Shetland is set to grace our screens once again on BBC One for its ninth instalment, with Ashley Jensen stepping in to replace Douglas Henshalls much-loved Jimmy Perez.
The acclaimed actress was ecstatic to rejoin the popular detective series, expressing her enthusiasm before the cameras rolled: “The reaction to the last series was incredible and I’m excited at the prospect of unravelling more intrigue.”
Confessing her admiration for the setting, she added, “The Shetland Isles are breathtaking without a doubt one of the most memorable and unique filming locations I’ve been to. I’m looking forward to jumping on that wee plane again and returning soon.”
Aged 55, the Scottish star has become an audience favourite with roles in hit shows such as Extras, Ugly Betty, and playing the titular sleuth in Agatha Raisin. Her portrayal as Christina McKinney in Ugly Betty was initially meant to be American; however, upon hearing Jensen’s accent, producers were so charmed they altered the character’s nationality to Scottish.
Off-screen, Ashley’s personal life has seen her wed twice, first to actor Terence Beesley, known for his work in Victoria and The Bill, whom she met in 1999 during a King Lear production, and later to Vera’s Kenny Doughty, reports the Mirror.
She shared a son named Frankie with Terence and made the move from London to Bath aiming for an improved lifestyle for her family.
Reflecting on her priorities in a past interview with The Standard in 2013, she said: “I want to focus on being a mum at the moment. He’s just had his nativity play and I spent days making a shepherd’s costume for him – I was trawling the second-hand shops of Bath and I absolutely loved it.”
The celebrity opened up about her collaboration with her then-husband, explaining that they had great chemistry at work. Tragically, Terence was discovered deceased at the age of 60 at his home in Somerset back in 2017, and it was revealed at an inquest the next year that he had taken his own life.
Ashley expressed that she was “extremely shocked” by Terence’s death and added that she “will never forget” the tragedy that struck.
Fast forward to 2023, when Ashley walked down the aisle with Vera star Kenny Doughty, marking a new chapter with an “emotional” wedding ceremony. Rumours of their romance began swirling in 2021, following Kenny’s separation from his former spouse, Caroline Carver.
The pair, having originally met on the set of BBC’s Extras, officially became husband and wife in a quaint and intimate gathering at Priston Mill near Bath, as reported by the Daily Mail. A close friend reminisced: “The day looked absolutely beautiful. Ashley looked just so, so happy. She was smiling and laughing, it was simply idyllic. There appeared to be so much love in that room.”
