Jo Joyner has opened up about reuniting with her former EastEnders co-star Ann Mitchell for Channel 5 drama For Her Sins, which premieres next week.
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The series follows Laura (Joyner), a woman with a seemingly perfect life, whose private struggles are exacerbated by the arrival of a mysterious stranger intent on destroying her.
Mitchell plays Laura's mother, Maggie, who is described by Joyner as "a powerful woman", but the Stay Close alum added that her casting was not a deliberate nod to the BBC One soap they worked on together.
"When they cast, they didn’t realise – it wasn't a conscious thing," she told RadioTimes.com and other press. "Very often when you work with somebody, a sad part of the end of the job is you know you're very unlikely to be cast with them again.
"I loved working with Jake Wood, I know very rarely will we ever be husband and wife again. It’s unlikely we’ll ever be in the same show. It was really special."
She continued: "I have a huge amount of admiration for Anne. She’s such a wonderful actress and she's got such an incredible history and so many wonderful stories.
"But on the schedule of EastEnders and the atmosphere that you have on the soap – the relentless soaps – we never really got to chat or spend time with each other.
"Nobody hangs around in Borehamwood. We all go home and learn tomorrow’s stuff. It's relentless. Whereas this, we were all working away from home so at the end of the night, we could go for a glass of wine after work and talk."
Jo Joyner and Rachel Shenton in For Her Sins. Channel 5
Mitchell played Cora Cross on EastEnders – mother of Joyner's Tanya Branning – for numerous stints between 2011 and 2018, with the character earning a reputation for her brash and outspoken attitude.
Nevertheless, Joyner regards Maggie in For Her Sins as an even more formidable character.
She added: "So our relationship as mother and daughter before, she was the weaker soul that needed saving. And in this, she's incredibly powerful and she plays powerful very well. She's in charge."
For Her Sins premieres on Channel 5 at 9pm on Monday 5th June. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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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.
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
