CHANEL HAUNTED BY BULGER BOOK ‘Role shaped by mum’s story’
STAND by for more twists and turns in The Missing spin-off. MORE celeb contestants enter the tastiest tent on television. BRITAIN’S best couch potatoes give their take on the week’s biggest shows. IDRIS Elba stars as a DJ who’s struggling to make it. HARROWING scenes in TV’s newest crime drama are based on the murder of James Bulger.
The Bay is about two children who go missing and are feared dead.
Chanel Cresswell, who plays their distraught mother Jess, has told how she had to shoot “gut-wrenching” moments for the storyline.
She prepared for the show – which starts on Wednesday at 9pm on ITV – by reading the autobiography of James’ grieving mum Denise Fergus.
Chanel said: “I started going through Denise’s book because I wanted to get to grips with what she went through.
“I wanted to understand the feeling someone has when they lose a child.
“It was the best way of hearing it from someone who has been through it.”
Denise’s life was ripped apart in 1993 when her toddler son James was tortured and murdered.
“What happened in that situation isn’t the exact same circumstance as the series, but I think the feelings you’d have as a mother would be the same,” Chanel added.
“I remember reading the bit about the moment she found out James was no longer. It was how she described how she sounded when she found out that hit me. That stuck with me.
“A police officer has since said they’ll never forget the scream they heard and the gut-wrenching noise she let out.”
Chanel hopes that reading Denise’s account of her ordeal will mean the series is a realistic portrayal of grief.
She said: “Reading the book got me in the mindset for the role. A lot of people have gone through this in real life.
“You can’t take a role like this lightly. You have to do it justice for the parents who have been through it.”
The series also stars Jonas Armstrong as Jess’ shady husband Sean. THE wacky reality show is set to return for a new series.
Host Charlotte Crosby said: “It’s really exciting that the show is coming back. People really love it and I get asked about it all the time.”
Contestants will include Big Brother legend Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace and TOWIE’s Bobby Norris.
On the show, brave souls let loved ones pick tattoo designs for them… and they don’t get to see the results until they are finished.
Charlotte said: “It’s a really brutal concept.
“It’s just crazy. I love that. A lot of viewers think it’s too shocking to be real.
“But if I still worked in a bar I would sign up for it. It’s a day out. It’s an escape from everyday life. There’s a thrill there. It’s a bit like jumping out of a plane.
“This series you’ll see some really shocking tattoos. We had one of the worst reactions we’ve ever had.
“A guy was saying some really bad things about his girlfriend and she slapped him across the face.
“I didn’t really know what to do, I was a bit scared.”
Charlotte will front the new series alongside guest hosts including Lateysha Grace, Nathan Henry, Joey Essex, Josh Ritchie, Chloe Ferry and Aaron Chalmers.