After her soap roles in Coronation Street and Doctors, Angela Lonsdale is about to turn up in BBC1’s new series of Our Girl. She plays Grace, the fun-loving mum of army medic Georgie Lane, who must cope at home with the rest of her family while her daughter is on a dangerous mission in Kenya…
What’s on TV caught up with Angela Lonsdale for a video chat before the stat of Our Girl (Wednesday, BBC1, 9pm) and she revealed how delighted she was to play Grace, her part in a big wedding scene in the first episode and how Grace is different to anything she’s played before….
“Grace is quite good fun,” says Angela. “The family are at the heart of the series – they’re the backbone and a very close family. She’s a down-to earth Manchester mum and very close to her daughter Georgie.
“There’s quite a bit of comedy when Grace is around and we improvised quite a lot. And along with the comedy, there’s a lot of warmth and it’s quite evident how much she loves her family.
“It's an emotional rollercoaster this series but when Georgie’s back at home her family are at the heart of the show.
As Grace's army medic daughter Georgie, played by former Corrie star Michelle Keegan, is out in Kenya in a dangerous situation, Angela says she’s a ‘worried mum’ too.
“Most definitely worried…if she could have it any other way she wouldn’t want Georgie to leave home! She’s equally proud of her, but it’s equally tough for her as a mum.
“Michelle and I get on so well and on screen you can see how close they are. I think the mum wears the trousers though dare I say. I think it’s because she’s the first born, too.”
In the first episode of Our Girl, there’s a big wedding with a shocking twist. Filming it gave Angela the chance to play a mum of the bride.
“I’ve got a lovely cerise suit, and a massive hat so you can‘t see my face!” she reveals of. “That was good fun!”
Angela - who played copper Emma Watts in Coronation Street, DC Sue Donny in The Bill and DI Eva Moore in Doctors - explains that mum Grace is far more comedy than those well-known law enforcement characters…
“I hadn‘t done comedy since Preston Front which is around 20 years ago. I tend to play coppers or distraught wife that’s been told her husband has died. So this has been really nice for me to do something quite nice and bubbly.”
* Our Girl premieres on BBC1 at 9pm on Wednesday September 7
