My heart's in Yorkshire

Jul 10 2004 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

WORKING on Where The Heart Is has made actress Samantha Giles fall in love with Yorkshire.

Samantha, 32, joined the TV drama - filmed mainly in Slaithwaite and the Colne Valley - last year as nurse Sally Boothe.

She comes from Windsor, but loves working in the North of England. She even ditched her southern accent for Yorkshire tones when she joined the series.

"I keep returning to Yorkshire. I just feel a sort of connection with the region," she said.

As well as dropping her accent, Samantha has also lost the glamour puss image of her last role as pub landlady Bernice in TV soap Emmerdale.

"I loved it when one newspaper described Sally as dowdy nurse Boothe," she said. "I really tried to make her different to Bernice.

"It's not push-up bras, mini-skirts and lipstick because that's not realistic for a community nurse."

A new series of Where The Heart Is - set in fictional Skelthwaite - starts tomorrow on ITV1 at 8pm.

The series will see Sally juggle her demanding family and marital tension. Sally is forced to accept that her children, Nathan, Megan and Samantha are growing up, but seeing her fellow nurse Beth Beresford pregnant sparks off her broody streak.

She is shocked when husband Billy plans a vasectomy.

The stress levels rise further when Billy's dad Alan is sacked from Goddards Paper Factory by hard-nosed businessman Ozias Harding - played by former Coronation Street actor Brian Capron, who played killer Richard Hillman.

An enraged Billy resigns, leaving Sally as sole breadwinner.

"By the middle of the series poor old Sally is holding things together," said Samantha.

The real test for their marriage comes when Sally's patient takes a shine to her. Ian Thorpe, played by Martin Kemp, is badly scarred in an accident and mistakes Sally's kind comfort for affection.

He tries to kiss her but wife Gina walks in and reports Sally, who ends up suspended from work.

"It really comes to a head between Billy and Sally. They row constantly as Billy questions their relationship," she said. "She's just doing her nurse's duty. It's only afterwards she realises she may have been tempted."

And who could blame her? Many women would be tempted to kiss Martin Kemp, ex-Eastenders hardman and star of gangster movie The Krays.

So, how did Samantha find him?

"He's very easy going and great fun," she said. "We had a real giggle when we shot the dancing scenes. They put the music on afterwards so you're convinced you're going to look completely out of time."

Samantha also got on well with Brian Capron. Unlike the other special guests, Brian is in the whole series and Samantha looked after the "new boy".

"I was the new girl last year so I felt like I needed to look after Brian. We'd go out for elegant little dinners at Huddersfield's finest restaurants."

Now that filming is over, Samantha is touring with a comedy play by Richard Harris, called Party Piece.

"It will be great to get back on stage again," she said.