All that GLITTERS

SOPHIE TURNER on portraying a diamond thief in a new factual drama

- TESS LAMACRAFT

JOAN
NEW SUNDAY & MONDAY, 9PM, ITV1 DRAMA (BOX SET, ITVX)

Prepare to be plunged into a world of danger, daring and diamonds as the crimes of an infamous jewel thief are brought to life in ITV1's much-anticipated new drama Joan.

Inspired by Joan Hannington's memoir and penned by acclaimed screenwriter Anna Symon (Mrs Wilson, The Essex Serpent), the six-part series is set against the vibrant backdrop of 1980s London, with Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner portraying the single mum who became a key figure in the capital's criminal scene, where she was known as "The Godmother'.

Beginning in 1985, the drama finds Joan living in Kent and desperate to escape a disastrous relationship with a violent criminal named Gary (Slow Horses star Nick Blood). So when Gary goes on the run, she seizes the chance to flee with her six-year-old daughter Kelly (Mia Millichamp-Long) to London for a fresh start.

However, a chance meeting with enigmatic antiques dealer and professional thief Boisie Hannington (Renegade Nell's Frank Dillane) soon leads her into a high stakes game of deception and reinvention with the view of creating a better future for young Kelly.

Here, in an exclusive interview, Sophie, 28, who also starred in US true-crime drama The Staircase in 2022, gives TV Times her take on the project...

What appealed to you most about this role, Sophie?

What really drew me to Joan was the fact that she was a young woman capable of pulling off some pretty major crimes. She had such ambition and resilience. I knew nothing of her beforehand, which is surprising for a girl like me as I love true crime!

Could you talk us through the audition process?