Happy Valley stars talk last night’s finale

Last night’s gripping finale of Happy Valley was the topic of discussion on ITV1’s This Morning and Loose Women today.

Derek Riddell, who plays Catherine’s ex-husband, and Mark Stanley, who plays PE teacher Mr Hepworth, were guests on This Morning – the pair’s ‘first meeting’  due to a lack of entwinement in their storylines.

On the response to the finale, Riddell said: 

“You can’t please everybody but it seems most people were really satisfied with the way that it finished.”

While unsure about reports of multiple endings being filmed, Stanley revealed that information was ‘redacted from the scripts’ to reduce leaks.

Praising writer Sally Wainright, Riddell said: 

“I think once again, Sally surprised us. I don’t know what I expected but it wasn’t that! The conversation between Sarah [Lancashire who as Sgt Catherine Cawood was the series’ main star] and James [Norton who played Catherine’s nemesis Tommy Lee Royce] had everything in it really and encapsulated a lot of Sally’s genius. 

“At one point you even felt a bit of sympathy to Tommy and you could see this damaged little boy that had been brought up in this thing but then it switches again and you know, Sarah gets her moment to tell him.”

Double checking if he was allowed to share any spoilers, Stanley added:

“When he finally went up in flames, there was something errking in me that there was going to be a slight hint of a fourth series and I got really excited for a minute!” [The show’s creator Sally Wainwright has ruled out a fourth series of the gritty crime drama.]

Later, on Loose Women, Ruth Langsford, Linda Robson, Janet Street-Porter and Dame Kelly Holmes were joined by Rhys Connah (Ryan) who gave his thoughts on the show’s ending.

“When I was first given the script, the very first draft of episode six, I read some of it. I got the car crash and everything but when I get to the end, it’s all redacted, redacted, redacted. So I spoke to James and Sarah, I had an idea, they sort of told us but I didn’t know how it was going to play out on camera, the series of events.”

Connah noted that he “really liked” the ending, agreeing with Ruth that it was “powerful”.

“I think they went for a more emotional side, rather than a big fight between them. A lot of people weren’t expecting it but I think it was the best choice for me, myself.”

Rhys was only eight years old when series one began and joked that his Mum thought Happy Valley was going to be a “family friendly kids show” when he got the role and she read the title.

On waiting eight years for the third series and for Rhys to play a grown-up Ryan, he said:

“It’s not very often that things like this happen and I’m realising how much easier it probably would have been for everyone involved, just to cast someone like me and make the series two years later. I’m incredibly honoured that she waited seven or eight years, all that time, just so I could grow up and play this part more convincingly.”

The final episode was watched by 7.5m viewers, which is the largest overnight audience of the year so far.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1, while Loose Women is on air from 12.30pm.