Mandy Carter (Ackley Bridge)

Mandy Carter
Ackley Bridge character
First appearance	Episode 1 7 June 2017
Last appearance	Episode 31 19 April 2021
Portrayed by	Jo Joyner
In-universe information
Occupation	Headteacher
Spouses	Steve Bell (husband)
Children	Oliver (son)
Relatives	Dianne Carter (mother) Ray Carter (father)

Mandy Carter is a fictional character from the Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge, portrayed by Jo Joyner. Mandy first appeared in the pilot episode of the series, first broadcast on 7 June 2017. Mandy was initially introduced as the headteacher of the fictional Ackley Bridge school, and her storylines in the series have included the breakdown of her marriage to Steve Bell (Paul Nicholls), trying to help her mother escape from an abusive marriage to her father, trying to save her school and becoming pregnant.

Prior to her first appearance on the series, Mandy has dedicated several years to starting the school, which has led to her neglecting her marriage and having fun. Joyner has expressed her admiration for Mandy having a good professional life and a messy personal life, since she felt the contradiction is typically seen in great women. Joyner asked writers to explore Mandy's backstory in the second series; they responded by revealing that she has grown up with an abusive father. Joyner departed from Ackley Bridge in the fourth series. Mandy's exit was written as her feeling that the school no longer needed her, and Joyner stated that she felt the same way as her character. Joyner has been praised for her portrayal of Mandy, with Rianne Houghton of Digital Spy describing her as the "queen of Ackley Bridge".^[1]