Mutual Friends
Claire Rushbrook plays Leigh
"Leigh is bubbly, gregarious and nurturing," explains writer Anil Gupta.
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"She had everything she wanted out of life – a husband, a home and three lovely kids to look after.
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"Then her husband shagged her friend and threw himself under a train.
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"But Leigh refuses to let this defeat her and maintains her optimistic, flighty, 'worse things happen at sea' persona.
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"To some this makes her a rock, to others a fruitcake."
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He adds: "Claire manages to convey the brittleness of Leigh's cheery public face brilliantly.
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"She plays the comedy of not wanting everyone to be tip-toeing around her whilst suggesting she's just one slip of the tongue away from a meltdown."
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Claire explains that she found the character of Leigh very interesting to play.
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She says: "The series opens with the suicide of her husband, leaving her with three young children.
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"It turns out he had a short fling with her best friend, and he has left her high and dry financially.
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"Her house is repossessed, they move into a council estate but, despite it all, she is one of the seemingly happiest, brightest, most jolly and positive people.
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"That's her way of coping. We don't see her confronting the reality.
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"She's actually up and bright to the point of being eccentric, and investing in everyone around her rather than facing the awfulness of her situation.
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"But it's a comedy drama, so there aren't going to be many scenes of her giving way to her grief.
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"She has a huge sea of vulnerability bubbling away underneath."
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