Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - Suranne Jones

Episode Date: July 16, 2025

We said it last week, but this time it really does feel like the hottest day of the year… joining us for lunch is the gorgeous actress Suranne Jones! Star of Doctor Foster, Vigil, Gentleman Jack, and a Coronation Street icon, and this week we caught up to talk about her new TV project, ‘Hostage’. We heard about growing up in Chadderton (and how mum used to go horse riding there!), how she met her husband at a wedding, filming Vigil during Covid lockdowns, setting up her own production company, admitting she isn’t the best cook and we even hear about her love of witches - and the Channel 4 documentary she made about them! This episode has been a very long time coming, Suranne, you were totally worth the wait as you are a total delight! Suranne’s new series Hostage launches on Netflix on the 21st August. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners. I'm Jessie Ware and I am in Lenny. You're looking so glamorous today, Mum. Why, darling? I don't know. Maybe it's the green. I have literally rolled in from Glastonbury. Yes, I know. And so this is why my voice is slightly husky. I've still got the hair slicked back from

Saturday night. Yeah. So apologies for the visual on this because Did you have a lovely time? I had such a great time. Stayed in Campervan. I know. Had a really nice time. Made cups of tea and bacon baps in the morning. And you could sit down. Yeah it was great. I loved it. Rommie would come over with her wife to come and say hi and we'd have a little chat and a debrief of our night because we were in the same field.

Who was your favourite? Alanis Morissette was incredible. The Maccabees was phenomenal and I was very lucky to perform on the Saturday night with the best gig of the whole thing. Which was, I'd never heard a crowd scream like that. And the football chant for Sir Ian McKellen. Sir Ian McKellen. Sir Ian McKellen. It was bonkers.

It was really, really fun. Good. I had the best time ever, but I am a bit croaky and need to maybe sleep a bit more. Okay. Saw lots of people come up to me saying they love the podcast. Good.

Love Lenny asked if you were there. No. No. Don't fancy it anymore. Not for me, darling they love the podcast. Good. Love Lenny asked if you were there. No. No. Don't fancy it anymore. Not for me, darling. Not for you. Sure? Mum's waving a fan because it is the hottest day

of the year. Of the whole sudden year, darling. So we have the brilliant Saran Jones. So excited. Love her. So excited. She's... And guess what?

What? She comes from Chatterton, where I used to go horse riding. Well,. She's... and guess what? What? She comes from Chatterton where I used to go horse riding. Oh well that's quite... isn't that weird? Where is Chatterton? It's beyond Middleton just near Heaton Park. Oh she's a mank? Proper mank. Well she's mank, she's Chatterton. Is there a difference? It's just outside Manchester Central. I don't know if she clubs in Manchester. Oh my God, is that like saying like, you know, when people say when they're from like Winchmore Hill, they're not really in London. Yeah, kind of a bit.

Okay, got it. No, she's Manchester. So, not only have you looked after my children this weekend. Yeah. Thank you so much. Had a really good time with my gorgeous nanny though, didn't you? I had a lovely time with your nanny.

Had loads of drinks, you had a party. I flew in from LA on Wednesday morning. I then did the Arches podcast. With Emma Freud. With Emma Freud, the guy who plays Will Grundy, and the writer of all the Arches. And now I know everything you need to know about poaching. Mum, maybe you should get in the writers room

for the Arches. Maybe I should be on the archers, a guest appearance. Is that fan doing nothing? Do you think? The fan, mum, you're going to have to put the fan down. Darling, do you want me to look sweaty or fanny? I just want the people to hear the dulcet tones of Lennyweather. Okay, I love doing it, I love Emma Freud,

and she's joined our clap and what's up archers group. Oh my god. Love it. So what have you made today? It smells lovely. It's so hot. I've made an onion tart tatin. Yum.

With Roscoff onions that I got delivered that cost me 16 pounds for the key. Wow. Got them delivered from Amazon. And then I've made a lemon herb creme fraiche thing that goes on the top of it. Yum! A salad.

And then I've done a watermelon rose trifle with strawberries. Who knows what it's going to be like, but it has been chilling for a while. What's so special about a Rostkov onion? I don't know darling, they're supposed to be particularly sweet. I hope it's nice. So Sir Anne Jones is coming on to talk about her new Netflix show, Hostage. I've watched three episodes. I think I've watched four. Oh my goodness. It's compelling. She can explain it when she gets here but basically

she plays the Prime Minister and stuff goes down. Yeah it's very, very exciting. It's dramatic. She's played so very very nice. It is dramatic exciting She's played so many different parts. She was in that submarine one. What was that one? That was so good Vigil yes, so vigil and my gentleman Jack was gentleman Jack. Yeah. She's also played a GP Dr. Foster doctor Foster that was's a bad girl in that. Yep. She's not a bad girl, is she? She is. She plots against her husband. Yeah, because he's an asshole.

Yeah, he was. He deserved it. But she's just so good at everything she does. She's so brilliant, and she's a bit of a treasure to us. And this hostage show is really dramatic. It felt slightly like 24 almost. It like the drama of it. Yeah, and...

Julie Delpy. Oh, yeah. Before Sunrise and after Sunset. Is it before Sunset or after? Yeah, she plays the French Prime Minister. It's really, really, really good. And you're going to love it. And we'll be chatting to Saran about that.

I've met her very briefly. No way, darling. No, we've DM'd each that. I've met her very briefly. No, we've DM'd each other, that's what's going on. And she said that she wanted to be on the podcast ages ago, let me see, we've DM'd. She was in Scotland Bailey. Do you remember that? No, I didn't watch it.

Oh, I loved it. She was with Leslie Sharp and Amelia Bulmore. Yeah, listen, Saran Jones has been a fan of Table Miners since 2020, that's when she slid into my DM saying, love your podcast, keeping me company on my walks. Oh good. Yeah, so I'm very excited about this. Anyway, Saran Jones coming up to Table Manners. Finally we have you at the table. I'm so excited to be here. It's been a long time.

You shouldn't have brought that beautiful bowl. It's so absolutely gorgeous. I was brought up very well. That beautiful bowl. It's so absolutely gorgeous. It's like a wedding present. I wanted to bring you flowers but I think maybe it was shut, the flowers, because of the wilting. I think all the flowers are wilting. Well I think you've done better out of it. I think I have. Jesse's got her eye on it. No I can see it's very good depth. How are you?

I'm alright thanks. Yeah good, busy. Well exactly how I imagined you'd look. Just as gorgeous and warm and everything. Can I just say something right now? What? Saran's got a scrunchie on mum. Oh are you? No again scrunchies. She's like a Carrie Bradshaw. No scrunchies. Sorry. But I've got them in Saran. She says people from New York wouldn't wear scrunchies. They would now. Do you think? Yeah.

So under here is bleach blonde. So not for the hostage role, but for a role I've just done. So she's coming out of prison. She's a fraudster. And so it's all like bleach blonde. And I had it. It goes like that gingery color as well. Like you've just done sunning or something.

Yeah, exactly. So I'm on my way there again now. So it needs a good toning. So right now it's not good. You know, like the condition's not good. So the scrunchies are gonna be here for the summer, I'm afraid. You look great though in hostage.

I loved it when you slicked your hair back. Yeah, it was really cool. For the dinner. Yeah, yeah. I loved it. So my makeup designer, Lina, I was out with her yesterday for her 40th, she's so brilliant and so I had an idea that I would chop my hair off for it and then we got this

amazing hairdress called Louis Byrne and he did that like shortcut with a little flick so it's a wig at first and then as many you know like politicians do they either look awful within the first month or they have like things that are gonna like take them less time like a shortcut or whatever so we did that for that but my son hated it he was like mommy don't come and pick me up at school. Why do children hate it when you cut your hair? Because you don't look like mum. Yeah all my daughter wants is my long ponytail back. Yeah. Saran, I used to go horse riding in Chadderton. Did you? Yeah.

How? Like how? Because I lived in Preswich. Oh, right. That's where I'm from. Yeah, yeah. So, and the horse riding was in Chadderton, and it was in the kind of, it was in the shadow of a big mill around that way.

Yeah, many mills. Yes, yes. And so, and I used to go there, I was terrified. And I remember it was Chatterton. How funny, because like no one mentions Chatterton, although we did put, because I worked with a writer on hostage, that she's from Oldham, because in the first scene they talk about the Oldham FC, her football club. And then, because I was like, oh, I don't know if I want it to be exactly like from where I'm from but then actually there's something quite nice about that representation of someone who's you know that powerful. So did you ever go horse riding in Chatterton?

I'm not good with horses to be honest. Neither am I. No and so when I did... I'm frightened actually. I'm frightened of them but when I did Gentlemen Gentleman Jack, I had to shoot one. And so just before, there was a scene where I laid my head on him and took his, you know, his polymath, he does everything he's interested in and everything.

So she was taking his temperature and his heart and whatever. Oh, and I had to ride the carriage. So I went to the devil's something or other. Oh God, I stopped taking my menopause medications. Literally can't remember anything. Anyway, the devil's something, which is like a big horse riding place.

And yeah, it's like they all smell of piss, don't they? Really, like it's a really strong smell and they, and see if you brush them, it gets on you and it's like, a pissy smell. Like the strong... That's so not what I thought you were going to say. No. I can't smell that.

I take her daughter, horse, my granddaughter, horse riding over here. I'm not that keen on it because people get injured on horses. She's so keen and she just loves them and we have to feed them polos and stroke them and do everything before we leave because she loves it. But I've never noticed the wee smell. Maybe because I was grooming them, doing a bit of mucking out and all that stuff because like they as part of the method acting type thing they have me in there doing all that. So I just remember being like going to test goes afterwards and having like going oh I

don't like that smell. Do you do a lot of method for each role? Is that kind of your preparation? Not really, I mean I guess depending what the role, I love research, wasn't very good at school but I guess that's this is that's my callback to you know like something that you're interested in. So I do a lot of reading and I like to meet a lot of people and chat about the roles. As for Analysta there was a lot of research I could do obviously there was the diaries and there was a lot of historians that I could talk to pictures that I could see so I get quite geeky about that. For Vigil I did meet someone, a detective obviously.

Did you ever go in a submarine? No. Okay fine. Well no because it was a huge set in Glasgow and then we went into COVID, so that was really difficult because they had to take the sets apart and they reduced the amount of extras and it got quite stressful because shooting in a submarine of all things in the middle of COVID was in your bubbles. I remember just everyone being really anxious. I mean that came across on the telly like which was probably quite good but so yeah I geeked out before but when I'm doing it no I just kind of get on with it because. Which politicians did you speak to before this? I don't

think I'm allowed to say but I did speak to three really high up women from different parties and I'd read their books and I interviewed them and that was very exciting. I don't know which party you are in this. No and you shouldn't, you should kind of know. I kind of got your left wing, your Labour. Yes. But then I'm not very happy about the lack of prescriptions.

But is that a left over from Brexit? I don't think you're allowed to specify. But you will all know. Let's talk about Hostage because I think I've watched four episodes. Congrats, it feels like everyone's gonna be discussing it, watching it, it's really captivating, it's gripping, it's stressful.

Great cast. Great cast. Julie Delpy, like, stressful, great cast. Great cast. Julie Delpy, like, was she lovely? Yeah, amazing. Like, fun to be around, amazing stories, as you would expect. Did she give you any Ethan Hawke stories about filming? No, but there was a lot of stories

that are like unrepeatable, like in the makeup trailer, she was one of those that you're just like, hang on a minute, everyone's, and Judy would be talking in the corner and then everyone would go quiet and go, oh my God. Great. Yeah, she was one of those. And then the stepson, he was Corey.

Yes. He would play Prince George or something. Or King George or something. Yeah, I'm sure the girls will go. He's gorgeous. He's gorgeous. And he's fat. And funny. Yeah.

And then we've got two musicians. We've got Jenny Beth. Jenny he's fab. And funny. Yeah. And then we've got two musicians. We've got Jenny Beth. Jenny Beth from Savages, yeah. Yeah. Jenny Beth, yeah. Who's she playing? She's playing the advisor to the French Prime Minister. Is she not French?

In true life. She is French. She's an amazing like, a rock star. She's like a rock star. And Ashley Thomas, Bashee, who plays my husband, who's a grime star, I know he's like, oh, yeah, he's like, oh, he's Bashee.

Yeah, and so obviously we did chemistry tests and when he came in, it was just like, oh, you're intriguing, handsome, lovely, smart, intelligent, and then we met our daughter, who is also brilliant, Izzy. And that was her first job as well. She's gorgeous. Yeah, she's really good, really super talented. Did you film the Downing Street bits in Downing Street?

No, they built, so we had this amazing, R. Will Jones was our designer. So he built a Downing Street. He designed the inside and then we built the outside streets so we could do the bits that you may or may not seen then, I think, in Four. You've seen Four? I've seen Four. I've seen She Hasn't.

Yeah, because we needed to build the exterior. You've played Prime Minister, detectives, a badum, a doctor, a GP, a really kind of degenerate policewoman with Leslie Shaw, where I was worried about your choice of men and your alcoholism at the time. Yeah, yeah and you've played gay people, you've been married to a woman, individual. Who do you like playing? Do you like being powerful like Prime Minister? I think what I wanted to do was, so I set off my business with my husband a couple of years ago and because of the situation that I'd had that I wasn't very happy in and the people that I was working with I was like oh I just I

want nice people around and I want to create, I want to find new talent, I want to create my teams. So these last three jobs are really special to me because they all came out of that kind of wave of knowing what I've loved and then what I wanted to go on to. So the producing has been great. I think that now I'm kind of there from the start, the middle and the end, three times as much work and it's knackering as well with the family and all that.

You're a producer on this as well. Yeah, last three. Yeah. So that would have been, the end three times as much work and it's knackering as well with a family and all that. Are you a producer on this as well? Yeah. Last three. So that would have been the last three. Is hostage, frauds and I play Amy Lewood's mum in a comedy coming up which is called Film Club. I did that one for love, I'm not producer on that one and then these two I've been a creator and then just a producer and actor on this one. And it's satisfying. Can we take it back to Chatterton and tell us who was round the dinner table and what you were eating? Chatterton, so I always remember Chatterton there was a big window and the dinner table was round

and it was like you pulled half of it down so it was a semicircle and we'd have like cows there was a big pylon outside and then we'd have cows and then a horse called Tango they could come right up to the window so would often you'd be in your Sunday lunch and then you'd have them like literally looking into your horse no no it was just named her farmers field which was then next to a road it doesn't sound as as nice as I'm painting it but it was just next to a farmer's field, which was then next to a road, it doesn't sound as nice as I'm painting it but it was cute and then there was a park up the road and so that'd be my dad, my mum and my brother. Always in the same seats? Always in the same seats, yes. A doorbell going, one of

my mates coming in you know like wanting a bit which my dad would get really pissed off at because he'd be like, we've made enough food for us and now you're bringing your bloody mates round. Really annoyed. And then so they'd have to sit on the sofa, which is, we had a kind of a small house, so it would all be in one room, in the living room. Yeah.

And what was a particularly memorable dish? Well, when I say, oh, my dad's always annoyed at not having enough so that would that took me right back to a tater ash. Tater ash? What's that? Hash? Potato hash?

Yeah like a potato with corned beef hash. You can do it with corned beef but we did it with mince. Is it? Is it? Potatoes gravy. Tater ash or hash? Hash. Oh right but it sounds.

Potato hash. Oh right. Tater ash. Okay. Yeah with northern hash. Oh, right. But it's a hash. All right, Tato. Okay, Northern. Yeah, I love that Yeah, but I think corned beef hashes the thing isn't it but we call it Tater Ash So did you just kind of mix instead of it being like a layer of mince and then the potato like a shepherd's pie or a? Cottage pie you mix it all in together Yeah, onions potatoes carrots sometimes, a stock and it would just be like literally potatoes, mince and gravy. Or boiled at the same time. Was it mince meat or was it corn

beef? Mince meat but my nan did corn beef. Did you like corn beef? I didn't like the corn beef. I don't know the last time I had a corn beef. No it's not really people don't really have it now. Why is it called corned beef? Because the way it's, they tin it, I mean it's probably about ten years old by the time you eat it. Oh really? It's in a tin yeah. But I would do, if you gave me a corned beef sandwich with brown sauce and I would really enjoy that. It's so salty isn't it? It's a saltiness and I like the texture. Yeah and put put a viennetta from Probably love the end. Yeah, it was kind of like there was always a roast dinner on the Sunday on a Sunday It's church and we went to church. Yeah, not my dad my mom my nan and me my brother until we got old enough to say

No, sorry. Fuck that I'm and me and my brother until we got old enough to say, no, sorry, fuck that. Would you go to church now? No, I don't. But you do lots of Christian aid. I used to, yeah, and still would. But for me, I guess I had a lot of gay mates when I was younger. And that's the first sign to go, actually, certainly then to go, hmm, this is not aligning with the Catholic Church and your views.

And so probably that's when I first started to fall out and find my own way. And you know, I've just done a documentary on witches. You know, my thing is what serves you spiritually? I like crystals and I like healing and I like back to nature and I- Do you see a get on grade? Me and you, yeah.

She's always got a crystal going. Yeah, you should watch it. My Reiki lady just asked me if I needed a session this week because our post-Clastambury. Yes, do it. Yeah, yeah. Do you have Reiki? Yeah, yeah. I'll do...

I think I need it. Yeah. It's lovely. Yeah, just to put your like center back together Where do you get all your crystals from different places but from my travels? so the documentary I got some really good ones because I went to Salem and Germany and then I met these amazing witches on Pendle Hill and we did a full moon ceremony on Pendle Hill with the witches and

they were like Well, they were just like, right we are gathered here today to do, you know there were some like, witches dressed like traditional witches and there were some like people with bobby hats on and like scarves, just normal mums. Oh so you had like an alphabet there with the proper hands? Oh yeah she, yeah because that's how she rolls. Love it.

Oh I bet you loved Wicked. Oh Wicked, I love W how she rolls. Love it. I bet you loved Wicked. Oh I love Wicked so much. Yeah, so I've collected crystals as I've gone on the way and then there's a place in Norfolk that I love as well called Pukies. So Saram, besides your cauldron, what do you cook when you're at home? Very good, Annie. Yeah, very good. I'm not a good cook. Are you not? No, I'm not and I wish I could be better. But you have to, you've got a child. I know.

Fuck off, mum. Someone's got to cook. She can go to the shops and get some, she can have somebody else cook it. I do feed him and one of the best things ever is when he eats a full plate of food, it's so satisfactory. It's beautiful beautiful so like when we take him out for Sunday lunch and he's got gravy everywhere and I'm just like oh my god this is so... Are you sure you're not Jewish? Maybe, maybe somewhere down the line but I just that makes me so happy. The thrill of people eating. How old is he? Nine yeah but no I'm not I'm just not very good I do try and I take every summer off and my husband always

says oh I wonder what mum's making us Like what surprise will be in this dish because I try and experiment but it's yeah, it's not so well I think I think is always great, but they always yeah, I think they prefer to eat out What's your favorite cuisine then if you're going out? I love Italian. I love Indian. Not too spicy though, especially now with a pair of menopause. Do you think that's changed your tolerance? Yeah, things make me so hot and...

Maybe that's why I don't like spicy. Are you going through the menopause? No, darling. How many women have you had on this show talking about menopause? Quite a lot actually. Yeah and I feel like it's being allowed to be talked about more. It feels like more open right? Yeah yeah.

Sarah Cox was talking about menopause. Yeah. We've had loads of people talking about menopause. Are you hungry? Starving. Yeah because it's kind of late and that's probably my fault because I had to get back from Fast and Furious. Of course. So thank you. Yeah, because it's kind of late and that's probably my fault because I had to get back from Glastonbury. Yes, I know and I was gonna come later, but I've got to pick my little boy up because my husband...

So we are president and patrons of a little theatre in Norfolk in Sheringham. So he has written a play for them. So he's going off to Norfolk to do that. And you've got to... And I've got to pick the boy up. Yeah, fair enough. Yeah, thank you. So whilst mum gets some of the food ready I've done nothing by the way I'm just letting you know yeah mum has done everything okay gorgeous what would be

something that you would cook us then out of your tiny repertoire no but like you know a first year out of your your repertoire I'd love to know but also is there anyone that's gone particularly wrong when you've tried to experiment? So when me and Laurence first met, I'd do sandwiches for him, to send him to work with sandwiches. And so I'd often put like ingredients,

you know, like slipper gherkin in a sandwich that wouldn't, or maybe a bit of like jam or whatever. So it's that kind of thing that you're possibly isn't to everyone's taste but might be to mine but oh so you'd have like jam in a cheese and some whatever you know and just put that aside yeah you know a chutney yeah or like you know a quince jelly goes with the manchego I don't think you're too far off exactly I think you know what I think I'm quite jealous of people that can just knock up like a big... You can! I can't knock up. I think that's why I'm a bit obsessed with like this podcast or anything to do with food, watching

people who have the confidence to just throw things together. Whereas I'd go in tonight if it was me doing my son's tea. I'd do a tuna steak maybe or a salmon it's not like I literally can't do anything. Would he eat a tuna steak? Yeah he would. My eight-year-old's into sushi. Yeah. Less of the kind of fishy ones she really just liked the cucumber and the avocado but she would do the salmon. Yeah he'd eat salmon steak, he'd eat tuna with rice and a drizzle of something, loves soy sauce, loves marmite, I think he likes kind of salty-ish. I love marmite. I have really imposed it on my children.

And they do? Yeah, they love it. Yeah, it's worked. So I'll put that in gravy and stuff and I can do a roast dinner. So I think like the basics are covered off but no I mean like hey whatever it is that you're gonna give me now I'm gonna be well jealous yeah it's just that thing isn't it of like I do it a boiled egg and a salad or I'll do very simple stuff but I don't think I was I wasn't brought up with someone that cooked we had a lot of Fender's crispy pancakes we had a lot of miniinda's crispy pancakes, we had a lot of mini Kievs. Delicious though, I remember when they were very in vogue.

Yeah. And mum would get them once in a while and I'd be like, oh my God, we're having a chicken kebab. Yeah. Boil in the bag cod, loved it with the parsley sauce. Boil in the bag beef curry. Oh, I never had that. Which was like powder and then you,

and boiling, that was what my dad would make. But then they'd do a Sunday dinner and then it started to creep into like spag bol, which obviously I can do, and simple curries. I think, you know, when you're busy and you're literally working all hours, I find it quite hard to look after myself. Right.

So maybe I just don't bring it home because I'm away for months at a time. Like the beginning of this year I was away for four months. Where were you? In Tenerife and it's tricky. Quite a good time to be in Tenerife though. It was hot. Yeah. It's hard being away from your kids. But I was away for a long time. This is an onion tartar sauce. That looks amazing. Delicious. I've never cooked before. It does smell nice. It's like giving me like, it's like making my saliva glands go. So tell me how you did that.

I bought Roscoff onions because he said they were the best. They seem to be sweeter. You caramelize this with sugar and butter and sherry vinegar. So you chop them all up? Chop them up. Then you put them in a skillet thing

and then you put butter and sugar on the bottom and sherry vinegar. You put the pastry on the top and then you cook it on the stove for 20 minutes, rotating every five minutes and then put it in the oven for 20 minutes. So you could do that. I could do that. You could do that. So's easy. So the question is, I think, really, because I could do that, and I often think I could do that, and I save lots of recipes, etc. What stops me from doing it is maybe... Fear. Fear, or just... The faff. Darling, have that on top. Thank you. And this is? It's creme fraiche with chives, parsley and lemon. Would you like some salad or bread? Yeah I'll take salad please. Do you like it? I do, good. Yeah it is delicious. Thanks mum. Oh good. Yeah, it is delicious.

Thanks, mum. So your connection to Norfolk, is it through your husband? We went there on an anniversary to Goldstone Black in Stock. He's a chef that my husband knew when, because my husband used to work in TV years ago. And- Is that how you met?

No, we met at Sally Lindsay and Steve White's wedding. So Sally Lindsay was in Corrie with me. And Laurence used to do press. And that's how we met. Steve, Steve's the only one who used to drunk for Paul Weller. You met at a wedding. This sounds like a rom-com. Was it like a rom-com? Errr... no, not really.

Well, there was rom-com elements. But we met at the wedding and he was chatting to me. And he put... it was chatting to me and he put it was starting to rain so he put his jacket over me I was like oh who's this bloke? Oh how nice. Were you quite irritated or were you like hang on this is you know shivering? Yeah I know I just thought oh interesting and then we then we started chatting he was quite funny then there was shared toilet so. God where's this going? No no no, no.

No, God, no, people were like throwing up in them by the end of the night. It was that kind of wedding. And then there's a picture of us on the night that we met, and I was wearing a purple dress and he was wearing a purple tie because there was a wedding photographer, so that's quite sweet that we have that like picture. And then I was dancing with my mate guy and Lawrence came up to

us and I was thinking you know this guy's gonna come and try and ask me I want to dance he did but he didn't take me he took my friend so he said fancy a dance and then took my mate who was a boy and whisked him around the dance floor which obviously was a very good move because that was very funny. And my mate was like, woo, woo! And got all hot and he was like,

oh, he's quite fit. Yeah, he knew what he was doing. Yeah, he did, yeah. And then I was in a play called Orlando, Oh yes. Virginia Woolf. So I went back to Manchester and I was concentrating on that.

And then at the Christmas I got a text because we'd swapped numbers and he was like, hey, how are you? And then he came to watch the play. And then we got engaged, like five months after, and married nine months after that. And then a baby. It was really quick.

Do you want some more, Jess? Yeah, delicious. Do you like it? It's really good. Delicious. Yeah. Where did you get married? It's really good. Delicious. Yeah. Where did you get married? It was just me and him, Islington, town hall.

Love Islington. Yeah. It's such a great place to get married. It was sweet and we had a photographer who was a witness and a makeup artist who was a witness and that was it. Where did you go for your dinner afterwards? The Bingham in Richmond.

So you slept all the way from Islington to Richmond. I don't know why we did that, but maybe someone had just told us about the Bingham. So who came to that? Just four of you? No, so at the time, my dad was still around, but my mom, we'd lost my mom. Oh, I'm sorry.

Thank you. And so we decided that we were gonna do, we just wanted it ourselves. And as well, I just wanted that for me. And not everybody had met him either. Because it had been quite quick. Yeah. So I didn't want it to be, I didn't want anyone going,

who's this? Or any of those questions. Or I just wanted it just to be me and him. So we took my mom and dad's wedding album. And there's pictures of us looking at the wedding album and then we played their song at the wedding and all that. And then we had like a playlist and so I made sure we included in that way.

And also, you know, we'd obviously told my dad that what we wanted to do and then we said we were going to have a party. Well, we got back and then we never had a party. Oh, mate. You need to have, when's your anniversary? Tenth is coming up, actually, so we could do that, yeah. Yeah, because life just got in the way

and we just didn't do it, but we absolutely should. Can I go in again? Yes, you bloody can. Oh, I'm so pleased you like it. Thank you, I do. Do you think it was worth it for the onions? I really do. Those, yeah.

Yeah, but the sherry vinegars made them sweet. This is like a perfect lunch. Thank you. I'm sorry, I didn't know what to make because of the timing. So, oh god. 16 pounds of them all go in there. Now start thinking, you know this podcast, because me and you have been messaging since 2020.

I looked and you saying that you loved it. It must have been during Covid, I feel like, that you were going on these walks. You were saying you accompany me on walks. I looked too. So you'd asked me to come on. My reason for not coming on is because I wanted to come and meet you and eat your food. That's what I said.

And then I felt bad. I was like, oh no, maybe I should just do it because people need things to listen to. But I was so adamant that I wanted to come meet you properly and not answer any yeah So I'm also anything with food. I'm like I want to eat the food You know the drills around you need to give us your last supper Start at main hood and drink of choice. So it would be an old-fashioned 70s prawn cocktail do a lot of people say that? Yeah.

Yeah. It's really weird. It's come back, hasn't it Jess? Prawn cocktail. But where have you had, like, where's your memory of that, that you really love it? The schoolhouse in Middleton,

which was a restaurant that all the family used to go to. So it was the only restaurant. So everyone's birthday, everyone's, you know, it was that restaurant. And my nana birth, my granddad, Bob, when everyone was that restaurant and my nan had birthed my granddad Bob when everyone was alive because we've lost so many people in the family, my mom, my dad, my auntie Barbara, my uncle Lawrence, they've all gone like which is gone too. Yeah, so there's so many so when I think of that oh god I

could cry. Don't you make me cry. It hits you sometimes doesn Yeah, it hits you. And you think, I wish they were here. Yeah, especially when you talk about a table like that of like so many people. My nana always used to, I've got like a little mole on my arm. My nana always used to scratch my arm because she thought it was gravy. And it's a big mole. She must've done it every time we went out.

So it was there. So that's the posh starter would be that. so I'd probably jazz it up a bit now and we always had black forest ghetto because they'd wheel out the Yeah, I wish there were dessert trolleys now because you never really know what you want from the menu Yeah, right bring back dessert trolley exactly and then my Nana would always say can we have a doggy bag? Which my husband still does for Pippin and Pippin was this fucking massive Labrador that wasn't that I don't know if didn't need the doggy back didn't need the doggy back Don't know if Pippin had legs because I never saw Pippin walk

It was literally like a puddle of a dog in the corner of my Nana's house And so wrapped up in foil and they do like a handle. Oh you make it like a swan yeah. So and then we'd go for a walk in the garden so that's good memories of that and then I'd have my dad's steak and mash which is like a braised steak with a gravy with onions in and carrots very sweet the heat I said to him could you write it down for me because my mum had gone and I said dad I just need you to write it down but oh right well you write it. I said no I want it in your handwriting right and then I've got a picture of it because it didn't last because he'd

he'd written in his shitty pencil you know and it had stains on it and it was just yeah but I have a picture of it and so and he'd, don't know how much, you know, on one bit and very sweet and I made it for my son recently and he said, yeah, it's all right. But I had such an emotional- Did it taste like your dad's? Not quite, no. No, not quite, but maybe the steak was wrong.

The steak was a bit tough. Or maybe it was just what the seasoning, like it was Bisto or something that he might have just yeah Because his steak was so soft and you just have to cook it forever. Oh, yeah, that's all Oh, okay. I promise you well, they'll go in just in four hours job. Yeah. Yeah So that with mash and I don't really eat mash now, but I'd have that with buttery buttery mash. What's your drink? Champagne probably. I've got some in there but it's too hot today to drink. I've never heard you say that. It's even too hot for me. Really?

Even too hot for Rosa? Yeah well I've got a bottle going yeah in case. We haven't got your dessert. Would it be the black forest gatto on the trolley? No, I think it would be frozen berries with a white chocolate sauce. Ooh. Which I think they used to serve. Where did they serve it? In the Ivy. So that reminds me of when I first had money and I'd be able to go to, you know, a nice restaurant. So when I was in Corry and because the Ivy, they used to put ketchup on the tables,

didn't they, as well? Like, I'm sure they did, because it felt like, I'm okay to be in here. You know, that kind of crossover between, a, growing up, going from being a barmaid to then, you know, 20 million people watching you get married on a soap. And also back then in Manchester, and then 20 million people watching you get married on a soap.

And also back then in Manchester, Man United and Corrie were really huge. Now it's always so saturated and there's a lot of, so much content, but then it was less and it was intense. Yeah, because in Manchester, if you're in Corrie, it's like you're a god, aren't you? You're kind of a princess or god. It's wow mom Love What is this? I don't, well, rose and watermelon trifle

Oh, watermelon Watermelon Wait, you don't even like watermelon, why have you done this? I do like it quite a bit As in it could be too wet underneath for me It may just be a weird consistency But the actual bottom bit is... It's very refreshing though. Yeah. Yeah, that looks alright. Oh that looks sturdy. Oh no,

that is, there's a whole layer of watermelon. Mmm. I've never had watermelon with cream. Neither have I, but you are now. Right. And the bottom, the cakey bit is called, it's an almond dacquise. So it's almonds. Did you have to make it? Yeah. Wow, mom. So I made this this morning. Do you both have sweet tooths?

No, not really. Less, but I will eat this and enjoy it. Yeah, I've developed a sweet tooth, yeah. All right, let's try this. What do you think? Hold on. Do you like it? It's quite heavy on the rose water, mom.

Hold on. But that was the whole point, darling. So do quite heavy on the rose water, ma'am. Hold on. But that was the whole point, darling. So do you infuse the watermelon with the rose water? Yeah. Yeah. It's the watermelon. That's quite interesting. Oh, it's nice. Oh, I quite like it. That almond thing's really good.

Do you like it? Mm. It's a bit different, isn't it? Rose always reminds me of, you know when you had a baby doll? You know the smell of a baby doll's head? It's the plastic, isn't it, of the baby doll, but whenever I smell rose, it takes me back to...

What do you think? So at the moment, you think you're eating baby dolls. So do you think this is a good combo? It's really peculiar, but it's kind of working for me. Did you get this from somewhere, or you just thought, I didn't make it up? No. It's from the New York Times.

And I just saw it on Instagram but I quite like the rose water on the melon and it's nice and crunchy for a change. Jessie you're not sure. No it's just there's a lot going on but it's kind of really refreshing. I knew it was going to be a hot day and I thought watermelon will do us. I love it. So it must have been like all eyes on you when you were living in Manchester it was like getting to any club, any and I thought, watermelon will do us. I love it. So it must have been like all eyes on you when you were living in Manchester, it was like getting to any club, any restaurant, no doubt.

Yeah. Did any footballers approach you to go out on dates? No, but I saw a lot of footballers all the time on Deansgate lot. And that lasted through kind of like exactly my time at Corrie, so that's's I was in Corrie 26 years ago which just feels like a lifetime away. So it was around that time when Hunter Bex left by that point maybe? I know Ryan Giggs was big at the time and Paul Skolls who also went to my school. Oh really?

So yes Paul Skolls went to my school and Steve Coogan went to my school. Steve Coogan's brother taught me history. Oh my god. At Cardinal Langley. And it was huge. It was like, you know, paps were chasing us and it was all, it was just a different time. You know, you must remember from being, coming up in the... But like, I've never had paps. Like, I can't even imagine how that must have been.

Not fun. Not fun. Not when you're young, I don't think. And also it was around the time of, I mean it is now and it's certainly coming back now, but of people needing to look a certain way and all of that, ring of shame. That's the era that we're talking about. Oh, the heat magazine, like all the, yeah. Yeah. Darling, do you want a bit more? I'm gonna have more.

Oh, I'm so pleased. Yeah. Do you feel like, I mean, because I think of you as quite private, you know, you do your work, you're not at the opening of an envelope, you do great work and we don't know a lot about your private life, which is like, but then it's so mad. Do you think that's been a reaction? Huge reaction. From that time inquiry?

Yeah, because I think I was in the press a lot back then and I had people outside my house. I was being followed. I do think it was A particular time And everyone was so young, you know, like we were all like mid-twenties. I didn't go to university So that's my that was my university. I think Really finding yourself all of that and then all the awards I won quite a lot of awards then because people loved Karen because she was kind of feisty. People thought I was maybe like Karen.

So I think the press loved the character and wanted something interesting for me. So when I joined, we went from three to four or four to five episodes, I can't remember what it was, but it was a huge shift. So we were just in more episodes episodes more times in people's living rooms And like I said, Karen was really wild. So people just thought that I was Which I was thank you

Sure, you're kind of 830 to bed girl then no, okay. No, I was I was out partying. I was going to everything I was enjoying myself. Yeah, I was dating and I was doing was out partying. I was going to everything. I was enjoying myself. Yeah, I was Dating I was doing all of that. Yeah with my Corrie group that I still like get on with now, you know It's a me Sally and Jenny and Jenny Mac Jenny James Sally Lindsay and myself Anthony cotton under a long stale There was so many of us that we're just kind of thrown into it all and we were really enjoying it before we let you go Which I don't really want to let you go, but can you tell us any of your favorite spots to eat in? An Italian that you love?

I love Claridge's. I love Claridge's. I do, who's the chef there now? I don't know. Used to be Gordon Ramsay. It's a different chef now. I love the whole thingy of it. Going in, and then the floor, everything.

Yeah, everything. Like the car nile. Yeah, so I like to car nile. Yeah. So I like to dress up and go with my hubby for if we have a special, we call it the Tea Maker's Christmas lunch, but there's only me and him that's in our production company, so that's our Christmas lunch. Tea Maker's, is that the production company? Yeah. So how do you like your tea?

I can't drink tea since I had my boy. Why? Loved tea. Loved it. And then, is it the tannin in it? It was so strong that I went out for an afternoon tea and I was like, oh my god, the smell is awful. And then from that point on, I could be upstairs and Laurence could be making tea and it was like, it stinks.

How are you doing with red wine? That's got tannin. Oh, I don't know How you doing with red wine? That's got the name. Oh, I don't know, don't drink red wine. But that's a shame that your production company's gone. But so yeah, so Tea Makers or Team Acres. So my second name is Acres. Okay, fine, clever.

Because I thought, god, you're really stuck with that now, right? Yeah, yeah, no, yeah, coffee, coffee makers isn't as, it rolls off the tongue. And then I love Balthazar for just popping into town. Where is Balthazar? Since Covent Garden. I've never been to the one in London, actually.

You may have already answered this around, but can you give us a taste that can transport you back somewhere? Or a scent. I'm trying to think of like my mom oh no I know Battenberg like a slice of Battenberg it's my mom and my nana so we'd go to my nana's house and she'd give me a pound whenever we went to my nana's house. Is this Bertha? Nanna Bertha yeah and a slice of Battenberg and she'd also always put a plate out with whatever biscuits she had in and then whatever crisps she had in you know like as in she just wanted to she was a feeder and

the Battenberg is the thing and then my mum loved the Battenberg as well. Not that I buy it much but... What would we if we came to your house and we opened your fridge what would we find in there? A lot of eggs. Loads. How do you have your eggs? We just boil them but like so we've got always a boiled egg to pick up. Saram, we're very similar. Yeah. Me and my kids love a hard-boiled egg. Hard-boiled egg, yeah.

Pop it in as a snack, butter in a cup, salt and pepper, or egg mayonnaise. Gorgeous. Delicious. So many things for that. Do you use salad cream or mayo? I love a salad cream. Do you like karaoke? Not keen. Well, actually, talking talk about Cory there was a place called the Press Club in Manchester And so I would always get up and have a sing. What song?

Well now I just think oh my god, I did that so so many times I loved Bette Midler, still love Bette Midler, but the Rose. I would always bang out the Rose But it's not a very light upbeat song. I love Diana Ross so maybe a supreme song or do you like karaoke? I've actually never done it but I do love the idea of it. Can you sing? No not really. I can hold a tune but I think that's gonna be our team Christmas outing. I thought we were going to an escape room. Do you want to go to escape rooms? I love that idea too. I think we should do an escape room. Not eat this year.

Just to really kill each other. It'll be like a squid game with me and you. I would like to see that. So it will be documented. Saran, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Good luck with Hostage. And I can't wait for the Witches documentary. It's on now.

You can watch it on Channel 4. Yes, get on it. Oh, okay, great. I'm going to. And I'm excited about this Tenerife project that you did earlier this year. That's forwards coming up. And just thank you so much for taking the time. Thank you. Thanks for having me. After Gassenbury as well and in the heat. No, it's a pleasure.

It's anything for you. I love Saran Jones. She is just fab. She is gorgeous, lovely, interesting, open, gives good prezies. And it had second helping, so we just love her. You can come again. She had second helping. And I was going to say she's just your cup of tea, but that probably wouldn't be very out now. Hostage is going to be out in August on Netflix with a brilliant, brilliant cast. It will be the one to watch. Yeah, absolutely.

You come back from your holes, need cheering up, watch hostage, gripping. Mum, the food was so nice. I loved that tart to tan, wasn't it good? There's no but, I'm waiting for it. I'm not sure about the watermelon in, I'm not sure. I would have almost, I think it's really interesting. It was different. It was really different. That's why I did it. And incredibly refreshing. I think have almost, I think it's really interesting. It was different.

It was really different. That's why I did it. And incredibly refreshing. I think if I was going to do it again, I'd just do strawberries. But strawberries are sweeter. And then it would be too sweet. And I just thought the water, look, I'm not sure I would do it in the winter. No. I think that it's just interesting because it was a hot day.

Yeah, it was such a great idea. Yeah, it was cool. It was refreshing. It wasn't heavy. The dacquise was a bit of a fact. But that was so delicious. The almond bit. That was amazing. Did you like it? Little crunchy, spongy almond bit.

Yum. That was five egg whites. Oh yeah. And ground almonds. They clearly don't have ground almonds in America because he told me to grind my almonds. I'm not doing that love. We'll see you next week for more Tate and Mummers.

We will. Hopefully it'll be slightly less hot. Yeah, maybe. I'm going to go ahead and close the door.