Background
Born in London, Keen grew up in East Africa, principally Tanganyika and later Kenya, where her father was a civil engineer
Born in London, Keen grew up in East Africa, principally Tanganyika and later Kenya, where her father was a civil engineer
She attended boarding school and returned to England at the age of 19, where she became a secretary for the Ivy League fan club, leading to her releasing a 45 single of "Sally Go "Round the Roses" (credited as Dee King) on the Piccadilly label in 1966.
She is also known for starring in the 1970s comedy series The Cuckoo Waltz and Rings on Their Fingers. Keen was a regular on television during the 1970s and early 1980s, starring in long running sitcoms such as The Cuckoo Waltz, Rings on Their Fingers, Shillingbury Tales and You Must Be The Husband, and in two runs of (Thames Television) children"s historical costume drama The Feathered Serpent. She also guest starred on many shows, including The Morecambe and Wise Show and starred as Laura Dickens in the critically acclaimed spy drama The Sandbaggers.
She starred as Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary ("Sissi") in episode one of the 13 part series Fall of Eagles (1974) and played Hilda in The Professionals series 1 episode Killer With a Long Arm, in.
In 1980 she appeared as Christina, a widowed restaurant owner, in Series 1 episode The Dessert Song of Minder. She went on to star with David Jason in A Touch of Frost.
Keen starred in the series of advertisements for Nescafé coffee for ten years and an appearance in an episode of Taggart, in the next decade she became a regular in the Inspector Wexford series, playing the wife of Wexford"s Doctorate.I. Roles in Brookside and several other television shows followed including New Tricks. Recently she has completed a British tour of Vagina Monologues.
British Soaps Keen had a major soap role in British Broadcasting Corporation Birmingham"s daytime soap opera Doctors, playing Mill Health Centre practice manager Julia Parsons from 2003-2012.
She also played waitress Sandra Gould in Crossroads during 1970-1971, and the receptionist at the Feathers Hotel Connelton in Emmerdale Farm in 1972.