For years now, June Ackland has been the
Sergeant Sensible of Sun Hill Police Station. At work, she’s like a swotty head prefect on speech day and you imagine she spends her evenings polishing the bath taps and starching her knickers. So, what a surprise, then, to discover that all this time she’s been hiding a passionate heart that’s beating hard for fellow copper Jim Carver. But now it looks as if she’s never going to get her man because Pc Jim, played by Mark Wingett, is about to take down another woman’s particulars. ‘It’s not going to end happily,’ sighs Trudie Goodwin, who’s played June since the start of The Bill 20 years ago. ‘Women like her are terribly nice and good at what they do, but just can’t hold down a relationship.’
Carver and Ackland’s romance began just over a year ago, but a future together now looks doomed because this week Jim begins an affair with another woman, played by former Bread star, Melanie Hill. It’s a bitter blow for June, so could she turn into a woman hell-bent on mad, axe-wielding revenge? ‘I’d like that,’ says Trudie. ‘I wish Ackland would be a bit more ballsy, a bit of a bunny-boiler. Oh I’d love that. But on the other hand, I’m a bit protective of her and I don’t know whether I’d like her to meet a sticky end… but who knows?’
In the old days of The Bill, we’d never have known about Sgt Ackland’s broken heart because there was never much about their personal lives. It made it different from other cop shows, but about as exciting as a date with a traffic warden. A couple of years ago Trudie worried that the series was about to get death penalty. ‘It hit a real low and I think we were in a lot of trouble. We made a big mistake by not changing earlier and letting people know a bit more about the characters. As actors, we used to feel very frustrated that you couldn’t go into their personal lives. You have to change with the times. You can’t stay still, certainly not in television, or you’ve had it. It may have been a shock to the audience that the changes happened very quickly, but it had got boring and we deserved to lose viewers. Now it’s a very different programme, the audiences have gone up massively and you can just tell by people’s reaction on the streets.’
There’s no doubt that the show’s eight million viewers have loved the affair between June and Jim. ‘I’ve suddenly had loads of people lean out of cars and shout, “Don’t do it June!” or “How’s Jim?” I get lots of that, so does Mark. Neither of us are young and sexy and people seem to think it’s interesting seeing two people who are a bit different looking. I mean, I get fed up with only seeing beautiful people fall in love on TV. I find it terribly distressing that you don’t see many normal girls on television. So the pressure on you to have a facelift, the lip job, or Botox, is huge and I hate that. I hope I resist it for ever, but sometimes I think, “Oh, my God, my jowls are saggy and I’m wrinkly,” because in comparison to others on screen you look your age. But I think it’s terribly important to resist, though I do try to look the best I can. I look after myself quite carefully.’
And it shows. Trudie, 51, is an elegant woman, pencil-slim in close fitting charcoal trousers and a chic jacket. So does she think she’s done her bit for the image of the older woman by indulging in on-screen romance? ‘Ye-ssss,’ she says, although daughters, Eleanor, 15, and Jessica, 20, weren’t over-impressed by seeing Mum snogging Jim. ‘“Ugh, it’s disgusting!” they said. You can imagine,’ says Trudie. ‘And I don’t know if I particularly like doing that, either. I just had to take a deep breath and do it. I absolutely drew the line when I saw the scripts coming up. I said, “We aren’t doing any bed scenes. I’m just not doing it.” I’d find it terribly difficult doing scenes like that with June. She’s more a hot water-bottle and winceyette pyjamas sort of girl. Anyway, I think people might turn off in droves if you actually saw her in bed with anybody.’June’s romance may have been a disaster, but Trudie’s own life couldn’t be more different. Next year, she and her actor husband, Kit Jackson, celebrate their 25th anniversary. ‘I can’t believe I’ve been married that long. But it’s fantastic. I can’t imagine what I’d do without him,’ says Trudie. ‘It was almost love at first sight. I had no hesitation that he was for me. He really has shared my life and long may it continue.’
She’s also hoping that June will continue for a bit longer, too, even though she’s been in the series so long she’s nicknamed The Dame. ‘I’m part of the furniture. One new actress came in and seriously thought I had to be called The Dame and that I was a real prima donna. The poor girl was so nervous.’
And The Dame will be around for at least one more year. ‘I know the storyline they’ve got lined up for me and it’s absolutely sensational,’ says Trudie. ‘It’s exciting now my character’s had a new lease of life. But as soon as I start getting bored, I could leave. I’m ready to take that risk because I know that one day it will come to an end for me. I keep thinking June’s finished and that they’ll kill her off. But if it ended tomorrow, I’d be very happy with what I’ve done. It’s been brilliant.’