‘When lockdown ends, I’ll be doling out the hugs’
Former Corrie star Katherine Kelly, 41, on playing a schoolteacher who’s been wrongly convicted of murder…
Tell us about Sally…
When you meet her at the beginning, she’s just served five years in prison and is tremendously damaged and traumatised. She wants to reclaim her life, but it’s really hard to get out of bed in the morning. She does it with quiet strength; a lot of sh*t has happened to her and she just gets on with it. She’s very much a heroine.
You filmed during the pandemic, how was that?
We were immensely grateful that we were able to make this at all… We had a war-like mentality of just carrying on and all being in it together. Though don’t feel too sorry for me – I was in a five-star hotel with a sea view, self-isolating for two weeks.
I’ve lived in flats that were smaller than that one room!
The series was shot in Ireland and the Lake District?
We shot the interiors in Ireland and had about 10 days in
Keswick. The mountains and views are so similar, and there was a conscious effort to make sure they matched perfectly. And there was a family connection as well?
On one of my daily walks, I took a photo of the memorial plaque on the harbour wall in Dunleary [to remember the generation of Irish that emigrated and never returned]. I sent it to my dad, with a “Wish you were here!” – and he replied, saying that this was the very port my grandparents had left from in 1953 to come to England, so that was quite something.
Jamie Bamber [ Marcella] plays your on-screen husband, Sam? Jamie is great to work with! As far as that relationship is concerned, it is kind of frozen in time for Sally – though she is immensely hurt that he has turned his back on her. She’s had no visits from him, and she’s hoping that now she’s been cleared, surely everything can go back to the way it was and they can mend and heal together. Obviously, he’s moved on – and I think she finds that very hard to accept.
Are you a forgiving person?
I’d like to think so. I’m always ready to move on – though I’ve got a cr*p memory as well! How has the past year been for you?
I was lucky in that I was working… This was one of the first TV shows to be back filming – we wanted to show that it could be done. And
I’ve been doing [BBC1 period drama] Gentleman Jack as well since November. I had my kids at home [Katherine is mum to Orla, six, and Rose, four] and there were the challenges of home-schooling, but it’s nothing compared to what those who’ve lost loved ones have been through, or NHS workers.
Did you take up any hobbies? No! I had no time to do anything like that. It was very busy, just because I’ve got two young children at home, so I became teacher, dinner lady, cleaner… When the world opens up again, where will you go?
To be honest, I hate packing. More than anything, I want to know that I can go anywhere if I want to; I think to me that’s more important than actually going somewhere. I’m looking forward to the freedom of everyone being able to do as we wish… I can’t wait until we’re allowed to be tactile again, that’s the main thing I’ll be doing – giving everybody a hug!