Anna Madeley, who plays Mrs Hall in the Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small, is in a long-term relationship with actor Geoffrey Streatfeild. The 48-year-old actress has returned as the formidable but selfless housekeeper for season 7, with James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) thriving at Skeldale House alongside business partner Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West).
Who is Geoffrey Streatfeild?
Streatfeild is an actor experienced in film, television, stage and radio. His notable roles include The Other Boleyn Girl and Kinky Boots. Fans may also recognise him from Spooks, where he joined the final series in 2011 as Calum Reed, a Junior Case Officer at MI5, and from the satirical show The Thick of It.
Madeley, known for roles in Deadwater Fell, Mr Selfridge, and Utopia, began her acting career on television but has also earned acclaim for her work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She was not raised in a theatrical household, as both her parents were scientists, and she once completed a PhD in neuroscience.
Balancing work and relationship
Madeley has acknowledged that collaborating with her partner in her working life does not always run smoothly. She told Medium: "It’s one of those things: You either have someone who really understands your industry and gets it, but then you’ve got the double whammy of those insecurities."
She added: "And it can be quite hard if one of you has a permanent, regular job in a particular place, and one of you needs to be able to come and go and do different things. I think it’s hard whichever way ‘round."
While the couple have been pictured together on the red carpet, they tend to keep details of their relationship out of the spotlight. Both are busy in their careers, with Streatfeild appearing in Helen Edmundson's play Some Woman at the National Theatre.
Mrs Hall's role in season 7
Madeley recently spoke to press about the latest season, touching on the relationship between her best friend Dorothy (Maimie McCoy) and Siegfried, as fans continue to vouch for a Siegfried and Mrs Hall romance. She shared: "She knows they’ve liked each other in the past and sees there is still a spark between the two of them [Dorothy and Siegfried]."
She added: "She sees these two people who she cares deeply about in different ways and sees that there is something that might make them both happy, so does her best to serve that. If they are happy together, that makes her happy. She slightly takes herself out of the equation and allows them to have their time."
Madeley also noted: "Dorothy has a little blind spot about Siegfried’s behaviour and how he conducts himself, an eye-opener in some ways, because Mrs Hall sees the relationship from both sides in a way she hasn’t before." All Creatures Great and Small airs on Channel 5 on Thursdays at 9pm.
