{"id":34165,"date":"2023-06-22T20:00:05","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T18:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1848706"},"modified":"2023-06-22T22:25:10","modified_gmt":"2023-06-22T20:25:10","slug":"katherine-kelly-if-everyones-going-one-way-i-want-to-go-the-other-way","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/katherine-kelly-if-everyones-going-one-way-i-want-to-go-the-other-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Katherine Kelly: \u201cIf everyone\u2019s going one way, I want to go the other way.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

The actor speaks exclusively to RadioTimes.com about her new comedy Ruby Speaking and her extensive career to date. <\/p>

By Sam Moore\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 22 June 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

\u201cIf everyone\u2019s going one way, I want to go the other way,\u201d says Katherine Kelly, reflecting on her long and varied career.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t swim with the tide.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelly first came to prominence in 2006 as the unpredictable and headstrong Becky McDonald in Coronation Street, who she played until 2012 before deciding to seek out a new challenge. But the roles that were typically on offer at the time, such as tortured cop or \u201cwoman who cries a lot\u201d, were of no interest to Kelly, whose CV includes Happy Valley, Mr Selfridge, The Night Manager, Doctor Who spin-off Class, Netflix\u2019s Criminal: UK and her latest work, Ruby Speaking.<\/p>\n

The ITVX sitcom, which was co-created by and stars comedian Jayde Adams, follow an ensemble of working class Bristolians during their 9-5 call centre grind. Kelly plays their slightly terrifying and deluded boss Vicky, who may or may not think she\u2019s actually the head of a major corporation.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a mash up of TED Talks, wellness podcasts and Oprah,\u201d Kelly says over Zoom from her home in Yorkshire. Her \u201cgurus\u201d are Meghan Markle, Amanda Holden and Matthew McConaughey, which gives you a fascinating insight into how she approached the character.<\/p>\n

Kelly was also eager to avoid the evil comedy-boss stereotype: \u201cThe b*tch boss has been done to death. I didn\u2019t want to go down the road of The Devil Wears Prada. I thought \u2018we\u2019ve seen that, let\u2019s do something different.’\u201d<\/p>\n

\""Vicky\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Vicky stood in the work office with her colleagues holding a glass of champagne.<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9Yellow Door Productions<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

For Kelly, variety is always the aim of the game: \u201cInevitably, in this job, when you do a period drama, you\u2019re going to get offered another period drama, but that\u2019s not what interests me.<\/p>\n

Drama in its various forms has traditionally been her wheelhouse since leaving Coronation Street eleven years ago, but she\u2019s a dab hand at comedy too, with BBC One\u2019s Black Ops<\/a> and Ruby Speaking allowing her to flex different muscles.<\/p>\n

Kelly is also one of the most prolific actors working in the UK today, with this year alone seeing her take on three new projects. She attributes her ceaseless drive to her working class upbringing in Barnsley, which is worlds away from the gilded floors of Broadcasting House:<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad left school at 15 with no qualifications and went to work down a coal mine. All my family have worked in them. I have that thing of not having any sense of entitlement, or expecting things to come to you. You have to go and do it yourself.\u201d<\/p>