By Matthew Moore

Copyright hellomagazine

The BBC’s latest hit show has been The Guest, which goes into the business relationship between Fran Sharp (Eve Myles) and the new cleaner, Ria Powell (Gabrielle Creevy) Fran hired. As the show goes on, Fran’s motives come under suspicion in what is a thriller filled with plenty of twists that has critics calling it “a gripping gothic tale of rich and poor”. And in the latest instalment of HELLO!’s Second Act podcast, hosted by Ateh Jewel, Eve sat down to discuss her “iconic” character.

When asked what she’s learnt about playing Fran, the actress joked: “What have I learnt from Francesca Sharp? Don’t offer jobs out to strangers is what I’ve learnt.” She then continued: “I’ve learnt a lot, actually, I really loved playing her. I loved the scripts, and I loved playing opposite Gabi Creevy; she’s really been a special character. These don’t come along a lot.

“She’s [an] iconic kind of woman that is constantly evolving and changing. She’s like a chameleon, one minute she’s taking you down one path where you feel very safe with this woman. You go, ‘Do I understand her?’ And then all of a sudden, you’re in a very different territory with her. She’s got these elements where she’s got great humour, but she’s also incredibly dangerous. She’s got a real chemistry set of somebody you can’t pin down.”

Eve’s children

Elsewhere on the podcast, Eve addressed life with her three children, Matilda, Siena, and Mackenzie. Her youngest proved to be a blessing, as Eve discovered she was pregnant shortly after the loss of her mother. “[Mackenzie] was the gift from my mum to keep us all moving forward,” she explained. “We have to move through grief and work a way around it.

“Sometimes it’s a minute at a time. Sometimes an hour or a day at a time. It hits me sometimes like a tsunami. It pins me, and I can’t get back up. And then I’ve got to do something for the kids.” Joking about her parenting style, she added: “I was fun with the first one. I’m knackered with the third. My girls are very, very different. So there’s a different approach.”

The new BBC show was penned by Matthew Barry (Men Up) and the producers behind Netflix’s stellar shows Fool Me Once and Missing You, Quay Street Productions, are also a part of the project. The “fast-paced” four-parter charts the “toxic and beguiling” relationship between business owner Fran and her new employee, Ria.

Judging by the first reactions to the new series, it’s safe to say that it’s been a hit with viewers. One person wrote: “Oh. My. GOD! #TheGuest is fun, twisty, flirty, thrilling! Eve Myles and Gabrielle Creevy are perfect in this. So well written and beautifully directed. And filmed in Wales! Loved, loved, loved it,” while another added: “I watched the first episode last night! Edge of my seat towards the end!!”

Listen to the Second Act podcast now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts and Youtube.