DIAMOND LIFE

Sophie Turner plays real-life jewel thief Joan Hannington in a 1980s-set drama

- TESS LAMACRAFT

NEW DRAMA
Joan
Sunday & Monday, 9pm, ITV1 (box set, ITVX)
Get ready to enter a world of daring, danger and diamonds as the crimes of real-life jewel thief Joan Hannington are brought to our screens in ITV1's new drama Joan.

Starring Game of Thrones actor Sophie Turner and adapted from Hannington's memoir, the sixpart series follows the life of the resilient single mum, who was a key figure in London's criminal underworld during the 80s, earning the nickname 'The Godmother.

Starting in 1985, the drama finds young mum Joan living in Kent and trapped in a violent relationship with abusive criminal Gary (Nick Blood) before she finds the courage to flee to London to begin a new life with antiques dealer and professional thief Boisie Hannington (Fear the Walking Dead's Frank Dillane).

Here, in an exclusive interview, Turner, 28, tells us more...

What appealed to you most about this role?

What really drew me to Joan was the fact she was a young woman capable of pulling off some pretty major crimes. She had such ambition and resilience. I knew nothing of her beforehand, which is surprising for a girl like me as I love true crime!