Sheridan Smith has said playing Ann Ming, who overturned the double-jeopardy law after her daughter's murder, in a new ITV drama was the hardest role she has ever taken on.
The TV star is set to step into the shoes of the Teesside mother in 'I Fought The Law', a new four-part series starting on ITV tonight (August 31).
And, after fighting back the tears at an emotional screening in Durham on Thursday (August 28), she revealed it was one of the hardest jobs in her career.
Describing meeting Ann, 79, for the first time, she said: “I was in awe, I got really starstruck. I've done so much research on Ann.
“I was very nervous, but Ann just put me at ease straight away.
“It was really important to me that I tried to feel like, I can only imagine what Ann went through, I can't ever imagine and you're still living it.
“I know it’s just an acting job but I really wanted to try and feel the trauma, like live and breathe it and I've got to say to the crew and all you guys that work up here are amazing.
“I just wanted to make her proud.”
The series also marked the first true story Sheridan, who sat beside Ann and her family to watch the screening, has starred in since giving birth to her son Billy in 2020.
Having filmed in locations such as Billingham and Shiremoor, Sheridan also said she “loved” being in the North East to shoot the series.
“I loved it so much that I've moved back up north! Also I've never filmed around here and everyone was so supportive of Ann’s story and everyone was really gentle with it.
“They knew that it was a really difficult thing to film and there was a lot of emotion and things like that and it was just a really lovely professional crew.
“So everyone was really supportive and I loved being back up North.”
The show will tell the story of Ann's campaign to overturn the double-jeopardy law and get justice for her daughter Julie Hogg, who was murdered in 1989.
The young mum was just 22-years-old when she was savagely sexually assaulted and killed by Billy Dunlop in Billingham, who stuffed her body behind a bath panel.
Dunlop was charged with murder but was cleared twice by a jury who were unable to reach a verdict, and walked due to the historic double-jeopardy law.
But he admitted Julie's murder while on sentence for another attack - and Ann set out to end the 800-year-old law so he could be re-tried.
Read more on I Fought The Law here:
- I Fought The Law: Sheridan Smith films in Shiremoor
- I Fought The Law new ITV drama release date revealed
The Northern Echo campaigned alongside Mrs Ming throughout for the Government to recognise the serious miscarriages of justice arising from double jeopardy.
It was October 6, 2006, 17 years after her daughter was killed, that Dunlop pleaded guilty to murdering pizza delivery girl at the Old Bailey in London.
I Fought The Law airs on ITV on Sunday, August 31, at 9pm.
Share