Feisty, self-assured and flirty, Sergeant Brookes' life takes a surprising
turn when she gets flattering attention from an unexpected quarter -
her gruff new boss, DI Bing (played by series newcomer Mark
Lewis Jones).
Ìý
"The first time they meet, Bing just grabs Brookes by the neck and
drags her down the street - it's during a robbery scene, so there's
something immediately very physical about their relationship right from
the word go. Brookes is a bit like: 'And hello to you too, mate!'" laughs
Emma Cleasby, who plays the feisty sergeant.
Ìý
"He clearly feels immediately protective of her, but she can't make
him out. Is he a fantastic copper or just a complete nutter? She can't
help but be intrigued by him, but at the same time she's confused.
Ìý
"When he begins to chat her up, she's really thrown by the fact
that somebody at work has said that she is beautiful. I don't think
anyone has ever noticed at the station that she's attractive and feminine
before.
Ìý
"They think of her as one of the boys. They might reckon she's
a bit fit, but no-one has ever said: 'You're beautiful'.
It's a real 'Oh my God, I don't know what to do' moment for Brookes."
Ìý
Initially, she's quite bemused by his attentions - because of all the
men she works with, someone like Bing wouldn't normally register on
her romantic radar.
Ìý
Brookes remains very matey with Nicky (Don Gilet)
and they still look out for each other. However, she has resigned herself
to the fact that their relationship is purely platonic and will never
be anything more.
Ìý
"I do think there is only so long you can fancy somebody and them
not fancy you back before you finally go: 'What am I doing?' So it's
nice that Bing comes along and her attention does shift," explains Emma,
who grew up in Cumbria and studied drama at Hull University, followed
by appearances in The Project, Holby City and teen soap Hollyoaks.
Ìý
Not forgetting her role as a werewolf in Dog Soldiers, the cult British
horror movie that also features her co-star Darren Morfitt.
Ìý
"Nicky and Brookes have this banter which most of the time is completely
meaningless - it's the way you get through a boring shift at work and
they are good at it.
Ìý
"They spark well, they flirt in a matey kind of way, but she now
realises they're only ever going to be just good friends. He doesn't
think of her in any other way. Even so, I think there is always a bit
in every woman that if you have ever had a crush on somebody it doesn't
just disappear immediately."
Ìý
Brookes is one of the lads, and Emma also admits she gives as good
as she gets as the show's only female copper. She says: "I actually
really like all the action stuff and I think we all get off on it a
bit. It does get a bit competitive sometimes with the boys. We all get
very excited and regress to being seven years old again.
Ìý
"This series I get smacked in the nose, chased down a corridor
by a fireball and stuck in a roomful of quite scary rats. In the script
it said '150 rats' so I was dreading it, but in the end it wasn't too
bad. Okay, it's not how I'd choose to spend every day of my life, but
it was certainly an experience.
Ìý
"What made it a lot easier was the point at which I realised the rats
were probably a lot more terrified of us than we were of them.
Ìý
"Brookes doesn't cope quite so well with the situation. That's
one of the things I really like about her. She's human and not some
kind of superwoman cop. She can quite happily hold her own in a roomful
of 12 drunken bricklayers, but a couple of rats and she's like - I can't
cope."
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