Marj Hogarth: From Pantomime Villain to Chapel Rescuer, the Many Lives of a Scottish Actor

Before she became a familiar figure on Channel 4 through her purchase of a crumbling chapel in Pwllheli, Marj Hogarth was a much older hand on the Scottish comedy scene, initially gaining public recognition through The Karen Dunbar Show (2003-06). Now, many viewers will know Hogarth as one half of the couple with pink hair who bought a dilapidated place of worship and decided to live in it. But that’s only part of the story – there are pantomime villains, a radio sitcom, a put-up-and-glitter live show and a textile-focused sustainable craft label, all of which will feature in this series.

Quick Biography

Information	Detail
Name	Marj Hogarth (one source refers to her as Marjory Hogarth)
Born	Not publicly confirmed
Birthplace	Not publicly confirmed
Nationality	Scottish
Profession	Actor and textile designer
Known for	The Karen Dunbar Show, Still Game, and Our Welsh Chapel Dream
Partner	Keith Brymer Jones, the potter and The Great Pottery Throw Down judge

From Scottish Sketch Shows to Radio Sitcoms

According to her bio on her own website, Karen Dunbar’s body of work spans more than thirty years. Following a nationwide profile as a result of The Karen Dunbar Show, she also performed in a wide range of formats as the years went on. Her career includes performances on shows including Rab C. Nesbitt, Still Game, M.I. High, and she also performed as Joan Begg for many series in the Radio 4 sitcom Fags, Mags and Bags.

Less is known about her theatre work on her online profiles, but a few nuggets can be found. She’s played the Wicked Queen in Snow White and Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty at the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness. Pantomime villains require some slapstick timing and the ability to be booed and hissed at – perfect for a comic actor.

There’s no cast-list of showy awards or billing-bumping roles on her CV, and we don’t claim there is. What we see is a working actor accruing regular credits in Scottish and British TV and radio.

Hook & Hatchet: Making Things During Lockdown

It has always been part of Hogarth’s creative life, even when she hasn’t been directly performing. Hook & Hatchet, launched in 2020 during the UK’s first lockdown, produces useful, eco-friendly bags and accessories. At first she reworked found and recycled materials, although she shies away from the word ‘upcycling’ and instead references a more straightforward, down-to-earth approach to her design.

It goes some way to explaining why press coverage tends to give her a dual role as an actor and textile designer in the same sentence. One review of the Channel 4 series did this very thing. The craft element is relevant to the renovation story too – she gilds a vintage French mirror in series 3 and restores a vintage metal locker in another.

Marj Hogarth and Keith Brymer Jones

The vast majority of people looking for Marj Hogarth are looking for information on her with Keith Brymer Jones. She has been described in many ways. People can either believe she’s married to him or that she’s his partner (i.e., Channel 4). Where a wedding date or even information has been available openly it has not been easy to find, so not listed here.

What is clear is that the couple have shared and worked side by side on one very big project. Having previously lived in Margate, they moved into Capel Salem as soon as part of the chapel was completed.

The Chapel in Pwllheli

The chapel and its Sunday school annex had been on the market for twelve years before the couple bought them. The purchase was made in September 2022. Capel Salem was built in 1862, and one source gives the price as £200,000. The production company describes it as a 19th-century Grade II listed chapel that the couple wants to turn into a home and working pottery studio, with the main chapel hall kept as a shared community space.

The first series was a mess in the best television sense. The episodes showed dry rot, fungus growth, decades of pigeon droppings, and no water or electricity. The show also looked at how local people felt about the building being repurposed. In a town where around 80 per cent of the 4,000 residents speak Welsh, the couple was learning the language.

A second series followed, showing the conversion of the downstairs area of the Sunday school into a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and more. It was released in April 2025. By the third series, the couple was reportedly living in the chapel, and the work had moved on to turning the Sunday school hall into a pottery studio for Brymer Jones. Episodes of that series were scheduled to air on Channel 4 from April 2026. A fourth series was reported to be in production, with no airdate announced.

Why Viewers Warm to Her

The show succeeds partly because of the difference between its two stars. One critic described them as thoughtful extroverts who both openly cry and laugh, while also wearing a ‘deranged combination of wardrobe choices, such as matching dungarees and leopard print.’ Hogarth delivers the stagecraft and Brymer Jones brings the much-hyped emotional reaction to craft.

They’ve also removed the format from the screen. An open-air live show in Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Keith & Marj – Us, Pots and Our Welsh Chapel Dream, is a behind-the-scenes look at the production team’s creative partnership.

What Isn’t Confirmed

Also, searches for her age, net worth, or family seem to be low-quality pages. She is listed in a profile that states her date of birth and age are not known publicly, but low-quality “age gap” pages state a date of birth and age without citing a reliable source. And any net worth should be assumed to be a guess, as no reliable sources were found to give one.

Her additional contributions to the public domain include broadcast appearances, her craft label, and a structure which is open for viewing.

Where Marj Hogarth Goes From Here

With a fourth series of Our Welsh Chapel Dream reportedly in production, Marj Hogarth looks set to stay in the public eye for a while yet. The chapel still has plenty left to finish, and the couple has said they hope to open it to the community in time. Meanwhile, Hook & Hatchet continues as her own creative outlet, away from the cameras. It is a fitting mix for someone who has moved between stage, screen, studio and building site without losing the sense of humour that first made audiences notice her.

For viewers who found her through the chapel, her earlier comedy work is well worth a look, and for those who knew her from Scottish television, the renovation shows a different side of the same performer.

Celeb Writes