The former Coronation Street star returns as D.C. Rachel Bailey alongside Lesley Sharp (Starlings) for Series 3 of the crime drama at 9pm tonight on ITV.

> Buy the complete Series 1 & 2 boxset on Amazon.

Rachel’s brother Dom (Liam Boyle) is soon to face a long prison term for the murder of Rachel’s former lover, barrister Nick Savage, which also left Rachel under investigation.

Jones commented: “Rachel is very intelligent and ambitious. She’s forging ahead and reaching for something but she feels like she’s being dragged back to her roots, which she doesn’t want.”

Series 3 also sees the introduction of actress Tracie Bennett as Sharon, the mother who left her young children Rachel, Dom and Alison (Sally Lindsay) behind.

Jones teased: “People on the street have been saying all sorts of stuff to me, like, ‘Is it Gill Murray?’ Which is hysterical. Rachel had an alcoholic father, who she loved. Then her mother left her at a very early age and left Alison to bring her and Dom up. It wasn’t a great upbringing. Rachel has grown up with something missing. Sometimes she can be immature and it’s almost like she’s been unable to develop past her teenage years. She is clearly messed up and in some kind of personal trauma. Some viewers will not understand Rachel and morally some will have issues with her.”

She added: “Sharon is Rachel’s mother and she can’t change that. Rachel understands damage and why her mother is like she is. But she should not have let her back into her life. Tracie is brilliant. She’s a very giving actress and so you’re never going to be in a scene with her when she’s doing her own thing. She makes sure she gives you eye contact and even when the camera is on me, Tracie will give 100 per cent. I love that about her.”

> Buy the complete Series 1 & 2 boxset on Amazon.

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