The magic of MARGO

FELICITY MONTAGU on her character's blast from the past, the wonder of Beyond Paradise and fun fan encounters at the butcher's...

- STEVEN PERKINS

BEYOND PARADISE 

FRIDAY, 8PM (WALES, BBC2), BBC1 DRAMA

Shipton Abbott Police Station's sharp-witted office support Margo Martins is a woman of mystery and Felicity Montagu, who plays the Beyond Paradise fan favourite, likes it that way!

That said, when TV Times calls the acclaimed actor for an exclusive chat about this week's episode of the hit Devon-set BBC1 crime drama, she's delighted that viewers are about to see a small chink in her alter ego's carefully crafted armour.

'It was an absolute joy to get a script where Margo gets out of the police station!' smiles Felicity, 63, who is also thrilled that the Death in Paradise spinoff show is enjoying a second run following its successful debut last year. "That's the humour of the situation she runs the place, and she's been doing it for God knows how many years, but it's nice to sometimes have a few more emotional scenes."

Margo's uncharacteristic behaviour unfolds after local resident Maisie Morgan (Jenny Coverack) goes missing from a trawler at sea.

As DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), DS Esther Williams (Zahra Ahmadi) and PC Kelby Hartford (Dylan Llewellyn) investigate, they're surprised to discover that Maisie is Margo's former sister-in-law - which heralds a reunion between Margo and her exhusband, Jaime (The Gold's Danny Webb).

Here, Felicity, who also famously played Alan Partridge's long-suffering PA Lynn Benfield in Steve Coogan's comedies, tells us more...

So, how does Margo feel about her colleagues finding out about Jaime?