Siân Brooke has revealed that her dramatic role in Blue Lights has "got" to her, disclosing how her famous husband was forced to issue a warning when she became too involved in her character. Siân reprises her role as Constable Grace Ellis in the new series of the Northern Ireland-set BBC drama tonight (September 29).
Role influences behaviour off-screen
The hard-hitting BAFTA-winning show follows a group of Belfast police officers as they confront criminal gangs and "divided communities". Now four series in, it appears the programme has begun to influence Siân's behaviour away from the cameras. She suggested that it has impacted how she conducts herself on the streets, revealing she recently spotted some "dodgy-looking activity" in London.
She even went as far as carrying out a "drive-by", much to the alarm of her director husband, Bill Buckhurst. Bill, who has helmed stage productions of Sister Act and 101 Dalmatians, was compelled to remind her she wasn't actually a serving officer.
Husband's warning after 'drive-by'
She told The Guardian: "I noticed some dodgy-looking activity not far from where we live in London. I'd driven past a few times and was suspicious."
"I told my husband that the last time I went past, I slowed down and did a drive-by, so they'd know their untoward behaviour had been rumbled. My husband said: 'You can't do that, Siân. You're not a real cop!'"
Cast and plot details for series four
Joining her in what has been billed as the "boldest series yet" are returning cast members Martin McCann, Katherine Devlin, Nathan Braniff, Andi Osho, Michael Smiley, and Joanne Crawford, alongside Richard Dormer as Gerry Cliff.
A synopsis states: "Three years into their jobs as response officers, Constables Grace Ellis, Tommy Foster, and Annie Conlon are operating at their limit, facing a new threat on the streets that the police can barely control."
"Meanwhile, the murder trial of Gerry Cliff exposes a dangerous and long-buried secret that leads to chaos both inside the police and across the criminal underworld."
"As they grapple with big decisions about their future, Grace, Tommy and Annie must find the courage to face the greatest threat they have ever encountered: the truth."
Broadcast details and themes
Scheduled to air from 9pm to 10pm on BBC One this evening, Blue Lights series four will run across six episodes. Regarding what audiences can anticipate, Siân previously revealed the core themes are "human kindness" and "home".
She explained: "The key themes of the show this series are human kindness and the theme of home and what that means to people."
"The writers are clever in how they weave elements of what's happening in the real world with storylines from series one through to four and connect the dots."
"From the return of Gerry and what that reveals historically to how Colly fits into the jigsaw of Gerry's police life. The writers don't shy away from the seriousness of recent events in Northern Ireland."
"They've humanised those stories and taken a tough job such as policing and given it a heart too. They also don't tell you what to think. The viewer has both sides of the story."
