Angela Griffin talks about returning to Waterloo Road, fighting for the north and her working class upbringing in Leeds

"At first I wasn’t sure about going back, especially as I feel I have changed as an actress and a person. But then they explained that my character Kim has also been on a journey, she has lost a child and has had a lot of life experiences that have changed her. They then said that it would all be based in Manchester and was going to be holistic, there would also be apprenticeships for people who have had no experience in the industry. I am a real believer in investing in the North and developing the talent we have here and so I decided to get on board and I don’t regret it at all.

"I was brought up in Leeds and didn’t come from a television background. I didn’t go to drama school and I am passionate about discovering talent and investing in the North.”

Griffin’s mother is English and her father from St Kitts and Nevis. “She (her mother) met my dad, Desmond, working on the buses in Leeds. He was from Nevis, and they married in 1967 when she was 19. He is 10 years older than her." Her parents divorced when Griffin was four and her mum remarried. She recalls that her mum brought her and two older brothers up to be independent , something she wants to instill in her own daughters. Home may now be London for Griffin who lives there with husband, actor and voice over artist Jason Milligan, and their two teenage daughters, it is clear her heart is still very much in the North. Tonight she is doing an Audience with at the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Liverpool.

"It is an amazing project bringing theatre to those who may not normally access it. I interviewed Jonny Vegas and I am being interviewed by author Frank Cottrell-Boyce. It is a stunning place and such a brilliant idea.”

What is also clear is that Griffin just loves her job despite it has meant spending time away from her daughters, Melissa, 15, and 18-year old Tallulah who has just started St Andrew’s University. But it is something she does not regret. "I just hate the idea of mum guilt,” says the 46-year-old. “I love my job and will make no apologies for that. I may have missed the odd school play but I have an amazing husband who makes sure he is always there. The girls know mummy works and that is one of the reasons we live in a nice house and have nice holidays and they know I love them and will be there when I can. I am always at home at weekends and for the last six or seven years I was working in London and was home more.”

She admits seeing Tallulah leave for university was hard. “She didn’t look back and is having an absolute ball. I caught myself feeling sad that she didn’t seem to be missing home, but then I realised that was what I had taught her and is what I want for her.” While Tallulah is about to change course to modern history, it is Griffin’s youngest daughter who looks set to follow in her mum’s footsteps. "She’s been in a few things and been for some auditions and she is really good but she’s concentrating on GCSEs at the moment – as my mum always said to be acting is great but always have something to fall back on. It’s not a case of encouraging her its a case of supporting her in whatever decision she makes.”

Griffin says her girls are also fans of Waterloo Road. “At last I am getting some street cred from them and their friends which is nice. I grew up with Grange Hill and just loved Dexter Fletcher and I think Waterloo Road has a whole new audience coming through and deals with some really important issues affecting young people today.”

Tallulah wasn’t so keen about the role her mum played in the Netflix series White Lines which involved some raunchy sex and drugs scenes. "There are just some things you don’t really want your kids to see you doing,” she says.

After leaving Waterloo Road the first time Griffin hosted her own live daytime show on Sky1 called Angela and Friends, a mix of health topics and celebrity gossip. She now has her own BBC Radio Two show, Unwinds.

"It started off with a four part series in August 2021 at 10pm,” she explains. Described as ‘embracing wellbeing, companionship, connection and positivity’, the show proved a big hit as we emerged from the pandemic and early last year Griffin received a call asking her if she’d like to do it for a year. "I just love radio. I have my own show on Radio 2 – how did that happen? I sometimes put it on in the background when we have a break from filming Waterloo Road to relax everyone – although I turn down the bits when I’m speaking. I never take it for granted that it will continue after the year so I like to make the most of every minute – I am the same with my acting jobs.”

During lockdown when acting dried up Griffin was still busy.

"It was nice at first to have time with the family, we had our health and our close family and friends were all okay. I am a working class northern girl and so I like to make sure that I having savings so we were financially okay.” Despite this Griffin ended up working, recording a podcast with her acting and broadcasting friends including Kate Thornton, Tamzin Outhwaite, Julie Graham, Denise Welch. "It was about menopausal women and celebrating true female friendship.” Her first job out of lockdown was the television film Help ! with Stephen Graham and Jodie Comer followed by her first feature film Choose or Die. She has also spent time in the theatre having appeared in One Man Two Governors, but it is on the small screen that Griffin seems most comfortable and there is no doubt we will see plenty more of her.

Waterloo Road Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC One and on iPlayer.

An Evening with Angela Griffin is tonight (January 28) shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk/event/an-evening-with-angela-griffin/

Radio 2 Unwinds with Angela Griffin Sundays, 10pm-12am and on iPlayer