Comedy star Diane Morgan has revealed how her new BBC series Ann Droid played a key part in potentially saving the life of Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas. In the show, Morgan's character Linda, an AI-powered humanoid robot, performs the Heimlich manoeuvre when Renee (Andrea Valls) begins choking. To ensure the scene was convincing, safety officers were called in to train the cast and crew on how to perform abdominal thrusts correctly. Morgan said: 'Yes, we saved Shirley Ballas!'
How the Training Helped
Morgan explained that first aiders taught her the Heimlich manoeuvre and the team rehearsed it multiple times. The hair and make-up artist, Jane Green, who watched the training, was later working on Strictly when Ballas started choking on a fish bone. Green immediately performed the Heimlich and dislodged the bone. Ballas described the ordeal as 'terrifying' and said she 'really thought that was it.'
Second Life Saved
Morgan also shared that an electrician on Ann Droid watched the training and later saved a friend from choking at dinner. 'Because he’d seen the Heimlich manoeuvre he did it and he saved his life,' Morgan said. 'It’s like a safety video.'
The Show's Premise
Ann Droid follows Sue (Sue Johnston, 82) who receives a care robot from her son Michael (Paul Ready) so he can move out. Initially resistant, Sue grows fond of Linda. Johnston said the series touches on loneliness in old age, adding: 'I hope other people will too, because there are so many women who lose their husbands and have to go through that stage on their own.' The show airs on BBC1 at 9.30pm tonight.
