Dear England’s Jodie Whittaker on why non-football fans will be “joyously transported” by BBC drama

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Jodie Whittaker, star of Dear England, recently mentioned in an interview with the Dish podcast that the show is enjoyable even if you don’t follow football. She said viewers can expect to be “completely, joyously transported” by the story, regardless of their interest in the sport.

The actor portrays Pippa Grange, the psychologist for the England national football team, in a BBC drama focusing on Gareth Southgate’s time as manager from 2016 to 2024. Joseph Fiennes plays Gareth Southgate.

The series, adapted from James Graham’s play, premiered on May 24th and centers around Gareth’s attempt to turn around a struggling team. As the story begins, the team has the worst penalty record globally, and Gareth realizes he needs to change his approach and address past failures if he wants to lead England to success.

England, the birthplace of football, consistently struggles to achieve victory in the sport. It’s frustrating to see them fall short, especially when playing on home turf.

Honestly, being part of this series has been amazing. It’s so great to work on something you genuinely love, and I’m really hyped for everyone to finally see it. It’s actually the first project where I’ve been able to watch it and not get super emotional – I was determined not to cry this time!

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She recalled the first time she sent her dad something to watch, saying she was really hoping he’d enjoy it and wouldn’t be shocked or confused by it.

Whittaker highly praised Fiennes’ portrayal of Gareth Southgate, calling it unbelievable. He noted that while Fiennes had played the role on stage, performing it for a different medium – film – was a whole new level of skill.

The actress, known for her role in Pippa, described the first time she encountered the story. She told Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett on the Dish podcast that she hadn’t seen Joe play Gareth Southgate until she was already on set. She’d actually seen a fantastic actor named Gwilym Lee portray Southgate on stage first, and was incredibly impressed.

She found the idea of presenting football as a stage performance really interesting. She believes that to attract a wider audience beyond just sports fans, any adaptation of a sport – whether for TV or film – needs to offer something more than just a recreation of the game itself. That’s because the excitement of a live match is hard to beat, and a filmed version can’t quite capture the same adrenaline rush.

What’s really compelling about this story is the unique perspective it offers – you rarely see things this way. It’s a dramatisation, not a documentary, but the research James did was incredible. He provided a fascinating look behind the scenes at the structure and psychology of everything, and what Gareth accomplished as England manager is truly remarkable.

Dear England is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

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The latest issue of Living Legends, a special collector’s edition about the royal family, is now available! You can purchase The Royals at newsstands or online.

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2026-05-27 09:19