Suranne Jones on Coronation Street, comfort TV and taking control of her career
"The characters I chose to do after Corrie didn't have to be beautiful."
In the latest View From My Sofa, Suranne Jones opens up to Radio Times about her years on Coronation Street, moving into producing and why she's now investigating witch trials in a new documentary.
You can hear more from Suranne in the Radio Times Podcast – listen below:
What’s the view from your sofa?
We’ve got a big, green velvet sofa. We’re going to change it because it’s too low. We bought it so we could slump but we actually can’t get up. My view is of my legs, my little boy’s legs, my husband’s legs covered in a blanket – and two dogs’ heads. We’ve got bookshelves, wedding pictures and a couple of awards!
What do you enjoy watching on TV?
I watch stuff in the bath separately to the boys. At the moment, it’s a lot of shows about housewives, The Valley and Bake Off. I’ve been filming a big Netflix show and I’ve done a lot of research and reading, so when I’m relaxing, I want something mind-numbing.
Who controls the remote when you do watch together?
We both have to be invested in it! On Saturday nights, we watch shows with my little boy – Gladiators, Britain’s Got Talent. It’s only since he’s turned eight that he wants to watch TV with us, have a curry and eat snacks!
You started out in Coronation Street as Karen McDonald. As a girl who’d grown up in Greater Manchester, that must have been a brilliant role to land?
All the northerners were punching the air when I signed the contract! It was really exciting. I won awards for being mouthy and, wrongly or rightly, sexy.
That was the era of the lad mags…
It was really hard. I was at Corrie for a few months, and I was doing bikini shoots. I hadn’t even thought about my body in that way. I was going to all these awards and parties. It was full on. I was in the papers at the weekends. I was being chased by motorbikes. I had paps outside my house. It was big! But, at the same time I was enjoying myself. I was young – it was my university. That was a time where women were told they should look [a certain way] – there was no body positivity. The damage has been done for women of 40 and above. I don’t know what it’s like for younger people now, but hopefully it’s better.
Have those pressures eased over time?
The characters I chose to do after Corrie didn’t have to be beautiful. I decided what they looked like, how they moved. The pressure now is – am I strong enough? Will I get through the long shooting days? It’s about being healthy for my son. I don’t have any kind of Botox, but I do look after my skin. I try to eat well but I also shove cake in my gob. It’s about balance, isn’t it?
In 2018, you had a mental health breakdown following the loss of your mother and triggered by working exhausting hours. What have you learnt from that experience?
I’ve learnt not to work over the summer. My son has six weeks of holiday – and
I thought, what’s the reason for that? It’s so you can experience life. Surely that’s good for adults as well? Not everyone can do that. I work intense hours for periods of time and then I take time off – which maybe I didn’t do before.
Your latest project is a documentary, Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials, made with your husband Laurence Akers by your production company, TeamAkers. Why witches?
I’ve always been intrigued by witchcraft, witch trials, wild women, feminine power and the political nature of the word “witch”. I was brought up Catholic and lost my way with that. Over the years spirituality has become a big thing for me.
Why did you want to produce?
When we started making this, I was also making I Am Victoria, which was about mental health. Then I said, “Let’s do a thriller” – which I’ve just finished filming for Netflix – in which I play the prime minister. We’ve just had another commission for a show about two female fraudsters. They’re all really strong and really different. I feel like I’m in control of my slate, what I spend my time doing, I can work around my family – and I can make sure that I’m not pigeonholed.
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Suranne Jones: Investigating Witch Trials continues at 9pm on Sunday 30th June on Channel 4.
Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
