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Sheridan Smith was unable to contain her emotions as she was interviewed on This Morning with the inspirational mother she portrays in the new ITV drama I Fought The Law.
The Royle Family actress, 44, appeared visibly close to Teesside mum Ann Ming, whose tireless campaigning saw the law changed and her daughter Julie’s murderer brought to justice.
The inspirational mum’s 15-year campaign to change the Double Jeopardy Law, which prevented her daughter’s killer, who was initially acquitted of the offence, from being retried.
Ann told hosts Rylan Clarke and Sian Welby that she couldn’t imagine anyone but Sheridan stepping into her shoes to tell the story.
‘I came on set twice, and she didn’t know I was there,’ Ann said, surprising Sheridan.
‘And I watched her, playing me, in one of the difficult scenes – when we told Kevin the truth. It was like watching me.’
This prompted Sheridan herself to well up and say: ‘All I wanted was Ann to be proud.’
Ann continued: ‘I don’t think they could have got another actress to do it as well. She takes on a role and becomes that person.’
The brave mother was heavily involved in the dramatisation of her story and served as a consultant on the four-part series.
Ann admitted that she had her reservations about the series when ITV first made contact with her.
The show, written by Jamie Crichton, is notably based on Ann’s book ‘For The Love Of Julie’.
Ann said: ‘I had a team of lawyers backing me all the way. They didn’t think it was a one man band.
‘And then they said they were thinking about approaching Sheridan Smith, and I’ve watched everything she’s ever been in.
‘I thought they couldn’t get anyone better to play me.’
As the show is based on a real-life story, it will be accompanied by a documentary about Anne herself, I Fought The Law: The Ann Ming Story.
Ann’s daughter Julie tragically died when she was just 22 in 1989 after being strangled and sexually assaulted by William Dunlop.
He proceeded to hide her remains behind a bath panel and was acquitted of the crime twice in the 1990s.
However, in 2006, he was finally brought to justice thanks to Ann’s tireless determination.
While William has applied for parole since being jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years, his request was blocked by the Secretary of State in March.
I Fought The Law is scheduled to premiere on August 31 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
