Siobhan Finneran has reprised her role as Marie-Louise O'Dell in BBC One's prison drama Time, which returns on Sunday evening, October 11, for a third series. In the new season, viewers will see the prison chaplain arrive at a young offenders facility in Belfast while enduring a deep crisis of faith after the end of an affair with a priest. When tragedy strikes in the prison, Marie-Louise clashes with veteran officer Bailey, played by David Tennant.
New Series and Cast
Bailey is also in the midst of his own crisis and knows more about the circumstances that led to this major incident, but will he come clean before the guilt gets too much? Jimmy McGovern's BAFTA-winning programme returns with another three-part storyline, and similar to previous seasons, audiences can anticipate an almost completely fresh ensemble of characters.
Sean Bean and Stephen Graham fronted the inaugural series in 2021, before Jodie Whittaker, Bella Ramsey, and Tamara Lawrance stepped in for the second run, but this time, David Tennant leads the cast as Bobby Bailey, alongside Siobhan as Marie-Louise O'Dell.
Siobhan Finneran's Famous Partner
Away from the BBC drama, Siobhan is famed for her performances as Clare Cartwright in Happy Valley and Sarah O'Brien in Downton Abbey. Her other significant works include The Stranger, Cold Feet, and Benidorm. Earlier this year, she featured in the BBC detective series Death in Paradise alongside her present real-life partner, who appeared in EastEnders.
Siobhan, 60, is presently in a long-standing relationship with actor Don Gilet, who is renowned for portraying DI Mervin Wilson on Death in Paradise and Lucas Johnson on EastEnders. The pair allegedly first crossed paths in 2017 during filming of the ITV crime drama The Loch, in which Siobhan portrayed DCI Lauren Quigley and Don played forensic psychologist Blake Albrighton.
Their working relationship blossomed into romance, and they've remained an item ever since, although Siobhan continues to reside in Saddleworth, while her partner, Don, is based in north London. The distance between them doesn't trouble the couple, with Siobhan pointing out that Don spends considerable time overseas in Guadeloupe shooting Death in Paradise regardless.
Speaking to The Times last year, she said: "That's just the way it is, isn't it? That's how it's always been. And he's out of the country for seven months a year doing Death in Paradise anyway."
Siobhan revealed she has visited the French Caribbean territory, which she describes as an "amazing place", to spend time with Don. The Protection star quickly dismissed any suggestion of them being a "power couple", admitting they can be "hopeless" when trying to get organised, laughing: "I've not heard that one before."
She continued: "We are both off the telly. Other than that, we're pretty normal. You wouldn't think we were a power couple this morning, both running around trying to get out of the house on time. Hopeless."
Who Is Siobhan Finneran's Famous Ex-Husband?
Siobhan was previously wed to former Heartbeat and Emmerdale actor Mark Jordon, whom she encountered in the 1990s. The pair tied the knot in 1997 and share two youngsters: daughter Poppy and son Josh. Siobhan and Mark enjoyed 17 years of marriage before their split in 2014.
Mark, 61, also featured in the original All Creatures Great and Small series and has appeared across numerous beloved TV programmes, including Hollyoaks, Doctors, Coronation Street, Casualty, and more recently, The Long Shadow. He's now betrothed to Emmerdale actress Laura Norton, who portrays Kerry Wyatt in the ITV drama, and the pair have welcomed two little ones together.
Speaking to Hello magazine in 2023, the duo revealed both their children have been diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a rare genetic condition that impacts sight and hearing. Time airs on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday.
