Ellie Lagden
Played by
Alex Kingston
Feisty, sexy, shrewd, yet big-hearted, Ellie's very much the leader of this pack of ex-cons. Married to bad-boy mobster Roy Lagden, she has spent most of her adult life as a gangster's wife, believing that happiness was a life of luxury and bling. She also loved Roy enough to take the rap for him and serve four years in jail for fraud. But four years at Her Majesty's pleasure means she's discovered all that glitters is not necessarily gold. Whilst inside, she discovered that Roy was hiding a massive secret from her – his girlfriend and their child.
A lengthy stretch in prison has given Ellie clarity of thought. She realises that if she wants to change her life she'd better do it now and she's not going to rely on any bloke to get there. Ellie now knows that the friends in her life – fellow cons, Hannah, Shoo and Josie– are her new future. Together, they hatch a plan to escape to Barbados and start a new life, courtesy of £3million stolen from Roy. But things don't quite go according to plan and they end up in hiding in a remote and slightly eerie Scottish village called Hope Springs. Now stranded, and in danger of being found out, mother hen Ellie takes the burden of responsibility for the women, their wellbeing, and their determination to go straight…even if she has to bend the rules to do so.
Ellie is strong yet vulnerable; impulsive yet thoughtful; steely yet emotional - and, overall, accountable for the safety of her three friends. Hope Springs teaches Ellie that these friendships are more valuable than money – and that, surprisingly, not all men are bastards!
Read our interview with Alex Kingston.