Gavin & Stacey star Ruth Jones to feature in new BBC series
Jones will play Mrs Bennet in an adaptation of Janice Hadlow's novel The Other Bennet Sister for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
She will be joined in the series by the likes of Richard E. Grant (Saltburn, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, Loki), Indira Varma (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luther, The Night Manager) and Ella Bruccoleri (Call the Midwife, Bridgerton).
Filming for the 10-part series is already underway in Wales.
A post shared by BBC Press Office (@bbcpressoffice)
The Other Bennet Sister is an adaptation of the Janice Hadlow novel and explores and expands on the world of Pride and Prejudice through the often-overlooked perspective of Mary Bennet.
The Gardiners (played by Varma and Richard Coyle) take Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) under their wing as governess to their three children - Marianne (Roisin Bhalla), George (Reggie Absolom), and Rebecca (Jasmine Sharp).
This new role introduces her to an exciting new social world that includes the likes of Mr Hayward (Dónal Finn), Mr Ryder (Laurie Davidson) and Ann Baxter (Varada Sethu).
The cast for The Other Bennet Sister includes:
Viewers will return to Longbourn House during the BBC series where they will meet the iconic Bennet sisters:
Other familiar Austen characters to feature in the series will include:
The Other Bennet Sister is set to feature a "dream" cast including Varada Sethu, Richard E. Grant and Indira Varma. (Image: PA)
Director of BBC Drama, Lindsay Salt, said: "It's a joy to see cameras rolling on our vibrant, witty and clever new take on Jane Austen's beloved world.
"With a pitch perfect cast led by Ella, Ruth and Richard, The Other Bennet Sister will be an irresistible treat for viewers when it launches on the BBC next year."
Jane Tranter says: 'We have been working behind the scenes on The Other Bennet Sister for many years now, and Janice's brilliantly observed characters have lived and grown in our imaginations throughout that time as Sarah (Quintrell - show writer) has been working on the scripts.
"So, our actors had a lot to live up to - and I can honestly say that this is the ensemble cast of our dreams.
"Each one brings something new and exciting to the world of Austen. And all of us at Bad Wolf are delighted to be making a drama that brings such joy."
A release date for the new series is yet to be revealed by the BBC.
Following the Gavin & Stacey Finale on Christmas Day (2024), Jones has taken on several different TV roles in 2025.
She recently appeared in Ruth And Steve: From Merthyr With Love on BBC One Wales and iPlayer.
RECOMMENDED READING:
James Corden and Ruth Jones announce next project after Gavin & Stacey finale
Gavin & Stacey star Ruth Jones hints at future projects with James Corden
Gavin and Stacey's Ruth Jones to star in new Harlan Coben Netflix series Run Away
She was also announced as part of the cast for the next Harlan Coben Netflix series - Run Away, alongside the likes of Jimmy Nesbitt, Alfred Enoch, Lucian Msamati and Minnie Driver.
Jones and Gavin & Stacey co-writer James Corden are also set to release a new book in 2025 titled When Gavin Met Stacey And Everything In Between: A Story Of Love And Friendship.
The book is set for release on October 16, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
41 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Jodie Comer says being led by Danny Boyle in 28 Years Later was a ‘proper dream'
Comer, who is best known for playing the antagonist Villanelle in the hit BBC series Killing Eve, was speaking at the 28 Years Later world premiere in Leicester Square on Wednesday evening. 28 Years Later is set in the same world as the 2002 apocalyptic horror 28 Days Later, which saw Cillian Murphy play a bicycle courier who awakes from a coma to discover the accidental release of a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus has caused the breakdown of society. The new instalment follows on almost three decades since the virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, where some have found a way to exist amid the infected despite an enforced quarantine. When one of the group leaves the gated island they are residing on for a mission to the mainland, they discover secrets and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well. Comer features in the film alongside Ralph Fiennes and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Comer said on Wednesday: 'I was honoured when I got this script through. 'And you know, with the opportunity to sit down with Danny, who's a filmmaker who I've admired for a very long time, and to be kind of led by him and be on one of his sets is a proper dream.' She added that Boyle leads a 'calm, playful, fun' set. 28 Years Later will be screened in cinemas from Friday.
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
How has BBC Scotland made its latest cuts in Scotland?
A year after the channel's launch, BBC Scotland's then director, Donalda MacKinnon, who has led staff through the shake-up, announced her departure after 33 years with the broadcaster. Read more: Months later, the impact of the Covid pandemic on licence fee collection and commercial income was cited as a voluntary redundance 'trawl' across the whole of the BBC was launched in a bid to make £125m worth of savings. The current BBC director-general, Tony Davie, who took over the role in 2020, announced a £500m spending squeeze in 2022, with a further £200m worth of cuts revealed last year, when he announced that the broadcaster was exploring how the licence fee could be reformed, after the end of a two-year freeze imposed by the UK Government. Hayley Valentine is the current director of BBC Scotland. (Image: free) The BBC has admitted cutting more than 50 jobs in Scotland over the last year as part of a spending squeeze being rolled out by the broadcaster. Dozens of editorial and production roles at BBC Scotland have gone as part of a drive to make £700m worth of savings a year across the UK. The cuts have emerged following controversies over the BBC's plans to drop long-running soap opera River City and the cancellation of The Nine, the flagship news programme created for the BBC Scotland channel. The Herald revealed last week that BBC Scotland was scaling back its coverage of Edinburgh's festivals, including dropping its pop-up venue at the event. Long-time presenter Shereen Nanjiani announced at the weekend that she was stepping down from her Saturday morning show after almost 17 years at the BBC. The BBC promised that 80 new jobs would be created when the new channel, which launched in February 2019, was announced eight years ago. However the BBC has been forced to roll-out significant cuts across the UK since then, amid calls for a reform of the licence fee system. The BBC has said that below inflation rises or licence fee freezes have seen it lose out on more than £1 billion over the last decade. BBC Scotland had 1276 staff according to its most recent annual report, which was published before the start of the recent redundancy programme. Director-general Tim Davie announced in March 2024 that the BBC was having to increase its annual savings target by £200m to £700m a year by 2028, as he revealed that the broadcaster planned to explore ways to reform the licence fee, which is set by the UK Government, but had been frozen for the previous two years. At the time, Mr Davie highlighted how below inflationary settlements had 'chipped away' at the BBC's income for years, resulting in a 30 per cent cut between 2010 and 2020. Last summer the BBC announced plans to cut 500 jobs across its UK services as part of plans to become a 'leaner, more agile organisation.' But by then it had already announced the end of The Nine, the hour-long news programme created for the launch of the BBC Scotland channel in 2019, and replace it with a new half-hour show running after the main Reporting Scotland programme. The BBC told staff last September that it planned to cut around 115 editorial and production jobs in its 'nations and regions' teams in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. By the end of the month, a shake-up of BBC Scotland's daily arts coverage had been revealed, with singer and broadcaster Michelle McManus brought in to present a new celebrity-focus programme replacing The Afternoon Show, and poet Lennie Pennie presenting a half-hour showcase for Scottish culture. BBC Scotland sparked widespread anger in March when it announced the end of its long-running soap opera River City. Despite more than 12,000 supporters backing a petition calling for River City to be saved, the current BBC Scotland director, Hayley Valentine, who was only appointed last November, has insisted that a final decision has been taken on the show's future. However the BBC has promised that River City's annual £9m budget will be reinvested in three new drama series which will be set in and around Glasgow. Further cutbacks were confirmed last week by BBC Scotland, when it admitted that it would not be running its own pop-up venue during Edinburgh's festivals for the first time in 15 years. Two of BBC Scotland's best-known presenters have announced that they were leaving the broadcaster in recent months. Janice Forsyth, who presented The Afternoon Show until the start of 2024 and had worked for the BBC for more than 30 years, revealed in February that had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Shereen Nanjiani announced she was leaving her Saturday morning show live in air last weekend after 17 years with the BBC. Although it was reported that between 20 and 30 BBC jobs were expected to be lost as a result of the most recent redundancy programme, the broadcaster has now admitted that more than 50 jobs have gone over the last 12 months.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Inside Meghan and Harry's luxury wedding gift bags worth hundreds
A gift bag from the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry is being sold on eBay for a huge sum - and includes keepsakes from the big day collectors or fans of the royal family will love A souvenir bag from the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry is currently up for grabs on eBay. The guest gift bag from the nuptials of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018 is listed on the online marketplace, complete with mementos from the special day including a water bottle, shortbread biscuits, a fridge magnet, guest badge, large chocolate coin, a gift bag, a postcard and "associated literature." The Royal wedding was a significant event, attracting thousands to Windsor in the UK to witness the union of Harry and Meghan. The guest list boasted British royalty, aristocracy, celebrities and Meghan's co-stars from the Netflix series Suits. Priced at $419 (£312) on eBay, the listing provides a detailed look at the contents, which include documents for the guests and advice on bringing forms of identification. An order of service from the day and wristbands for the guest to wear are also included. The product description reads, "This product is a commemorative item for guests of the royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The theme of the item is royalty, making it a special and historical memorabilia piece for collectors or fans of the British royal family. "The product is designed to celebrate this significant event in the royal tumultuous wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. All original and unopened. Including water bottle, shortbread biscuits, magnet, badge, chocolate coin, gift bag, postcard and associated literature." Meghan, the brains behind the trendy lifestyle brand As Ever, has sent her followers into a tizzy by revealing a restock of her immensely popular items which had previously sold out in a snap after their April debut, reports the Mirror US. The former actress who launched her latest venture in conjunction with her Netflix series, has now made an announcement that fans have another chance to snag her much-coveted wares. Taking to Instagram Stories, Meghan excitedly informed her devotees that she and her team have been hard at work replenishing stock. This comes as a surprise shift from her prior thought not to restock or introduce new offerings till 2026. Her post read, "So much love has gone into I can't wait to share it with you this Friday, June 20th!". She also spilled the beans in a newsletter to her loyal customers about the return of the beloved brand, penning her gratitude: "First off, a sincere thank you for making the debut of As ever absolutely extraordinary. We had a feeling there would be excitement, but to see everything sell out in less than an hour was an amazing surprise. We are pleased to share that on June 20th, we're going live with the products you love – plus, some new delicious surprises.'". This joyous update comes hot on the heels of Meghan's candid revelations on her podcast, 'Confessions of a Female Founder', where she opened up about the trials and tribulations of establishing her brand and the private 'tears' she's shed along the way. She expressed, "So for me at the moment, with As Ever, it was great. We planned for a year we get and then everything sells out in 45 minutes. Yes, amazing, great news. Then what do you do? And then you say 'Ok, we planned as best as we could. Are we going to replenish and sell out again in an hour? Or is that annoying as a customer?" "I'm looking at it saying 'Just pause. That happened. Let's wait until we are completely stable and we have everything we need.''".
