Lia Williams: 'Doc Martin's old flame is trouble'

Lia Williams: 'Doc Martin's old flame is trouble' (Image credit: Claude Haller/EMPICS Entertainment)

Lia Williams talks about playing Doc Martin's ex fiance Dr Edith Montgomery in the new series and why she wouldn't consider a real life career in medicine How did you get the part of Edith? "I was about to sign a theatre contract when Doc Martin came in. Then I met Martin Clunes and liked him instantly and I also loved the character, so that was the choice I made." What was the relationship like between the two characters? "They loved each other deeply and they were engaged to be married. It was a very unpleasant split. When they meet again, purely by chance, it's a huge shock with lots of unfinished business attached. She's trouble…" What do you think of the character? "She's absolutely delightful – naughty and funny with a very wry take on life. She's hugely successful but she is rather cruel with her patients just like he is." How did you research the role? "I spoke to my sister-in-law who is a gynaecologist. She gave her useful background about blood phobia and looking after pregnant women." Would you have made a good doctor? "No! Guy (Lia's husband) had to have a lump cut out of his arm and I just flicked my eye over to what they were doing and I went very faint." What do you want to do in the future? "I just want to be diverse and be able to do television, film, comedy, tragedy, theatre and directing. I just want to see what I can do." Lia plays Dr Edith Montgomery on the new series of Doc Martin - shown on ITV1 on Sundays at 9pm.

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.