Two families... it seems to be more common than we thought
As it returns for a second series, writer Holly Walsh tells Rachael Popow how her sitcom The Other One was inspired by a true story
FOLLOWING the death of her dad, a woman discovers that not only does she have a half sister she never even knew about, but her long-lost sibling shares her name.
What are the chances? Well, it seems they are higher than you might think. Comedian and writer Holly Walsh has revealed that the inspiration for her sitcom The Other One came from a true story (albeit of the ‘friend of a friend’ variety).
She says: “A friend of mine told me a story about a friend of her parents who’d had two families. He called both his kids the same name, so if someone stopped him in the street and said “Oh, how’s Tom?” he wouldn’t have to worry that he was blowing his cover. Being a bit of a comedy magpie I thought that would make a great premise for a story...”
She was right. The tale of Catherine ‘Cathy’ Walcott (Ellie White) and Catherine ‘Cat’ Walcott (Misfits’ Lauren Socha) led to a successful pilot, as well as confirmation that the story wasn’t all that outlandish.
Holly reveals: “Since the pilot went out, it’s incredible the number of people who’ve told me that their dad/friend/ uncle had two families. It seems to be more common than we thought.”
The pilot led to a full series, which aired in 2020 and followed the very different long-lost siblings as they adjusted to having a sister and began to bond.
However, Holly promised the series was leading up to a major cliffhanger, and she wasn’t kidding. The run ended with Cathy snogging Callum
(Christopher Jeffers) – who unbeknownst to her was yet another secret child of her father, Colin.
Now, the new run begins with the siblings dealing with the fallout in their own ways.
Understandably, it’s all rather more difficult for Cathy, who has to deal with the fact
that she was attracted to her own half-brother. By contrast, Cat is determined to welcome him to the family, even if Callum is starting to wonder what the word even means.
The news has also had an impact on the rest of the unusual family – Cat’s mum Marilyn (Benidorm and Happy
Valley star Siobhan Finneran) is furious to learn that she wasn’t Colin’s only mistress and sets out to find the other ‘other woman’ Angela (Michele Austin), little guessing where her actions will lead.
At least Cathy’s mum Tess (The Thick of It’s Rebecca Front) is determined to have a good time, as she decides to make the most of her legacy and embarks on a luxury spending spree – although she may be left wishing she’d been a bit more cautious with her cash.
But as the series continues, will Colin, a man who clearly contained multitudes, manage to spring any more surprises from beyond the grave?
We’ll have to wait to find out, but what we do know is that we can expect the return of Caroline Quentin as Auntie Dawn and Amit Shah as Cathy’s former fiance Marcus.
The Other One, BBC1, Friday May 6, at 9.30pm