Crossroads’ Joanne Farrell returns to Doctors
Described as one of the shows new semi-regulars Farrell – famous for playing the granddaughter of Crossroads Motel boss Meg Mortimer (the late Noele Gordon) – returns to BBC one daytime soap Doctors in her second role next month.
Having previously played the minor Doctors character of Chloe in 2000 she returns to the Midland-produced daily saga in February as Lucy Vaughn.
Lucy is the tutor of the shows regular character Jack. She appears in the serial to discuss his slipping grades and late coursework. Farrell started recording the serial in Birmingham last year and her first episode will air on Friday the 11th of February 2011.
As well as playing ‘super bitch’ Sarah Jane Harvey in ITV’s daytime serial Crossroads Farrell has in recent years also appeared in Hollyoak’s spin-off Let Loose, 1960s drama Heartbeat and medical drama Holby City.
Speaking to the Derby Evening Telegraph in 2002 on the pulling power of the daytime soap operas she said “I think you’d be surprised by the viewing figures [for Crossroads], they’ve been better than Brookside and Hollyoaks. The following even surprised me. I was constantly being recognised in the street.”
Crossroads went on to become ITV’s best rating daytime programme, however the broadcaster managed to destroy its ratings and loyal following with a failed – and un-needed – revamp in 2003. Farrell had been written out earlier when in one of the UK’s most strangest soap plots Sarah Jane was exposed as an imposter really named Louise Dixon. This baffled fans as Jill Chance (actress Jane Rossington) – on screen mother of Sarah – hadn’t even noticed the face-swap!
Joanne is also a much respected theatre performer with a string of hit productions to her credit including Grease, The Rocky Horror Show and Saturday Night Fever at the iconic London Palladium.
The award winning Doctors airs weekdays at 1.45pm on BBC One, and is simulcast on BBC ONE HD.