Vicky McClure will return to our screens this week in psychological thriller Insomnia, marking another tense turn from the Line of Duty alum.
Nottingham-born Vicky rose to fame as Lol Jenkins in Shane Meadows' gritty 2006 film This Is England and has since become one of the most well-liked actresses in Britain, with fans loving her refreshingly down-to-earth persona.
The 41-year-old's interesting life away from set is a far cry from rapid police car chases and dark drama, but she does have a famous husband who she married in secret.
Here, the Mirror takes a look at Vicky's family life off-screen, including the surprising admission she made about moving in with her partner...
Instant spark
The couple had an 'instant' connection (Getty Images Europe)
Their romance moved very quickly (Getty Images Europe)
Vicky is married to actor, writer and producer Jonny Owen, who won a Welsh BAFTA for his 2007 documentary The Aberfan Disaster. TV buffs may also recognise him from shows such as Shameless, Torchwood, and Murphy's Law.
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The film that brought the lovebirds together was Svengali, a 2013 British flick penned by Jonny, which saw them playing onscreen couple Dixie and Shell. And it wasn't long before life began to imitate art.
While appearing on Loose Women back in March, Vicky revealed that they'd fallen for each other over the phone, in a way that seemed predestined by fate. Vicky said: "So he rang me and well, I got a call off my agent saying 'you've been offered this film'. I read it, and then I looked at the YouTube.
"I already read it and I went, 'Can I speak to this Johnny'. And you know, honestly, it's so funny, though. Cause I did that whole, 'Yeah, I don't like to argue' and you know, 'I'm just a chill and I really like this kind of music'. And Jonny was like, 'Yeah, I'm really romantic. I'm all about love'. He stretched the truth a bit! But yeah for me - it was instant. And we pretty much moved in a week later."
Remembering his own instantaneous attraction to Vicky during an interview with Wales Online, Jonny, 52, shared: "When Vicky first came on board I didn't know what she was going to be like as a person. I had a long conversation with her on the phone and we got on great then. So I had an idea then that she was a lovely person.
"Obviously, I thought she was incredibly attractive. When I met her for the first time we got on very well. Then I remember we were walking down Southbank [in London] on a weekend break from filming and we were going to the Tate Modern and she turned to me and asked me if I fancied going to the pub instead. And I was like, well, yeah!
"I thought, 'What a girl'. I think we almost simultaneously both went, 'I fancy you'! It just tumbled from there and we haven't been apart since that moment."
Cupid's arrow struck at a very painful time for Jonny however, who was at that point navigating his divorce from his first wife, Elenor Braines, with whom he shares a daughter, DJ and presenter Katie Owens. By then, Jonny and Elenor had been separated for 'seven or eight months'. He continued: "I was single, she was single and I was living in London. So when we finished filming she moved down to London with me. I think we went from 'I like you' in the pub to 'I love you' in about 10 seconds.
"In the scenes in the film where we have to look like we're in love, there really is a chemistry there and that's because we were in a place where we weren't having to force acting being in love."
After initially moving in together in London, the pair then put down roots in Nottingham, where Jonny lived with Vicky's parents while she worked away until they eventually found a home of their very own.
Wedding announcement
Fans were stunned and delighted when Vicky announced she and Jonny had tied the knot
She described her wedding as the 'best day ever'In 2017, lovestruck Jonny popped the question 'over a cup of tea' on Christmas Day, with thrilled Vicky breaking the news on Instagram. She later told the Nottingham Post: "We stayed at home for the first time together on Christmas Eve so had Christmas morning together. He popped the question over a cup of tea – we moved onto the bubbles by 8.30am."
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They finally said 'I do' six years later, with Vicky surprising fans by announcing the ceremony had taken place after the fact. Taking to Instagram in April 2023, Vicky shared a breathtaking snap of her and Jonny in their wedding finery, grinning from ear to ear.
The newlyweds were serenaded at their reception by Our Dementia Choir, a singing group founded by Vicky in 2019, in honour of her late grandmother who lived with the condition. Followers flocked to give the couple their very best wishes, including a number of celebrity pals.
Comedian Paddy McGuinness commented that it had been an 'absolutely belting day', adding, 'Congratulations!', while Sophie Ellis-Bextor applauded: "Ah that's so lovely! Congratulations!"
On the night of her wedding, Vicky phoned into new stepdaughter Katie's late-night BBC Wales show, that she had to leave the party early to present. Full of praise, happy stepmum Vicky told Katie: "We've had the most amazing special day and we're gutted you had to go back but we're so proud of you. You're missing lots of dancing but we can do that again."
UK viewers can catch Insomnia on Paramount Plus on Thursday, May 23. Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on , , , , , and .
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