Suranne Jones says producing shows like Frauds could be her retirement plan “when I maybe don’t want to act so much”

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Many narratives begin on Coronation Street, and the collaboration between Suranne Jones and writer Anne-Marie O’Connor is one of them. Jones, who portrayed Karen McDonald on the show from 2000 to 2004, explains, “We were already acquainted through Jen and Lee [Jenny James and Lee Boardman, both actors on the series].”

“We actually shared the same agency,” O’Connor continues. “However, I would never have approached Suranne and asked her to read a script, because that would have been incredibly embarrassing.”

It wasn’t until Jones developed a detailed outline for the 2023 ITV drama Maryland that her agents connected her with the writing team. The collaboration was a success, and after just one day of filming in Ireland, a producer asked if they had any other projects in development.

“We didn’t really have a plan,” explains Jones. “Actually, you came up with the idea, AM. You mentioned, ‘We’ve been discussing this new show about con artists.’ It was a very cold day, and we decided, ‘It should be set somewhere warm – not in Maryland, somewhere hot.’”

“That’s pretty much all we had at the time,” O’Connor explained, after deciding to locate the series in southern Spain. Because they’d successfully collaborated on Maryland, Polly Hill, ITV’s head of drama, was paying attention, and Frauds was soon greenlit. Jones and O’Connor then started brainstorming and developing their story using a whiteboard.

“I haven’t encountered anyone,” O’Connor explains, “who is as eager as Suranne to really explore characters’ backgrounds and understand what motivates people.” When working on Maryland, a story centered on sisters, their conversations focused on family dynamics. And for Frauds, they discussed the complexities of female friendships.

As a lifelong cinema lover, I really connected with what Jones said. He explained it was all about sharing everything – the good times and the tough ones – with Anne-Marie. He even described some stories as traumatic, but said it was crucial for him to finally talk about them. He likened their collaboration to a sort of emotional release, a way to purge his feelings. And it’s fascinating how Anne-Marie would always check in, asking him, ‘How would you feel in this moment?’ if she ever felt stuck.

Together, they formed an unlikely duo of con artists, embarking on one final scheme on the Costa del Sol. We are introduced to Bert [Jones] and Sam [played by Jodie Whittaker] the day Bert is released from a 10-year prison sentence. Their situation stems from a botched job, binding them together – Sam feels guilt for escaping prison, while Bert needs her help out of necessity.

After being released, Bert reveals she has cancer and isn’t expected to live much longer. She then suggests one final mission: to bring the former partners back together. She wants them to reconnect, even if their history is complicated, so they can both retire comfortably and enjoy their remaining time.

“Every woman knows someone like Bert,” Jones says with a smile. “She’s that complicated friend – almost an addiction. You realize she’s not a positive influence in your life, but it’s difficult to let go of the relationship.”

While Jones is widely recognized as an award-winning actor – she took home a BAFTA – she’s actually been a writer for more than ten years. She credits director Joe Ahearne, of The Secret of Crickley Hall [2012], with giving her the initial encouragement. Following that, she secured an agent and completed her first full screenplay. They attempted to get it produced, but she feels it was perhaps ahead of its time.

She also became interested in the behind-the-scenes aspects of television production, and for the first time, she worked as an executive producer on Scott & Bailey. “However, what I enjoy most is the script. What

What I value about my working relationship with AM is knowing I excel at creating characters and writing dialogue. However, she’s a writer herself, and she has the ability to bring everything together cohesively.”

So far, every project from Jones’s company, TeamAkers Productions (co-owned with her husband, producer Laurence Akers), has featured Jones herself. She’s currently the main draw for audiences. However, she shares, “I’m hoping to eventually step back from being in every single thing we make.”

I’m constantly amazed by everything Suranne Jones is doing! Right now, she’s busy promoting Netflix’s Hostage and launching Frauds. Then it’s off to Glasgow and Norway to film the third season of Vigil, all while also appearing in Aimee Lou Wood’s Film Club. It’s incredible! And as if that wasn’t enough, she’s also in a writers’ room, developing and producing a project that will start filming in February. She’s truly unstoppable!

Frauds premieres on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 5th October.

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2025-09-30 03:46