Emmerdale actress admits landing role was complete nepotism as cousin helped her

26 August 2023 , 11:00

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Emmerdale actress admits landing role was complete nepotism as cousin helped her

Miranda Raison has praised nepotism for helping her secure two roles in the ITV soap, Emmerdale, in the early 2000s.

The Norfolk-born star who has since appeared in the likes of Doctor Who and the international hit, Warrior, admits that while some may frown upon nepotism it worked in her favour and she's grateful. In 2001, Miranda found herself playing a nurse on the programme alongside the likes of Lucy Pargeter and Emma Atkins.

But two years later, she was back on the Yorkshire-based soap playing Rosanna Jennings but admits that having a cousin who worked behind the scenes on the soap massively helped her. Speaking to the Mirror about landing her roles on the soap, the 45-year-old said: "That was complete nepotism. I did two episodes of Emmerdale which was carved by my cousin and nobody would know that because she's got an incredibly Welsh accent and a different name, Jude Dine, who's brilliant and was so nice to me when I left drama school.

Miranda Raison has claimed she landed a role on Emmerdale thanks to 'nepotism'

"She was like 'Come and play a nurse on Emmerdale' and then two years later she was like 'Come and play a teacher', I think to play the teacher, I was completely mis-cast. I think she was the headmistress or something and I was 24, just her being really nice."

But her roles didn't stop there, Miranda explained: "She cast me in an episode of Heartbeat as well with Benedict Cumberbatch, we were boyfriend and girlfriend, and that was when I was just starting out. I'm sure, certainly on two out of three of those occasions I wasn't the best person for the job and it was just her being really, really nice."

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While some people may opt to use the surname of a famous relative for work, Miranda admits that she "objects" to this and believes it must be "insulting" to their relatives. But a role she helped secure on her own was portraying Megan Talbot in the first series of Death In Paradise back in 2011. Miranda and co-stars including Ralf Little and Ben Miller jetted out to the French island of Guadeloupe. She said: "It was an extraordinary offer, this band of misfits, we had to fly via France, we got out there and it was 'Oh my God', the most amazing crew, I speak French so any chance I can have to practise and show off, I enjoy. Neil Stuke, he's the funniest guy and I think I got to shoot him in the head."

Miranda is currently starring in the international hit, Warrior

The actress recalled fond her fond memories of working on the first series of Death In Paradise

Aside from jetting abroad for work, Miranda spent time working on Doctor Who as Tallulah, alongside David Tennant which she described as "one of the most fun" jobs she'd ever worked on. Discussing her co-star David, she said: "I doubt you've ever heard anyone say anything other than he was just a dream. He's the nicest and loveliest, number one on the call sheet – whoever is number one is often a good indicator of what will trickle down in terms of ego."

Miranda has teamed up with the RNLI who are the beneficiaries of Omaze's latest jaw-dropping competition. The completion gives those who enter to be in with a chance of winning £100,000 in cash as well as a home worth £4.5m in Norfolk.

The actress is working with Omaze on their latest competition to win a stunning home in Norfolk

Discussing the competition, Miranda explained that she was approached having spoken about growing up on the coast but while she hadn't been rescued by the RNLI, friends of hers and friends of her family have been rescued by the charity. "So many people don't realise that it's a charity," she said, before adding that it's "integral" to support the organisation.

But she said the competition was "Completely lifechanging," saying: "I didn't know in terms of prize draws, you get a weekend in a hotel in Daines but suddenly you get a £4.5 million house!"

The actress and RNLI supporter, Miranda Raison is promoting the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Norfolk - a new prize draw raising vital funds and awareness for the RNLI. Enter before midnight this Bank Holiday Monday 28^th August at: https://omaze.co.uk/pages/norfolk. The draw closes Bank Holiday Monday 28^th August at midnight for online entries and Wednesday 30^th August for postal entries.

Daniel Bird