Sam was based on the script advisor John Wardley, who has created some of Britain's best loved roller coasters such as Nemesis, Air and Oblivion at Alton Towers.
Holly Aird loathed every minute of her nude sex scenes in this series. "Ugh! It was very, very embarrassing," says Holly, "I hated doing it. Hated it. It was the worst thing I have ever done. Never, ever again!" To add to her embarrassment, Holly was actually pregnant when the cameras rolled. And James Purefoy, her real-life lover and father of her son, was also appearing in the four-part drama. "The fact that I wasn't making love with James was very, very weird," says Holly. "Of course James has seen the scene and he was a bit strange about it. But it's done now." She did it, she explains, only because director Paul Seed said it was important to contrast the intensity of the lovers' illicit passion with the calmer bed scenes between the husband - Miles Anderson - and his wife of 20 years - Sinead Cusack.
It was only after signing to play the mistress, Allie, that Holly realised she was pregnant. The one saving grace was that she knew Miles. "Thank God it was him," says Holly. "He was really good with me. He was wonderful,very supportive. We prepared by having quite a few glasses of wine and a laugh."