Claudia Jessie: I'd really like Eloise to find someone fit.

[laughs]

Claudia Jessie: Do you know what I mean?

Alison Hammond: Like an affair? 

Claudia Jessie: Yeah, but just like looks at someone and goes like…

[lively classical music playing] 

Alison Hammond: You start this season together, season four together, and you end season four together. I love that. Did that even come into your mind that that's what happens?

Claudia Jessie: No, actually. Thank you, Alison.

Hannah Dodd: What's our last scene?

Claudia Jessie: They're different sides of the same coin.

Hannah Dodd: Which we are as well.

Claudia Jessie: Which we are. Yeah.

Alison Hammond: What, in real life?

Claudia Jessie: Yeah. 

Alison Hammond: In what way? 

Claudia Jessie: I don't know, though, because we're quite… 

Hannah Dodd:  We're different, but we're the same. 

Claudia Jessie: That's true. We're different but the same.

Alison Hammond: I love that.

Claudia Jessie: We are. We get really excited whenever we get to have scenes together. And even if there's scenes that aren't focused on us, we'll be like, "They would definitely be holding hands." "They just would definitely be holding hands." 

Hannah Dodd: Now directors will just look at us because they're about to split us up, and we're like…

Alison Hammond: No.

Hannah Dodd: We'll be together."

Claudia Jessie: "We think they'd be cuddling." 

Hannah Dodd: We'll be having a conversation. “You're gonna want to cut to us."

Claudia Jessie: Because it's incredible stuff.

Hannah Dodd: Incredible stuff. 

Alison Hammond: You know the characters better than anyone. 

Claudia Jessie: It's a little bit selfish of us as well. We just want to be physically close.

Alison Hammond:  Self indulgent. A little.

Claudia Jessie: They would do this. 

Alison Hammond: If you think about it, they are now the most eligible siblings available for marriage, but the pressure is different for both of you.

Hannah Dodd: Yeah.

Alison Hammond: Do you think, maybe in the future, there could be wedding bells? I know you've been through hell. I know you've been through a lot.

Hannah Dodd: Yeah. 

Alison Hammond: But do you think you could go on again? 

Hannah Dodd: I think when Francesca says she's had the love of her life, I think she really does mean it.

Alison Hammond: Yeah.

Hannah Dodd: It's not been that long when she says that, so I really do think that she's sort of sitting in her grief, and she really feels lucky to have experienced that love with John. And I think it's quite a lot to expect that somebody could be as lucky as that multiple times. Or after you go through like even a breakup, it's really hard to imagine falling for anybody else.

Alison Hammond: Yeah. The family really rallies around you when John dies. How do you think it shifts the family dynamic? 

Hannah Dodd: I think the thing is, is that with their dad's death, it's kind of something that has shaped them as a family, and all of the siblings have got different memories and different experiences of that death. So I think it's something that sort of is part of their DNA and part of their personalities is the fact that that happened to them as a family. So I do think they naturally respond in quite a big way to one of the siblings having to go through it as well, because it is such a big part of their life. And I think the fact that she had the bravery to really choose John, it's devastating. 

Alison Hammond: What's it like having all the gang back in town? Jonathan, Simone, Luke, Nicola. Is it amazing? Do you all go out? I wanna know the gossip. Are we going out tonight? 

Hannah Dodd: Where are we going?

Claudia Jessie: Um, Nicola's really great. She always starts a WhatsApp group for the year.

Hannah Dodd: Each season.

Claudia Jessie: For each season. So that'd be one, be two, be three, be four. You know, she does it. 

Alison Hammond: And obviously you've got some newbies in. 

Claudia Jessie: One of my favorite things in the world is welcoming people.

Alison Hammond: Aww.

Claudia Jessie: It's my favorite thing to do.

Hannah Dodd: You're very good at it.

Claudia Jessie: I love it so much. I get so excited.

Alison Hammond: That's the Brummie in you. Michaela and Fran finally connect.

Hannah Dodd: Mm-hmm. 

Alison Hammond: I mean, but the worst thing is they connect, they get on, and then she leaves. She does one.

Hannah Dodd: I know.

Alison Hammond: How do you think that'll affect Fran when she's going through all this grief and everything? 

Hannah Dodd: I think she's been through so much, and they've been through so much together. I think she feels like Michaela is sort of the only person who fully understood and loved John the way that, like, Francesca really understood. Like, I know that she knows that the family love him, but I think… Yeah, Michaela and her share a grief there. So then for her to bail and, like, disappear, and not even say goodbye as well, is devastating.

Alison Hammond: So rude.

Hannah Dodd: And I think also… Yeah, I think she was sort of like holding on to her as like, "This will be how I survive this."

Alison Hammond: Yeah. 

Hannah Dodd: So then I think she just completely spiraled. She's not got a child. She's now not got a friend. She's back to absolute square one with a massive hole in her heart. It's horrible.

Claudia Jessie: Big shoutout to Masali, as well.

Hannah Dodd: Yeah.

Claudia Jessie: Who's unreal.

Alison Hammond: So good. Let's talk about Cressida. She's back.

Claudia Jessie: Also, she comes back with about 750 bows attached to her. It's incredible.

Alison Hammond: So much pink.

Claudia Jessie: I know.

Hannah Dodd: She wears it well.

Claudia Jessie: She does.

Hannah Dodd:  Not many people could.

Alison Hammond: What does that mean for our Eloise? Because… Do you think she's forgiven her? 

Claudia Jessie: Yeah, I think Eloise has a conversation with Penelope, even just being like, “How is Cressida, by the way?”You know she cares.

Claudia Jessie: She loves her. 

Claudia Jessie: I… It's got a lot to do with the fact that I love Jess Madsen with my whole heart. But I loved their friendship. I loved that season for how much time I got to spend with Jess. She's a beautiful actor to work with. And I love how different they are from each other. Obviously, I know it's a bit… You know, Eloise is going in there with a plot. But I think it's like, if there's a benefit there, they get something out of it. Which is nice, because otherwise, it could be a bit convoluted, but they both get something out of it. 

Alison Hammond: It's lovely, because that moment where Sophie comes in, she says, “I've seen the will. We can go,” it looks like you don't really wanna go.

Claudia Jessie: No.

Alison Hammond: You're in a comfortable position.

Claudia Jessie: I think they have, like, connected. And again, there's a bit where Eloise sneaks Hyacinth into the ball and sees Cressida, and Jess does so much work in that, like, two seconds. And I think it's like… Again, friendship breakups are, like, devastating, aren't they? And just what a character. Like, every show needs a sort of Cressida Cowper.

Alison Hammond: Yeah.

Claudia Jessie: And, yeah, fantastic job by Jess.

Hannah Dodd: She's so good.

Alison Hammond: Season five, what are you hoping for your characters? 

Hannah Dodd: I just want her to feel a bit better at this stage. My God.Bless her.

Alison Hammond: She's been through hell. She needs some happiness, doesn't she? 

Hannah Dodd: She just needs a cuddle from her mum and all of the sibs around her. I don't know. I don't know how you really move on from something like that. I hope that she sort of learns to live a full life by herself and she doesn't, like, punish herself. I feel like sometimes you can do that through grief. You can sort of not want to live your life to the fullest because you feel guilty, but I hope she does it for John, in a way. 

Claudia Jessie: Yeah. I'd really like Eloise to find someone fit.

[laughs]

Claudia Jessie: Do you know what I mean?

Alison Hammond: Like an affair? 

Claudia Jessie: Yeah, but just like looks at someone and goes like… I want to see her think someone's fit. 

Alison Hammond: There's gotta be chemistry.

Claudia Jessie: That's fun to act as well. You've got to have a hottie.

Alison Hammond: Oh, absolutely, Eloise.

Claudia Jessie: Alison, I've seen the show. They know what they're doing. They're a good-looking bunch. I'm related to some of the most attractive people on the planet. Um…

Hannah Dodd: You are so beautiful. You are. 

Claudia Jessie: There's always a funny sibling, all right? I've accepted it. 

Alison Hammond: "I know my role."

Claudia Jessie: “Okay, it's fine.” 

Alison Hammond: "I'm the funny one."

Claudia Jessie: "I'll take it."

Hannah Dodd: You're both beautiful. Oh, God.

[CLIP]: Do you think you'll ever do it again? 

[CLIP] Hannah Dodd as Lady Francesca Stirling: Me? A wedding? No. I have had my great love. One time is enough.

[classical music swells]

[music fades]