Fighting SPIRIT

ANITA DOBSON on her guest turn in the fictional village of Kembleford

- STEVEN PERKINS

FATHER BROWN

FRIDAY, 2PM, BBC1 DRAMA

Anita Dobson has long been drawn to playing rebellious - characters. So the acclaimed actor couldn't resist a guest role as a gutsy ex-Suffragette in this week's instalment of BBC1's popular period whodunnit Father Brown.

In story The Deserving Poor, Anita stars as Eunice Lytton, who lives in an almshousea charitable establishment run by miserly Cormac Thorp (Game of Thrones' Daniel Tuite) and is rather vocal in her opposition to its petty rules. After Thorp is pushed to his death from the roof, Father Brown (Mark Williams) begins investigating. Does Eunice know more than she's letting on? TV Times caught up with Anita, 75, for an exclusive chat to find out more...

Your character sounds great, Anita! How would you describe her?

Eunice is tough on the outside, but she's quite good fun. Her family were well-off, but she was in the Suffragettes and went to prison as a result of that, so she's fallen on hard times.

Did you enjoy how outspoken she is?