles as an actor in three TV soaps. From playing a bullying nurse at a London hospital in Angels, she created further drama in EastEnders as one of “Dirty” Den Watts’s lovers, then moved back to her native Yorkshire to take the part of a newspaper reporter in Emmerdale.

Her talent was discovered by Jess Yates, producer of the ITV children’s show Junior Showtime. She started singing and dancing in the series at the age of eight shortly after it began in 1969. Over the next six years, she appeared alongside future stars such as Bonnie Langford, Joe Longthorne and Keigh Chegwin. With Mark Curry, she was also one of the programme’s young presenters.