THRILLS & SPILLS

Actress reveals reason why you only get a half cup of tea on flight to island where hit crime show is set

- HEATHER GREENAWAY

SHETLAND star Ashley Jensen reveals one of her favourite things about filming in the Northern Isles is the half cup of tea and the caramel wafer she gets on the flight over from the mainland.

The 55-year-old, who returns to our screens next week in series nine of the hit BBC show, says she has learned not to ask for a full cup of tea on the plane as the descent into Sumburgh airport tends to be quite turbulent.

Ashley, whose character DI Ruth Calder replaced DI Jimmy Perez as lead detective last season, says thanks to the murder-mystery drama she has fallen in love with the idyllic Shetland Isles.

The mum-of-one, who took over the leading role from Dougie Henshall after the season seven finale, said: "I couldn't wait to start filming series nine.

"I was very excited to be getting on the wee plane off to Shetland again with my half a cup of tea and my caramel wafer - half a cup of tea, because there's often turbulence and you can't get a full cup of tea because it'll spill, which I thought was quite funny.

"As soon as you touch down, Shetland kind of envelops you. It's the whole landscape, I mean the real star of the show is Shetland and the Shetland Isles. It's an inimitable place. It's like nowhere I've ever been before.

It's a landscape that's arresting and breathtaking. It is just a real privilege to to go back there."