Helen Baxendale interview
Helen Baxendale talks about playing Lorna...
What attracted you to this role Helen?
I thought the script was great and my character Lorna is quite different to the hard-nosed, serious roles I often get offered.
Tell us about Lorna, does she have a wild side?
Lorna wants everyone to be happy, to have a laugh and enjoy life. She has been slightly more experimental in her youth than her husband and so she's more open minded than him.
Are there any similarities between you and Lorna?
I share Lorna's desire to see that everyone one is happy - I don't like causing discord.
What do you think about Lorna's relationship with Ken? Do they have a good marriage?
Lorna and Ken have a great marriage, they complement each other well, they may disagree on some fundamentals but Lorna will smooth things over or ignore things so it doesn't matter.
The dynamics between the family members generate a lot of laughs, does the fun continue on set when the cameras stop rolling - did you become a close knit family off-screen as well as on-screen?
Yes, sort of, we had a really good time filming the series.
Lorna seems to warm to Cuckoo a little more than Ken, what do you think it is she likes about him?
Lorna is very concerned for Rachel when she first meets Cuckoo. However, she is quickly won over, when Cuckoo compliments her on her cooking and flirts a bit with her. She performs a volte-face, realises he absolutely loves Rachel and that she loves him, and supports them both from that moment on. She thinks he's charismatic, fun and has great depths. She enjoys his unconventional take on life.
Would you allow your daughter to marry someone like Cuckoo?
Why not!
Do you think Rachel and Cuckoo have a long future ahead together?
Yes I do think it will work out for them.
Can you give us a highlight from filming the series?
Connie's gig at the Italian Restaurant, Alexandros - I enjoyed that very much.
What was it like working with two of the funniest men in comedy from two sides of the Atlantic?
Just great, I really enjoyed working with both of them.