Susan Elizabeth Jenkins was born in Liverpool on 31st July 1958, the oldest of two daughters born to a Liverpool Transport employee father, Albert and his mail order manageress wife Marjorie. Her younger sister is called Pam. Whilst studying at school, Sue took her first job working in a shop. At the age of seventeen, Sue made her television debut in Z Cars before appearing in pantomime in Pinocchio where she met actor David Fleeshman. She trained for three years at the Elliott Clarke Theatre School, Liverpool. After graduation Sue became an assistant stage manager at Chesterfield Civic Theatre. Sue has worked constantly since then in television, radio and theatre.