10 women are21 ‘allowed’ on telly & I’m not one of them...
Ex-Corrie Sally: Most over-50s excluded
SALLY Lindsay has hit out at TV bosses, claiming they use the same few women in dramas while offering others grandma roles “at 50”.
The former Coronation Street star has now turned to writing and producing her own series, including The Madame Blanc Mysteries for Channel 5.
Sally, 50, said: “My show is 70% women of a certain age. I think it’s bull***t you get to an age and you’re not wanted or you’re playing grandmas at 50.
“Ten older women are allowed on telly. I’m not on that list, so I wrote my own show.”
Speaking to Radio Times, the star, Shelley Unwin in the ITV soap, added: “Suranne Jones and I tried to sell Scott & Bailey for six years. In meetings, they would say, ‘Yeah but where’s the bloke for the women to look at?’ We were like, ‘There doesn’t need to be one’. It’s almost like, ‘We’ve got Sally Wainwright, we’re fine. Everything else, it’s got to be these five blokes.’ ”
In 2020, Billie Piper, 41, also took a swipe, saying: “I wasn’t considered for certain parts as I wasn’t in the group of five actresses cast for everything.” Sally and Billie may be thinking of stars such as Olivia Colman, 50, who was in Netflix’s The Crown and Heartstopper, and the BBC’s Great Expectations.
Another possibility is Nicola Walker, 53, recently in the BBC’s The Split and Annika.
Sarah Lancashire, 59, had big roles in Happy Valley and Julia, while Keeley Hawes, 48, did The Midwich Cuckoos, Stonehouse and Crossfire in recent years.
Gillian Anderson, 55, has a string of hits and plays Emily Maitlis in Netflix’s Scoop, while Helena Bonham Carter, 57, was in The Crown and ITV’s Nolly.
Suranne, 45, had recent hits with Gentleman Jack and Vigil, while Ruth Wilson, 42, was in the BBC’s His Dark Materials and The Woman in the Wall.
And Alison Steadman, 77, and Lesley Manville, 67, are also major TV regulars.