‘Vanity was put aside for this role’

Sunetra Sarker, 43, plays a dinner lady in Channel 4 drama Ackley Bridge. She talks being back with pal Jo Joyner – and acting the class clown…

You play dinner lady kaneez Paracha – a far cry from Dr Zoe Hanna in Casualty… One of the things I wanted to do when I left Casualty was push myself. I like being out of my comfort zone, and that uniform is like nothing I’ve seen myself wear before! Was it nice not having to spend too long in the make-up chair? I was in and out quicker than anything – no make-up, hair in a bun, scarf over my head. And I’m wearing baggy clothes – vanity was definitely put aside for this! And you’re back with your pal, Jo Joyner (starring as head teacher Mandy Carter)? I’m back with Jo [Sunetra starred alongside Jo in hit comedy-drama No Angels, from 2004-2006] and we’ve been having such a giggle. We’ve waited 11 years to work with each other again – although we haven’t actually had any scenes together, which in hindsight is a good thing because we’re so naughty and end up giggling… You both have to master different accents… (sunetra does Yorkshire-pakistani, while Jo’s character is Mancunian) When Jo first heard my accent she said: “I can’t take you seriously when you’re talking like that!” Jo’s accent is brilliant, but I found mine really tricky! It’s a mixture of Pakistani and Bradford. My God, if you saw all the voice memos I have for myself

Ackley Bridge

(in Yorkshire)… We had a flat together because Jo doesn’t like being on her own. It was an extra bonus, and Paul Nicholls (who plays PE teacher Steve Bell) was in the flat upstairs. You’ve got a son (noah, 11), does he watch you on the telly? When I did Strictly (Sunetra was partnered with Brendan Cole in 2014) he was about eight or nine and it was fun; he’d watch whatever his mum was in. This is on at 8pm so it’s possible he’ll still be up to watch it, but I don’t know if it’s cool now to watch stuff that your mum’s in! Do you mind watching yourself? I can’t bear it! It isn’t so much an appearance thing, but rather is it truthful? I’m representing a female Muslim with personality and humour. She wears her heart on her sleeve and the worst fear for me is for someone to turn around and say: “Oh, she’s not believable.” What were your school days like? I was the class clown. I was very small so I could hide in places that not everybody could get in. There are lots of stories. Friends say: “Remember when we hid Sunetra in the piano and pretended she was off for the morning?” I was so skinny and small I could actually climb inside it. We pretended there was a ghost in the room playing the keys…