REPORTING for duty

SARAH PARISH introduces us to her cop comedy

- VICTORIA WILSO

PIGLETS

NEW SATURDAY, 9.30PM, ITV1 COMEDY (BOX SET, ITVX)

A familiar face on our screens for almost 30 years, Sarah Parish is first to admit she looks unrecognisable in her latest role as a fierce police officer in ITVI's new sitcom, Piglets.

'As soon as I read the script, I knew Superintendent Julie Spry would look a certain way,' shares Sarah, 56, whose CV includes Bancroft, WiA, Mistresses and Cutting It.

'I'd already worked with make-up artist Jody Williams on [BBC1 drama] Atlantis, and we tried lots of wigs for Piglets and as soon as I put on Julie's, I knew it was the one. Julie doesn't wear make-up or SPF - and Jody added loads of broken veins and skin damage to my face, and suggested fake teeth. We went the whole hog! 'Lots of the crew had only seen me as Julie, so, at the end of the day, they were quite shocked to see what I really looked like!"