1 week Ago By [email protected] (Mike Taylor)
Happy Valley was one of the biggest shows on the BBC and drew in millions every week. The BBC series first debuted in 2014 and saw viewers introduced to tough Sgt Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire ) who lost her teenage daughter to suicide. She blamed her abusive ex Tommy Lee Royce for her death and later raised Ryan alongside her sister Clare.
But when a businessman's daughter suddenly goes missing, Cawood is on the case and leads her to Tommy. The show, which was the brainchild of writer Sally Wainwright, was a TV event when the third and final series was aired in 2023. According to Deadline , it was the second most watched TV show in the UK last year with its latest season.
Since Happy Valley's ending, we take a look at where the cast are now, their most famous roles and where you are likely to see them next. Sarah Lancashire played Catherine Cawood Sgt Catherine Cawood was the dedicated police sergeant who struggled with the death of her daughter. She blamed Tommy Lee Royce for her suicide and starts to track down Tommy after his release from prison.
Sarah Lancashire won various accolades for her performances on the show, including a National Television Award , which is voted for by the public, last year. Sarah was also awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award for her "dedication to the television industry" and her "talent" at the Royal Television Society Awards last year. Lancashire recently filmed HBO Max drama, Julia, where she plays the title character and American TV chef Julia Child.
She will next appear in the upcoming Netflix spy thriller series Black Doves and play a spymaster called Reed. Sarah has been married to TV producer Peter Salmon, now 67, since 2001. It's understood that they launched production company Via Pictures together.
The couple have a son together and Sarah is also a parent to two older children from a previous marriage. James Norton played Tommy Lee Royce Tommy Lee Royce was the show's cold villain who seemed to enjoy teasing Catherine and getting to his son and the person she cared most about - her grandson Ryan. Their story ended dramatically when Tommy handed himself in and set himself on fire.
Since Happy Valley , Norton has starred as Island Records boss Chris Blackwell in Bob Marley: One Love and TV series The Nevers. He is set to appeared in Netflix film Joy and ITV drama Playing Nice. it has been rumoured he could be the next James Bond.
Siobhan Finneran played Clare Cartwright Clare Cartwright lived with her older sister Catherine and helped raise her grandson Ryan. She had a memorable showdown with her sister after it was discovered she and boyfriend Neil were taking Ryan to see Tommy in prison. Before playing Catherine's sister, Siobhan Finneran was known for her role in Benidorm and factory employee Josie Phillips in the long-running ITV soap Coronation Street .
The Lancashire-born actress has also had roles in the likes of Downton Abbey, Cold Feet and Doctor Who . Finneran recently appeared in second series of BBC Three’s Alma’s Not Normal, final episode of Inside No. 9, Time and The Reckoning.
Rhys Connah played Ryan Cawood Although Rhys Connah hasn't got anything upcoming on the cards, it will not be long until he appears on our screens again. Connah has played Ryan Cawood from the start and viewers loved seeing him grow up. Charlie Murphy played Ann Gallagher The character of Ann has perhaps undergone the biggest transformation from series one to three going from spoilt brat to kidnap victim and trainee cop to potential detective.
She also played a part in one of the most hearth-wrenching scenes of series three where she bluntly told Ryan the truth about his father. The County Wexford-born actress has bagged some brilliant roles since starring as Ann for the first time back in 2014. She played Jessie Eden in Peaky Blinders, Makee in the game adaptation Halo, Simone Turner in The Capture, and is well known back home in Ireland for her role in Love/Hate.
Before she took on the role as Ann she starred with James Norton in Northmen: A Viking Saga as well as having parts in The Village, Ripper Street, and films '71 and Philomena. Derek Riddell played Richard Cawood Journalist Richard was Catherine's ex husband who was traumatised by the death of their daughter Becky. Richard plays a prominent role throughout the series and witnesses Tommy's dramatic escape from court.
Derek Riddle is well-known in the acting world . Lots of people will recognise him from The Missing, Gentleman Jack or even Industry. According to his IMDB profile, Riddell will next star in detective drama Bodies opposite a whole host of other Scottish actors.
He will also play a role in another detective drama, Payback, which also stars Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s Peter Mullan. Con O’Neill played Neil Ackroyd Some people loved Neil and others weren't a fan. He joined the show in series 2 as Clare’s boyfriend, who used to be an alcoholic.
Actor O’Neill has had many roles in TV and film including The Batman (2022) and The Penguin, Chernobyl and as an extra in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Since Happy Valley, he appeared in Russell T Davies drama Nolly and HBO series Our Flag Means Death as the pirate Izzy Hands. He will next star opposite Academy Award-winning actor Mark Rylance in short film, The Way of the Wind.
George Costigan played Nevison Gallagher Like many of his Happy Valley co-stars it's perhaps easier to say what George hasn't been in. Vera, Scott and Bailey, Casualty, Midsomer Murders, Emmerdale , Hetty Wainthrop, Kavanagh QC..
. We could go on, but you get the picture. George is most recognised for being gross Patrick Fairbank in Line of Duty, one of the high-up coppers involved in a child sex abuse ring.
In recent years, he's appeared in Gentleman Jack, Ridley and Maryland. Amit Shah played Faisal Bhatti Faisal Bhatti was the pharmacist who shared prescription drugs for money as an illegal side hustle. He kills Joanna Hepworth and desperately tries to cover up her death.
Amit Shah has been in countless TV shows and films including Black Mirror , Doctor Who, His Dark Materials and Death in Paradise. Since Happy Valley, Shah appeared as Rishi Sunak in The Windsors, Jas Singh in Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Vera. According to the actor's IMDB profile, he'll star in The Man In The Hat, Chocolate Cake Rick Warden played Mike Taylor His first huge role was as Harry F Welsh in the epic World War Two series Band of Brothers back in 2001 and since then he hasn't really been off the screen – starring in The Bill, Hustle, Rome, Primeval, and loads more in the 2000s.
Then in the 2010s he picked up roles in Sherlock, Holby City, Misfits, The Pact, Vera, and also ITV's recent Trigger Point. Warden recently appeared in ITV drama Red Eye, The Jetty and Sister Boniface Mysteries..
