Singer and actor Patsy Kensit revealed she had “been waiting for a role like Betty” to launch her back into acting when she was cast as Tina Dean’s mother in the ITV drama, Bobby and Tina.
The former Emmerdale and Holby City star, 48, revealed it marks her first major role since taking a break from acting to be closer to her two sons.
“I’ve actually been waiting for a role like Betty to come along,” she said.
“I’ve been acting since I was four and I’ve navigated my way through being a child actor, an adolescent, and a leading lady.
“It was wonderful to be given the opportunity to portray Tina’s mother, a women so different from the others I’ve played.”
Her role will see her provide love and support to Tina, played by Our Girl actor Michelle Keegan, who married football star Bobby Moore, played by Lorne MacFadyen, in 1962.
But the pressure of media attention and Bobby’s passion for his career led to problems for the couple, who eventually divorced in 1986.
Revealing that the close mother-daughter bond between Tina and Betty was similar to the one she had with her own mother, Margaret Doohan, Patsy said: “The relationship Betty has with her daughter, Tina, was similar to the one I had with my own mother so this really resonated with me.”
She added that talking to Tina in person revealed more similarities between both their mothers than she expected, including their skills with a sewing machine.
“We (with Tina) spoke on the phone at length and from what she shared Betty was a woman full of life,” Patsy said.
“She was very much ahead of her time. She would buy Vogue and make the designer clothes from the patterns that were featured in the magazine.
“My mum worked in the press office at Christian Dior and they would often have their dress patterns in Vogue. Like Betty my mother would make them too.
“The more Tina and I spoke the more similarities we found we had. It was a real honour to play Tina’s mum.”
Commenting especially on hospital scenes the pair share in the three-part drama, she added: “My mum said some beautiful things to me before she died and I asked John (director John McKay) if I could share them.
“What I say as Betty to Tina is very similar to what my mum said to me.”
:: The first episode of Tina and Bobby will air on ITV at 9pm on January 13.
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