"The love for the show is clear" - Stars gather in Halifax for screening of Happy Valley season three

Actors Siobhan Finneran and James Norton attended the screening at Halifax Vue yesterday (Wednesday) with crowds gathering to catch a glimpse of the popular drama’s stars.

The drama, created by Calderdale writer Sally Wainwright, will see Sarah Lancashire’s Sergeant Catherine Cawood back on the trail of murderer and sex offender Tommy Lee Royce.

Speaking at the red carpet event, Siobhan, who plays Catherine’s sister Clare Cartwright, said that filming the third series felt like coming home: “It was a real treat and felt like coming home really. It’s a lovely cast and a lot of the crew were similar and it was a lovely treat.”

James Norton, who stars as the terrifying Tommy Lee Royce, added: “It’s a much loved show and therefore to come back and do it again, I mean we were looking forward to it for seven years. Also we’ve had every single person we meet who loves the show ask us when’s it coming back. It’s been really nice to say yes, it is definitely back.”

Happy Valley last hit our screens back in 2016 and ever since fans of the show have been desperate to see how the lives of these Calder Valley characters have continued.

But last year it was announced that the drama would be returning for one final series, after a seven-year hiatus.

“There’s always a slight bittersweet melancholic feeling towards any job particularly when you’ve loved it and this one will be,” James said.

"We shot this earlier in the year so we’ve already had that emotional goodbye. We’re immensely proud of what we made and that’s the main thing.”

All three series of Happy Valley has been set and filmed in Calderdale with a number of iconic and familiar locations used as backdrops for the unfolding drama.

When asked if they got to see much of the borough during filming, Siobhan said: “We never get that much time to explore but I know most of the cafes in Hebden Bridge now. Sarah and I like a cake in the middle of the day.

"Any of the cafes in Hebden Bridge are good."

James said: “I did a lot of walking. There are some amazing hills around and the weather was pretty good.

"There were some really beautiful days so I went up to Sylvia Plath’s grave and I can’t remember what the valleys called but I walked right along that valley and did a lot of running which was amazing.

“It’s a lovely area and the reception we’ve had every single time is amazing. It’s not nice when a film crew arrives in the area. Roads are closed, shops are taken over and no one’s complained, everyone’s been incredibly supportive and the love for the show is clear.”

The upcoming series will once again follow Sergeant Catherine Cawood as she discovers the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir. This sparks a chain of events that leads her straight back to Tommy Lee Royce.

The series will return on New Year’s Day at 9pm on BBC One.