EXCLUSIVE: Loose Women panellist and actress Kéllé Bryan has opened up about her new BBC role and shared how it has become her most ‘personal’ yet as it’s ‘close to her heart’
Kéllé Bryan has revealed her latest TV project is her most personal yet. The Loose Women panellist stars as nurse Yvonne in a new BBC drama Crongton – a series about youngsters being targeted by gangs.
Sadly, it’s a topic that has already affected Kéllé’s life. The former Eternal singer is still picking up the pieces after losing her own cousin to knife crime.
“This is a topic that’s very close to my heart,” she says. “It’s affected my family. We lost my cousin because of knife crime. He went to pick up a Chinese takeaway and never came home.
“When it happened there was a numbness for everybody. I don’t really know how to articulate how we felt. It was shock, it was horror and it was disbelief.”
The 50-year-old and her relatives are still devastated and angry over the loss. She thought often about her late cousin while filming the series, which also features A Thousand Blows star Darryl Lane.
“As a family, the sadness never goes away,” she admits. “That space is always there at family gatherings.
“There were similarities with the show and what happened in my real life. It meant I could pull on that to make my performance more realistic. I know my family will be proud when they see it.”
Knife crime is an issue that has devastated communities across the UK. The number of offences involving sharp instruments has increased by 94% over the past decade.
The actress and presenter, below, has been heartbroken to see it become such a big problem. “You see people trying to make a difference, but it’s not working,” she says.
“With knife crime, young people sometimes aren’t seeing the bigger picture. They learn too late. It’s only once something catastrophic happens, they realise.”
Kéllé is now hoping Crongton will make youngsters aware of the danger involved in joining a gang. The storylines are aimed at viewers aged around 12.
She says: “With all the gun and knife crime happening, hopefully this is a show that will be able to connect to young people before we lose them to gang culture.
“It’s about speaking to young people in their language. I’m hopeful that it speaks to a generation of young people.
“Hopefully they can see themselves in the characters and learn from it. I’m passionate about making change. I want young people thinking about joining a gang to think again.”
Kéllé was even prepared to change her glamorous look to make the hard-hitting role more realistic. She is barely recognisable in the new series, which airs from Monday night on BBC Three.
“When people see my character, they probably won’t even recognise me,” the actress admits. “But it was a great experience. I love being able to embody a character.”
Kéllé has bagged a string of high-profile telly roles over the years, including a four-year stint as Martine Deveraux in Hollyoaks.
She still loves acting as much as ever – and is keen to keep taking new parts. She adds: “It’s wonderful to get to do this job. I like having the flexibility that it gives me.”
Crongton is based on a series of books by Alex Wheatle, who tragically died aged 62 last Sunday – just a week before seeing it hit screens. He had been suffering with prostate cancer.
The south London author, fondly known as the “Brixton Bard”, was awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2008.
In a statement, his family said: “Alex has 26 years of legacy for you all to continue and enjoy by reading his novels, watching the self-titled episode Alex Wheatle from the Small Axe TV series, and the upcoming Crongton TV series.
“We thank you all for your support over the years and ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
Crongton starts on Monday at 7pm on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
