VIEWERS tuning into the final episode of Happy Valley on BBC 1 last night might have seen a familiar face from York.

Radio show host Laura Castle appeared on screen during a scene where the police raided the house of two of crime boss Darius Knezevic's henchman just as one of them was about to be married.

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York Press: Laura Castle as DS HardingLaura Castle as DS Harding (Image: Laura Castle)

Laura, 26, whose day job is to co-host the breakfast show on York Mix Radio with David Green, played DC Harding in episodes three and six of the final series of the show and was the officer in charge of the raid in the episode last night (February 5).

Before the show Laura took to social media to express her delight.

 

 

Created by Sally Wainwright, Happy Valley follows the exploits of Halifax Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood, played by Sarah Lancashire and villain Tommy Lee Royce played by James Norton from Ampleforth.

The show and its cast have earned many awards, including a BAFTA for Best Drama for Series One back in 2014.

Speaking about the experience Laura said: "I go to an acting class every week called Act for TV. And of that acting class, we often get offered sort of auditions, or workshops with sort of local casting companies, casting agencies, and one of them was Beverley Keogh, and Michael Jackson, and they are the casting team for Happy Valley. 

"I was get given the opportunity to self tape for a role in Happy Valley, which is the role of DC Harding originally just had one line, I did the line. For episode three on a tape, they liked me, they asked me to come and do it. And then they asked me back for episode six.

"I got to be the arresting officer for two of the big baddies. And I got to read them their rights, which was lots of fun.

"I found out that they actually recorded three different endings.

"So I don't think a lot of the cast who were involved in the ending really knew which one they were going to pick, but I thought it was a really nice way to end it. It was shocking.

"I didn't quite get to meet Sarah Lancashire which I would have loved to do because she's one of my idols but yeah, I got to a mix with the with the big guns and got my own trailer which was ace."

Sally Wainwright has been definitive in saying that Happy Valley would end with Series 3, having spoken with Sarah Lancashire about it.

Speaking to the Radio Times she said: "We made a definite decision that this was going to be the final season.

"Just because it’s been successful, we weren’t going to let it drift on until it became a pale shadow of itself."