STAND-OUT ROLE
“Because I live away – I’m protecting myself now – I was keen not to portray Claire as the villain of the piece,” she continues candidly.
“Just because she lives away from home doesn’t necessarily mean she loves her mother any less. She just doesn’t have the ability that Jenny has of being hands-on and caring and warm.
THE APPRENTICE Wednesday, BBC1, 9pm
AT LAST, the interview rounds. This is always the most entertaining episode of the series as the candidates have their egos well and truly pricked as their boasts and business plans are put under the microscope by Lord Sugar’s trusted business contacts. Expect some tough talking, turmoil and tears.
“The way she advocates for her mother is when she comes back she is like the bulldog – ‘We need to sort it’ – whereas Jenny is much more loving.”
IT’S an absolutely stellar performance from all the cast involved with Care, but particularly Alison.
BILLY CONNOLLY’S ULTIMATE WORLD TOUR
LAST year, ITV brought us the documentary Billy Connolly & Me: A Celebration, which stirred up mixed emotions for fans. It was great to see ‘The Big Yin’ on TV, but it felt so much like an obituary, a few viewers felt moved to take to social media to ask if they had missed some sad news. So, many people will be
She is captivating in how she portrays the heartbreaking side-effects of Mary’s stroke and consequent dementia – her inability to speak properly, her loss of language, her confusion and the way she lashes out at those she loves.
Sheridan and Alison know each other well, from their time working together on BBC comedy Gavin And Stacey, which first aired more than a decade ago now.
But Sheridan reveals they purposefully didn’t discuss how Alison was going to play the character of Mary, and they didn’t rehearse together either, as suggested by director David Blair.
It made for some really authentic reactions to the emotional material.
“The scene where she’s wheeled past me in the wheelchair, it was really early on in the shoot, and I hadn’t seen how she was going to be playing it,” says Sheridan, who will be seen on our screens in the new year in new ITV drama series Cleaning Up.
“When we went for it and I saw how she was looking at me with those eyes ... We had the most amazing crew as well, who were literally going around Alison’s face and my face to get all that emotion.
“It worked so well for me (not rehearsing together), because I haven’t had experience of dementia. Just seeing that, it took my breath away.”
■ Care will air on BBC1 tomorrow at 9pm.
artists on the bill included the West End casts of hits Hamilton and Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Take That, George Ezra and Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo. Comedians Rhod Gilbert and The Lost Voice Guy also appeared, as did Cirque Du Soleil and Circus 1903.
breathing a sigh of relief to learn that although this new documentary finds Billy reflecting on his previous TV travels, it also features some upbeat new footage of the comedian exploring his current home of Florida.
JAMIE AND JIMMY’S FRIDAY NIGHT FEAST Friday, Channel 4, 8pm
HE’S starred in everything from Sherlock to Black Panther (via The Hobbit films), but while Martin Freeman clearly has no fear of acting in front of groups of people, it seems he is afraid of cooking for them. Luckily, Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty are on hand to help him get over his kitchen-based stage fright as they show him how to make the perfect eggs royale.