Victoria star Jenna makes a regal return
VICTORIA actors Jenna Coleman and Tom Hughes might be coy about their real-life relationship but on-screen the pair sizzle like star-crossed lovers Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, it was revealed last night. The 31-year-olds have never publicly admitted being romantically involved, but as they return for a steamy second series on Sunday they have been likened to Hollywood’s golden couple. And rumours about the closeness of their relationship intensified yesterday as she stood next to Tom wearing a gold band on her ring finger. The pair portray the Queen and her beau Prince Albert, a 21-year marriage that produced nine children. Writer Daisy Goodwin yesterday told how their passion and tension shone through in their glittering performances. She said: “The chemistry on screen was like Taylor and Burton. They have the same electricity – they love each other but row all the time. They were totally convincing as a married couple.” The ITV show left off with Victoria giving birth to her first child. The second series picks up a month later in 1840, with the Queen struggling to maintain a work-life balance and raise the baby with a restless Prince Albert meddling in state affairs. Blackpool-born Jenna yesterday wore a stunning long sleeved dress by Erdem for the launch of the show in London. And she revealed that her favourite part about playing the famous monarch was wearing a corset. She told how hours spent trussed up in the restrictive garment had made her come alive as the regal character.
She said: “Having done a couple of period dramas before I was always one of those actors who was very much a fan of corsets.
“I like what they do to your body and the feeling it gives.”
She added: “Having worn one for seven months it was incredibly psychological to be restrained in that way, having something that is constantly shortening your breath if you have emotional scenes or if you have to move quickly.”
Jenna also revealed how filming the second series of Victoria was a “minefield”.
She explained: “Filming with children and animals is no joke – it was a complete challenge and we had parents hiding behind pillars with bags of Doritos. There were a lot of animals as well.” She continued: “A lot of what we’re telling in this series is the expectation that as soon as Victoria was a mother, then Albert would take over and she would be in the nursery.
“But Victoria, being incredibly stubborn and forthright, kicked against that and in the first few years of their marriage that caused a lot of strife.”
The new series also features Dame Diana Rigg as the Duchess of Buccleuch and Rufus Sewell who makes a shock comeback as Lord Melbourne.
The show has been a massive success with the first series averaging 7.7 million viewers per episode, beating BBC rival Poldark in the Sunday prime-time slot.
Victoria is being shown on ITV1 on Sunday at 9.05pm