Blue Lights star reveals Coronation Street legend's secret role in new series

The new series of Blue Lights airs from Monday night and it has now been revealed that a Coronation Street legend had a secret role in the making of it. The BBC's Northern Irish police drama stars Sian Brooke as Constable Grace Ellis, and viewers are set to uncover more about her murky past as the third batch of episodes unfold.

This series also features Cathy Tyson, known for her roles in Kay Mellor's 1990s drama Band of Gold and the film Mona Lisa, in the guest part of Dana Morgan. When asked to discuss her character, Cathy revealed that actress Angela Griffin has stepped behind the camera on the project.

Cathy said: "Dana Morgan runs a private members club in Belfast but as we discover she’s so much more than that. My original question to our directors, Jack Casey and Angela Griffin, was how do I personify that?

READ MORE: BBC drops huge update for hit crime drama as they tease the 'gang are back'

READ MORE: Angela Griffin reveals she kept Burger King job – despite starring on ITV Coronation Street

"They both helped me to shape this character. We discussed the sociopathic aspect of her personality and the difference between immoral and amoral.

"One of the hardest, most chilling things is that Dana Morgan is like everybody else and there is a vulnerability to her. Tough characters can seem invulnerable but she’s not complacent. She can't take her foot off the pedal and that's exhausting to live like that. It's fun to play, and it's challenging.

Angela shot to fame when she played hairdresser Fiona Middleton on Coronation Street in the early 1990s. Over the course of six years, she had an on/off relationship with Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson), before going on to date policeman Alan McKenna and then have an affair with Steve's dad Jim McDonald (Charlie Lawson).

She reunited with Steve shortly before finding out she was pregnant with Alan's baby Morgan and the pair agreed to bring her son up together. She then left Weatherfield after he had a one night stand with Maxine Heavey (Tracy Shaw).

Unbeknownst to viewers, Fiona was pregnant with Steve's baby when she left in 1998 and made a brief return in 2019 when Emma Brooker (Alexandra Mardell) emerged on the cobbles as the taxi driver's long-lost daughter.

Angela has become a staple of British TV over the years, and went on to star as outspoken art teacher Kim Campbell on the BBC's Waterloo Road. Her character was also the head of pastoral care who briefly left for Rwanda and tried to give a baby a better life in the UK by smuggling her through customs, but years later made a successful comeback as the headmistress when the programme was revived in 2023.

She has also appeared on Death In Paradise and Mount Pleasant, and, for a brief period, fronted her short-lived daytime chat show Angela and Friends for Sky One.

But this is not the first time Angela has stepped behind the camera, as she took on directorial duties on five Waterloo Road episodes after she had departed from her on-screen role.

Citing mum Sheila as her biggest inspiration, she previously told The Big Issue magazine: “My brain needs four things going on at once. That’s why directing Waterloo Road is so satisfying – you have to be thinking about so many things at once... so yeah, I keep busy. And I’ve tried to pass on the work ethic I got from my mum to my kids.”

Join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Communityor follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Threads- or visit The Mirror homepage.