Lily Allen has opened up about how the character she plays in brand new comedy-drama Dreamland resonates with her, as the series premieres on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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The series follows Mel O'Sullivan (Allen), who returns to her close-knit family in Margate after time spent working abroad – but little do they know that she's keeping a devastating secret.

Freema Agyeman co-stars as Mel's older sister Trish, who is the least forgiving of her past stunts as she has been going through a tough time of her own, with their feud being a key focus of the series.

Allen told RadioTimes.com that the dynamic was relatable to her: “She has a really complicated relationship with some members of her family, and I have complicated relationships with some people in mine.

"She bottles things up, she’s not very good at communicating her feelings and I think that's where she gets into a lot of trouble really. She feels all these things really strongly but doesn't share them with anyone."

She continued: "So she's her own worst enemy. But I hope that in 10 years’ time she's going to be the happiest person in the world.”

The character of Mel is still trying to recover from a terrible mistake, which could render her unsympathetic to some viewers, but Allen wants viewers to look for the grey areas in the story.

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“I hope that I've done her justice, that people will realise that just because somebody does a bad thing, doesn't mean they're necessarily a bad person," she said.

"Especially in this day and age, when it does seem to be quite black-and-white. Like, you’ve done a bad thing, you are cancelled. I felt for everyone involved.”

The Dreamland cast and creative team is primarily female, which Allen added was "very refreshing" after so many years spent working in the male-dominated music industry.

Dreamland is available on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW on Thursday 6th April 2023 – sign up for Sky TV here.

Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Drama hub for the latest news.

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Authors

David Craig
David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.

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