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Daily Record
Daily Record
Entertainment
Paul T Smith

Happy Valley's James Norton addresses rumour BBC filmed multiple endings of show

Happy Valley star James Norton has spoken out about rumours the BBC filmed numerous endings of the highly popular police drama which came to an end on Sunday.

In an interview with Global's 'The News Agents' podcast James, who played villain Tommy Lee Royce, said he and Sarah Lancashire, who played Police officer Catherine Cawood, along producers were the only people to be given a script.

And he added it's "complete nonsense" various different endings were recorded. Speaking to host Emily Maitlis, James said: "That was the media taking something which was said completely out of context.

"I think what happened is Amit Shah, who's who played Faisal said that... I think they shot his final scene in lots of different ways, different sort of interpretations, which was then misconstrued and then was a rumour that we'd shot hundreds of different endings, which would have been a hugely wasteful and impractical way of shooting.

"You're already desperately trying to play against the clock. And so, the idea of having days to shoot alternative endings is nonsense."

James Norton speaking on Global's 'The News Agents' podcast (Global / The News Agents podcast)

Cop Catherine had a happy ending and fans of the drama hailed the finale as "powerful" with many saying they're "sad to see it go". In the dramatic scenes, Catherine's nemesis Tommy Lee Royce burned to death as they clashed for a final showdown.

During her last day in uniform she had been involved in one huge final confrontation with the man responsible for ruining much of her life. At the climax of their last row, murderer Tommy, took his own life.

During the nail-biting episode, the killer, played by James Norton, broke into Catherine's home after escaping prison and then fleeing from the gang he had been working with.

But by the time he reached her home he was bleeding badly and seemed unable to physically attack her as he had done in the past.

In a tense scene that millions of viewers have been waiting for, the pair traded insults for 15 minutes in an incredibly nerve-wracking final meeting.

Listen to the full interview on The News Agents podcast this evening.

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