ELLIE BAMBER

THE TRIAL OF CHRISTINE KEELER Tomorrow, 9pm, BBC1

1

My character Mandy Rice-davies did better out of her spell in the limelight than her friend Christine Keeler – she became a millionaire, owning nightclubs and restaurants in Israel. She released an EP of covers in 1964 and I went to a recording studio to recapture that time. I did OK, but there’ll be no bid for chart stardom just yet!

2

In a scene at Lord Astor’s estate, Cliveden, I wear my greatgrandfather’s hunting boots. At a fitting with my mum, when the costume designer said she couldn’t find any for me, Mum piped up, ‘I know just the pair.’ He had small feet so they fitted well. I wore a 60s knitted top from my grandma too.

3

I had the privilege of meeting Mandy’s daughter, Dana, and I hope I did Mandy justice. Before filming, I read her autobiography, and watched and listened to her

on TV and the radio – seeing her vibrant personality, she’d have been a shoo-in for I’m A Celebrity!

4

Some people involved in the production had personal connections to the drama. The man who supplied our old Rovers and Bentleys knew Mandy, Christine and Stephen Ward – he even visited Stephen in Wimpole Mews during the trial. His home there was re-created in a studio – the fridge was even stocked with real food.

5

We filmed the court scenes at the Guildhall in Bath, which stands in for the Old Bailey. It’s during Stephen’s trial for living off immoral earnings that I deliver the classic line, ‘Well he would, wouldn’t he?’ after being told Lord Astor denied an affair with Mandy. I want to wear her court outfits every day: one suit was Chanelstyle and another was blush pink.