Who Is Amanda Tito? Shortland Street Actor, Director and Saskia Burgess Star

Amanda Tito is best known to many Shortland Street viewers as Saskia Burgess, Maeve Mullens’ former partner and one of the parents who raised their son, Wilder. Their work in Ferndale did not end when Saskia left the programme, as Amanda later moved behind the camera and became a regular director on the New Zealand medical drama.

Amanda has built a wide-ranging career across television, film, theatre and online comedy. Their work as both an actor and director has made them an important creative presence within New Zealand’s screen and stage industries.

Who is Amanda Tito?

Amanda is a New Zealand actor and director with Māori ancestry through Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Whātua, two iwi, or tribal groups, in Aotearoa New Zealand. They studied performing and screen arts at Unitec before graduating in 2012 and beginning a career across acting, directing and theatre.

Their professional background covers mainstream television, independent productions and major Auckland stage work. Amanda has also received recognition for their performances and has continued acting while directing episodes of Shortland Street.

Who did Amanda Tito play in Shortland Street?

Amanda played Saskia Burgess, Maeve Mullens’ former partner and Wilder’s other parent. Saskia had carried Wilder, but she and Maeve raised him together before their relationship ended following Saskia’s infidelity.

Saskia returned to Maeve’s life while involved with Jodie Milton, whose behaviour became emotionally and physically abusive. Maeve recognised that Saskia was in danger and continued trying to help her, even when Saskia initially defended Jodie and rejected support.

The story also explored the difficult position surrounding Wilder’s care. Saskia challenged Maeve’s status because she was not Wilder’s biological mother, but the two women eventually agreed to formalise an equal custody arrangement after Saskia left Jodie and sought legal protection.

Saskia later returned following Wilder’s murder, bringing her back together with Maeve during their shared grief. Her appearance reinforced that both women remained his parents despite the conflict and separation that had shaped their previous years.

Why Saskia was important to Maeve Mullens’ history

Saskia’s arrival established that Maeve already had a substantial family history before joining Shortland Street Hospital. Maeve had experienced a serious relationship, parenthood and separation before beginning her marriage to Nicole Miller.

Their story also presented a lesbian family that continued to exist after the central romantic relationship had ended. Maeve and Saskia did not need to reunite as a couple for their bond as Wilder’s parents to remain important.

Saskia’s relationship with Jodie allowed the programme to acknowledge that domestic abuse can occur within same-sex relationships. The story showed how fear, manipulation and emotional dependence can make leaving difficult, while Maeve’s response demonstrated that care can remain even after a painful separation.

Amanda Tito’s Shortland Street directing career

Amanda later returned to Shortland Street as a director and has worked on dozens of episodes since moving behind the camera. Their involvement now extends well beyond Saskia’s appearances, with Amanda helping to shape performances and guide the emotional direction of Ferndale’s continuing stories.

Directing a fast-moving serial drama requires close collaboration with actors, writers and production teams. Amanda’s experience as a performer gives them a valuable understanding of what actors need, while their history with Shortland Street provides a strong connection to the programme’s style and characters.

Their progression from cast member to director makes Amanda’s relationship with the programme particularly distinctive. Saskia may not currently be part of the regular cast, but Amanda continues contributing to the world in which the character first appeared.

Amanda Tito’s television and film career

Amanda’s television credits include Step Dave, The Brokenwood Mysteries, Mean Mums, Go Girls, Tatau, The Almighty Johnsons and Power Rangers Super Megaforce. They played Raven in the fifth series of Go Girls, Zoe Johnson in The Brokenwood Mysteries and Georgia across two series of Step Dave.

Their film work includes Bombshell, Queen of Carthage and Talk: A Portmanteau. Amanda has also appeared in short films and online productions, including Girl Time, Aotearoa Roadtrip and Off Grid.

Amanda Tito and Life Is Easy

Amanda co-directed the New Zealand comedy series Life Is Easy with Christopher Stratton. The story follows Jamie-Li, a straight Chinese-Pākehā woman, and Curtis, her gay white best friend, after an unexpected body swap forces them to experience each other’s relationships, identities and daily lives.

The comedy centred queer and POC characters without presenting the two identities as interchangeable. Its wider cast also included queer and non-binary characters of colour, allowing the series to bring a broader mix of experiences into its comedy.

Life Is Easy received a Best Comedy nomination at the New Zealand Television Awards. Amanda’s involvement reflected their interest in character-led stories that can explore identity, friendship and belonging while remaining funny and accessible.

Amanda Tito’s theatre career

Amanda has maintained an extensive stage career alongside their television work. Their recent roles include Martha in Silo Theatre’s Mother Play, several parts in Auckland Theatre Company’s Romeo and Juliet and the Porter in the company’s 2026 production of Macbeth.

Earlier theatre credits include Scenes from the Climate Era, Over My Dead Body: Uninvited, Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Sofija’s Garden. This range has allowed Amanda to move between Shakespeare, contemporary drama, comedy and independent festival productions.

Amanda won Best Actress at the Short+Sweet Festival and later received Best Theatre Performance at the New Zealand Fringe Festival for Uninvited. These achievements sit alongside a career that has continued developing across several areas of performance and production.

Amanda Tito and Jess Sayer

Amanda is engaged to Jess Sayer, who plays Maeve Mullens in Shortland Street. They had been friends for more than a decade before becoming flatmates and later beginning a romantic relationship.

Their personal story has a warm connection to Ferndale because Amanda and Jess previously played former partners Saskia and Maeve. Their friendship, engagement and shared creative lives will be explored fully in a separate SoapLandTV LGBTQ+ feature.

Follow Amanda Tito on social media

Viewers can follow Amanda on Instagram at @amanda.tito.50. Their account includes updates from their acting and directing career, alongside posts from life away from television

Frequently asked questions:

Who did Amanda Tito play in Shortland Street?

Amanda played Saskia Burgess, Maeve Mullens’ former partner and Wilder’s other parent. Saskia appeared during the Jodie domestic abuse story and later returned following Wilder’s death.

Does Amanda Tito still work on Shortland Street?

Amanda has continued working on Shortland Street as a director. They directed dozens of episodes after their appearances as Saskia.

Are Amanda Tito and Jess Sayer together?

Amanda and Jess Sayer are engaged after a friendship that lasted for more than a decade. Jess plays Maeve Mullens, who was Saskia’s former partner in the programme.

What else has Amanda Tito appeared in?

Amanda’s credits include Step Dave, The Brokenwood Mysteries, Mean Mums, Queen of Carthage and Bombshell. They have also worked across theatre, web productions and short films.

What is Life Is Easy about?

Life Is Easy is a body swap comedy following best friends Jamie-Li and Curtis. Amanda co-directed the series with Christopher Stratton.

UK viewers can watch current episodes of Shortland Street free on STV Player, while viewers in New Zealand can stream the programme through TVNZ+. Follow more Ferndale character profiles, LGBTQ+ features and programme news through SoapLandTV, with programme material credited to TVNZ.