Joanna Page is to star in a new TV series about a supermarket worker who strikes it lucky on the Lottery. The Gavin and Stacey star will play Leanne, a single mum who shares her win with colleagues facing redundancy in The Syndicate. The series, to be screened on BBC One next year, has been written by Fat Friends creator Kay Mellor and also stars Timothy Spall as supermarket manager Bob, whose new-found wealth can't mask his health problems. Kay said: "I was inspired to write it after a friend of mine was told she was losing her job. With a mortgage to pay and outstanding debts her only hope was to win the Lottery. "It made me think how many people were thinking the same. As cuts hit hard we're left with only a dream of six numbered balls deciding our fate - what strange times we are living in! It's both funny and tragic; a perfect recipe for great drama." Ben Stephenson, BBC controller of drama commissioning, added: "Kay Mellor effortlessly creates such wonderfully rich characters and the fine cast will bring that warmth and heart to the screen." Filming begins on location in Leeds this week.
