HERMIONE’S STORYLINE

Hermione Norris understands the current dramatic ColdFeet storyline better than most. “I had a cancer scare not long ago,” confesses Hermione, 51. “I found a lump and when I got out [of the clinic] and thought, ‘Thank God it’s not me,’ I just thought that for other women in there it wasn’t a positive response.

“Unfortunately, I know women with children who are now going through that and it’s a really frightening, very real thing. To see Fay as Jenny in that situation was awful.”

Spooks star Hermione plays Karen Marsden, the calm owner of a publishing company who is the voice of reason for her friends. Karen has not yet found true love after divorcing her feckless husband David (Robert Bathurst), but Hermione teases that Karen will shock fans when she enjoys a clinch with somebody unexpected this series. “She does have a little romance, and it’s very surprising, but I’m not saying more!”

The ColdFeet reboot continues to delight fans who loved the original series, which ran from 1998-2003. But it’s not the same for fans who miss Helen Baxendale. Her character, Rachel, the sixth friend, died in the original series. Hermione assures fans that her absence is felt among her co-stars, as well.

“I still laugh at the memory of what Helen said on set all the time,” says Hermione. “She is much missed, and we talk a lot about those times. We’re just like a family – we talk about the old days.”