Michelle Keegan has revealed she wasn't exactly comfortable insulting her co-star Joanna Lumley on Netflix's Fool Me Once, refusing to use strong language from the script when rehearsing with her.
Keegan, who plays protagonist Maya Stern in the twisty thriller series, appeared on The One Show with Lumley, with the two discussing the frazzled relationship between their characters.
Related: Fool Me Once - Where to shop Michelle Keegan's outfits
Lumley plays Maya's mother-in-law Judith Burkett, an entitled woman who is constantly belittling her son's wife. During one scene in the eight-episode series, Maya gives Judith a piece of her mind using some very strong language.
The Brassic star branded Lumley a "British icon," recalling she was hesitant about having a go at the Absolutely Fabulous star.
"Honestly, when I read the script, I was like, 'Oh no, oh no,'" Keegan said.
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"We had a bit of a laugh, didn't we, when we were rehearsing," she continued, adding: "I don't think I said it when we were in rehearsals, I was like, 'I can't, I can't.'
Related: Fool Me Once ending explained – who killed Joe?
For her part, Lumley admitted that hearing those words directed at her was a bit of a shock at first, saying: "When it's not used very often, bad language comes... it slaps out of the screen at you, it does."
Based on the Harlan Coben novel, Fool Me Once follows Maya as she investigates the death of her husband Joe, played by Richard Armitage.
Things take a turn when she sees her supposedly deadly husband back as an intruder in their house through her nanny cam.
Meanwhile, Abby (Danya Griver) and Daniel (Daniel Burt), Maya's niece and nephew, are trying to uncover the truth about the murder of their own mother, looking for possible connections between both cases.
Fool Me Once's cast also includes Adeel Akhtar, Emmett J Scanlan, Dino Fetscher, Jade Anouka, Natalie Anderson, Marcus Garvey and Hattie Morahan.
Fool Me Once is available on Netflix.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
