How would you describe the premise of Murder At My Door?
It’s a journey into the lives of the friends and families of victims who have been murdered by someone that they loved and trusted. It’s the ultimate betrayal.
What first attracted you to the show?
So many people are killed by someone they know and that concept is something that I found very interesting. There’s an important story to tell and get out there and I’ve always been a huge fan of Crime + Investigation. They tell their stories in a different way than other channels.
Is it a big change going from a Soap to presenting a True Crime series?
I've been given the opportunity to present a few things over the last couple of years, and I feel very lucky that I've been given that opportunity. I seem to be allowed to wear many hats and no one seems to have a problem with that which suits me. I think the two are very different because True Crime is something that is very real and soap is something that’s very not real. But being able to tell the stories in the right way, perhaps the skills of my day job have helped.
Which of the cases stood out for you most in the series?
The Ellie Gould case is the one I thought about the most afterwards not least because it's so recent but because she was so young. Being a Mum myself it struck a chord with me to think that she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. These were just kids. To watch her Mum talking like that and how brave she was in telling the story, that really stayed with me.
Was it hard telling the stories of the victim’s families?
Whilst I didn't speak to the victim’s families – my job was really to fill in the pieces and tell the story – I had to watch a lot of footage. So, I did witness a lot of the families’ anguish during their interviews. It's just unreal to see how brave they are in discussing something which is so raw for them and it always will be. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed, it is something that will stay with them forever. It’s life-changing.
Did you learn anything about police investigations from taking part in the show?
The shocking thing for me was how many people are killed by someone that they actually know and love and we don’t think about that. Let’s face it, all of the victims in this series would never have thought ‘One day you’re going to murder me,’ to the person they’re sat down with having a cup of tea and been friends with for years. That's the scary part of it, who do you trust?
Why did you want to front Crime+Investigation’s new domestic abuse campaign #HereForHer?
Why wouldn’t I really? I think Refuge is amazing. The work that they do is just wonderful. There’s a lot of domestic abuse out there and people don’t want to talk about it because it’s a taboo subject. People feel it’s a private matter and that’s absolutely not the case, we should be encouraging people to talk about it.
I just wanted to lend my voice to reach out to people to say, Refuge is there. Somebody is there for you. If you have questions, if you're worried about someone, if you're worried about yourself, there is somewhere to go. I also wanted to reach out to the general public and ask them to help fundraise, because Refuge needs the funds to keep doing the job that they do and to support the victims of domestic abuse.
Have you learned anything about domestic abuse that has shocked you since taking part in the campaign?
Abuse during the pandemic is something that’s really hit home. There has been a rise in calls to Refuge’s helpline because people have been left isolated at home with their abusers. The other thing that concerns me is that because of the pandemic fundraising has been limited. People have been unable to do what they usually do in terms of raising money. So, this is why now it’s more important than ever that we do our bit and try to fundraise for our charities.
Our viewers will know you from Coronation Street. How important are soaps in raising important issues like domestic abuse?
I've always said that television is really important when it comes to getting key messages out to the general public. They give people education and insight into issues, whether it's male suicide, or domestic abuse or baby loss.
One thing soaps do brilliantly is their research and how they get all their information. They work closely with charities and use case studies. They get everything right and show people what can happen in real life. I think they're very important and I think they do help to make a difference.
Have you learned anything about domestic abuse that has shocked you since taking part in the campaign?
Abuse during the pandemic is something that’s really hit home. There has been a rise in calls to Refuge’s helpline because people have been left isolated at home with their abusers. The other thing that concerns me is that because of the pandemic fundraising has been limited. People have been unable to do what they usually do in terms of raising money. So, this is why now it’s more important than ever that we do our bit and try to fundraise for our charities.
Our viewers will know you from Coronation Street which recently had a very powerful coercive control storyline. How important are soaps in raising important issues like domestic abuse?
I've always said that television is really important when it comes to getting key messages out to the general public. They give people education and insight into issues, whether it's male suicide, or domestic abuse or baby loss.
One thing soaps do brilliantly is their research and how they get all their information. They work closely with charities and use case studies. They get everything right and show people what can happen in real life. I think they're very important and I think they do help to make a difference.
