Our Textbook Friendship

Jo Joyner and Sunetra Sarker on the new term of their school drama and why they’ll be friends forever…

- Victoria Wilson

Sunetra Sarker and Jo Joyner, co-stars of Ackley Bridge, are posing for an exclusive TV Times photoshoot. ‘I don’t know what to do with my hands,’ exclaims Sunetra. Then quickly realises the solution to her problem is to give her long-time friend a massive hug.

Jo and Sunetra have been mates since meeting at the audition for C4’s comedy-drama No Angels in 2004. While their careers have taken them in different directions – Jo became a household name as EastEnders’ Tanya Cross, and Sunetra donned heels and a stethoscope as Casualty’s Zoe Hanna – they’ve never lost touch.

And last year the pair reunited on-screen in Ackley Bridge, a drama centred on the merger of two schools, bringing together the largely segregated white and Asian communities in West Yorkshire.

It returns this week for a second 12-part run and the ladies were happy to celebrate by having fun at our photoshoot.

‘We’ve filmed nine episodes so far and we haven’t had a single scene together. So it’s nice to do something like this as we really miss each other,’ says Jo, who plays headteacher Mandy Carter, with Sunetra – dinner lady Kaneez Paracha – adding: ‘Yes this is a real luxury for us just to be together.’

After they’ve finished getting up to all manner of mischief in front of our camera, Jo, 41, and Sunetra, 44, chat to us about the new series and why they’re the closest of friends…

What’s coming up for your characters, Mandy and Kaneez?