Sarah Parish has said she wants to see more women in their fifties in sex scenes on television, stating there is “definitely a place out there” for a show similar to her Noughties hit Mistresses.
The BBC drama, which ran for three series, followed four friends – including Parish’s GP character, Dr Katie Roden – and explored their often illicit sexual encounters and relationships.
Fans often tell the 57-year-old that they would love to see Mistresses make a comeback and the actor has backed the calls in a new interview with The Times, telling the publication she’d also be happy to see fresh ideas in the same vein as the BBC hit.
“I want to see women of my age having sex,” she said. “I want to see them thinking about things that we’re not allowed to talk about. As you come into your fifties, a big part of ageing is, especially for a woman, you become slightly invisible.”
“I think 50 and 60 is sexy,” Parish continued. “It’s great. And we need to embrace it as a human race. We’re so obsessed with youth.”
Addressing the possibility of a Mistresses revival, the star added that there is “definitely a place out there at the moment [...] for something like Mistresses, just something that’s quite fun, a little bit glossy but still based in reality, looking at all of those different difficulties women have in their fifties and sixties when they’re still working, still attractive, still want to be attractive, still want romance, still want adventure”.
However, Parish said that “a lot of the time they’re put out to pasture”.
Parish, who made her first television appearances in the Nineties, more recently appeared in Industry as Nicole Craig, a client who sleeps with an investment banker 30 years her junior.
She’s now returning as Superintendent Julie Spry in a second series of the controversial police comedy Piglets, which was previously criticised by the Police Federation for its “disgusting” name.
ITV was forced to defend its decision, saying in a statement that “the title is not intended to cause any offence”.
“It’s a comedic and endearing play on words to emphasise the innocence and youth of our young trainees,” it added.
