BBC Shetland’s Ashley Jensen admits ‘we’re not allowed’ as she delves into strict filming rules ahead of new series

Shetland star Ashley Jensen has opened up about some of the restrictive rules in place while filming the hit series ahead of its hotly-anticipated return to the BBC this month.

Jensen replaced former series lead Douglas Henshall after he left the show in 2022.

The 55-year-old was speaking about returning to the series for a second time as DI Ruth Calder.

Jensen explained her character “felt like there was unfinished business there, or a sort of magnetic draw back home”.

The actor has somewhat less ominous feelings about her second series and the ninth of the drama overall.

Speaking to the BBC, Jensen explained she was “excited be getting on the wee plane off to Shetland again with my half a cup of tea and my caramel wafer”.

She continued: “(Well), half a cup of tea, because there’s often turbulence and you can’t get a full cup of tea because it’ll spill, which I thought was quite funny.”

The island of Shetland itself also holds its charms for her which she describes as “the real star of the show”.

“As soon as you touch down, Shetland kind of envelops you. It’s like nowhere I’ve ever been before. It’s a landscape that’s arresting and breathtaking…it’s just a real privilege to be able to go back there.”

Returning has allowed the cast and crew to explore the isles – one trip took them to the Unst gin distillery and “the most northern tearoom in the British Isles”.

However, the majesty of the isles is matched by the challenges of the weather – particularly the biting cold.

Jensen explains: “I’ve known cold when I’ve been filming but this this was something else. This is filming when it’s so cold your fingers had stopped working.

“We had heat pads in our pockets, our underwear taped to our backs. We even had to put our hands in hot water in between takes to literally thaw them out. It’s the only thing that would bring the feeling back into my fingers.”

The weather also forces the production to take other drastic measures to ensure the show is made to schedule.

The former Extras star revealed the cast and crew are forced to remain on the island during the period of the shoot.

“You’re genuinely not allowed off the isles in case the weather turns, and you can’t get back which would obviously mess up filming,” she explained.

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Jensen explains the restrictive nature of the production fosters “a feeling of all being in it together”.

“There’s very much a feeling of bonding and camaraderie because we’re all away from home. We’re all in the same boat, it’s like being in regional theatre in the 1950s or something.”

Jensen will return to the crime drama alongside series stalwart Alison O’Donnell who’ll reprise the role of DI Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh.

Together, they’ll have to solve a new crime that has gripped the Scottish island while new faces add fresh layers to their latest mystery.