KATHERINE Kelly was back on TV screens over the weekend as Lady Mae Loxley in series two of ITV drama Mr Selfridge.
The Coronation Street actress – who is second generation Irish – plays the London socialite who is surprised by the unexpected return of her husband, Lord Loxley, in episode one of the new series.
Lord Loxley, played by Aidan McArdle (Garrow’s Law), is an alpha male who creates tensions and animosity at every opportunity and his unsettling presence threatens to drive a wedge between Harry and Lady Mae.
Emmy award‐winning American actor Jeremy Piven (Entourage) plays Harry.
Mr Selfridge is based upon the life of flamboyant American entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge, who founded the world‐renowned store on London’s Oxford Street in 1909.
The second series picks up the story in 1914 as the store celebrates its 5th anniversary of trading.
Kelly is popularly known for her long-running role as bad-girl Becky McDonald in ITV soap Coronation Street, for which she won a National Television Award in 2012.
However, she grew up on the stage as her Kerry-native father, John Kelly, established the Lamproom Theatre in Barnsley, South Yorkshire in 1998.
She is also a classically trained graduate of the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and she has acted as a leading lady for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
