Lesley Sharp and Suranne Jones star in ITV1's new detective drama, Scott & Bailey (Sunday 9pm). Lesley tells us more... What are the differences between DC Janet Scott, your character, and DC Rachel Bailey, played by Suranne? "Janet is very good at her job, she's very calm and able to read situations without getting flustered by them. Rachel is a wild card at times, but Janet has a lot of admiration for this younger woman who's a bit of a maverick yet beautiful, intelligent and bright. Janet and Rachel have a good relationship. They might get angry, but they have a mutual respect and a real concern for each other." It's unusual to see two women get on well in a drama... "Yes it is. It's refreshing that, at the centre of this story, you've got two great buddies, something you don't see very often at all. Women are usually pitted against each other." In episode one, Janet is contacted by the brother of an old school friend who died... "Janet's friend Veronica disappeared when she was six and it was only when Janet was a teenager that she found out exactly what had happened to her. It's because of Veronica that Janet decided to go into the police force. So when she's contacted by Geoff, who wonders if there is anything she can do to reopen the case, Janet feels compelled to try and help." Do you think ordinary women will be able to relate to Scott and Bailey? "Definitely! Janet and Rachel are bright, funny, real women, juggling tough jobs with relationships and family life. They make awful mistakes but, on the whole, they're doing a pretty good job." *Scott & Bailey begins on Sunday, May 29 at 9pm on ITV1
