Suranne Jones is back on screens with the third series of Vigil, but the actress has also addressed her departure from Coronation Street and her upcoming return to Doctor Foster.
Vigil's third series arrived on Sunday, August 30, with Suranne once again playing Amy Silva of Police Scotland. The first season, which premiered in 2021, saw her sent to HMS Vigil, a nuclear-powered Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarine, to investigate a death on board. Series two involved Amy trying to solve the disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler as police clashed with the Royal Navy and MI5 over how to handle it.
Suranne Jones returns to Vigil
Following a three-year break, Suranne is back alongside her onscreen partner Rose Leslie, who plays DI Kirsten Longacre. The pair of detectives and lovers face the biggest case of their careers to date, which may threaten their relationship.
The series synopsis reads: “DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre return for a new case that takes them to a remote Arctic research station, where a member of a covert British special forces mission has been murdered. Amy and Kirsten need to catch the killer and defuse a potential international confrontation, as different nations compete for control of the Arctic and its resources in the changing polar climate, with both their careers and relationship on the line.”
Why Suranne Jones left Coronation Street
Suranne, who hails from Chadderton in Oldham, rose to fame playing Karen McDonald on Coronation Street from 2000 to 2004. During her four years on the cobbles, Karen was involved in an on-and-off again relationship with Steve McDonald. Karen and Steve first tied the knot in 2004, which she only went through with to win a bet with a friend. However, they soon realised they loved each other in spite of the bet.
Their turbulent relationship continued but following the death of her mother, Margaret Phillips, and a ploy that left Steve and Tracy Barlow thinking Karen had killed their daughter, Amy, Karen left the Street on Christmas Day 2004. It was then on Valentine's Day 2005, Steve learned that Karen had filed for divorce and she hasn't been seen since.
During an appearance on her former co-star Sally Lindsay's podcast, A Night in with Sally Lindsay, last year, Suranne was directly asked about why she decided to say goodbye to the ITV soap. She said: "The agent I've got now, who I've had for 25 years, said she could do something with me if I left. And it was that really. If she hadn't put that into my ear...I probably would've [left] because I was a working actress from age eight to 10 and because I missed theatre."
Doctor Foster return and family life
It turned out to be a good decision, with Suranne going on to appear in Vincent, Strictly Confidential, Harley Street and Unforgiven in the 2000s. She earned critical acclaim in Scott & Bailey, A Touch of Cloth, Gentleman Jack and Doctor Foster. Last year saw her lead the critically acclaimed Netflix series Hostage, where she played the Prime Minister and acted alongside Hollywood icon Julie Delpy.
Fans were buzzing earlier in the summer when it was confirmed that Suranne was returning to play Doctor Gemma Foster one last time. Doctor Foster proved popular with audiences when it first aired in 2015 and 2017, with the season two finale watched by nearly 10 million people. Suranne also won a BAFTA for her lead role as Gemma.
Nine years after series two aired, series three will see Gemma, who is still a GP, on the brink of a fresh start as she's getting married to someone new. The BBC synopsis teases: "But as the wedding day draws closer, and friends and family gather, shadows from the past begin to re-emerge threatening both her happiness and her reputation. As Gemma fights to protect those she loves and expose whoever's intent on hurting her, will she be able to put the past to bed, dispense justice, and claim the future she deserves, before it is too late?"
Teasing why she's returning to the show, Suranne said: "When I got the call to ask if I wanted to return as Gemma Foster, I knew the time was right. We needed space from the first two series, and we needed Tom – Gemma and Simon's runaway son – to return as an adult with questions. For me, this time around, it's about accountability and questioning – can we ever truly sever ties with our past and the damage or traumas that haunt us, so we can fully move forward? Gemma and Simon have so much to unpick! It's been an exciting time working with the brilliant Mike Bartlett again, and the team at Drama Republic on the scripts and now I can't wait to start filming."
Away from the spotlight, Suranne is married to Laurence Akers, a freelance scriptwriter and former magazine editor. The pair first met each other in 2013 at the wedding of Sally Lindsay. Suranne previously told The Mirror: "I was dancing with the actor Peter Eccleston, the partner of Antony Cotton from Coronation Street. Laurence came over and said, 'Can I cut in?' But he took Peter instead of me and was flinging him around the dance floor. I thought, 'Oh, he's very funny'. We swapped numbers."
Vigil airs on Sunday, August 30, at 9pm on BBC One and on the BBC iPlayer. The first two episodes are available to stream at 6am that day.
