Former Coupling and Green Wing actress Sarah Alexander returns to our screens this week in the new BBC1 comedy Me and Mrs Jones. The 41-year-old plays the dishevelled and harassed Gemma Jones, who has separated from her husband Jason (Neil Morrissey) and now finds herself being courted by both single father Tom (Nathaniel Parker) and Billy (Robert Sheehan), the friend of her 20-something son Alfie (Jonathan Bailey). TV andSatellite Week magazine caught up with Sarah to find out more... I completely relate to Me and Mrs Jones... I’m a mum and my world is chaotic, frazzled and funny, and Gemma’s world is the same. She is so busy looking after everybody else that there isn’t any time for herself. Gemma finds Billy’s attention overwhelming... She should go for Tom, but Billy is wise beyond his years and steady and he loves her. However, he is her son’s best friend which is not cool. I was nervous acting opposite Robert... He is much younger than me and we have to kiss, but it helped that he had worked with my husband, Peter Serafinowicz, and I knew he was an amazing actor. Because I’m married to Peter, people think we have a hilarious household... We do in a way because we have loads of costumes and funny props at home. We’d love to work together, but it would have to be the right thing because you can only ever do it once. Tommy Cooper was my first comedy hero... I did impressions of him as a child and even had a fez. Then it was Victoria Wood and French and Saunders, who I still absolutely love. Seinfeld is also one of my all-time favourites; Julia Louis-Dreyfus is so talented. I’m still in touch with the Coupling guys... Gina Bellman and I both have three-year-old girls and hook up regularly, and I see Ben Miles and Richard Coyle from time to time. Acting was all I ever wanted to do... I was quite shy as a child and I was almost too embarrassed to admit that it was my ambition. Me and Mrs Jones begins on BBC1 at 9.30pm on Friday, October 12
