Suranne Jones is about to thrill audiences in Netflix's gritty show Hostage, in which she stars as the British Prime Minister whose husband is kidnapped and held hostage.
Thankfully, away from the screen, Suranne has a much quieter life with her husband, Laurence Akers, a former scriptwriter and magazine editor. However, while things are currently smooth sailing for the couple, Laurence has previously confessed that the start of his relationship with the Gentleman Jack star was actually "complicated".
HELLO! has done a deep-dive into the star's marriage and has all the information that you need to know...
Suranne's marriage to Laurence
Suranne and Laurence first met while attending Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay's wedding back in 2013 and immediately hit it off, although Laurence was initially set up with television star Carol Vorderman. Speaking to the Mirror in 2024, the actress revealed that she asked her old Corrie boss to set her up with something at the wedding.
She recalled: "He said, 'I do have a friend, he's over there', Laurence was sitting next to Carol Vorderman." Laurence then added: "My mates were trying to pair me off with Carol Vorderman."
© InstagramSpeaking more about their first meeting, Suranne said: "Later I was dancing with the actor Peter Eccleston, the partner of Antony Cotton from Coronation Street. Laurence came over and said, 'Can I cut in?' But he took Peter instead of me and was flinging him around the dance floor. I thought, 'Oh, he's very funny'. We swapped numbers."
Two years later, in 2015, they tied the knot themselves in a private ceremony at Islington Town Hall and have been the picture of romance ever since. According to some reports, Laurence, who is ten years older than Suranne, popped the question just six weeks after meeting.
© Mike MarslandDespite finding romance so easy, Laurence admitted that the start of their relationship was "complicated" as he was still living with an ex-partner at the time. "I thought Suranne was stunning, really down to earth and funny," he shared. "I was living with someone else but we'd split up and neither of us could afford to move out. Suranne said it sounded complicated and to call her once it was sorted. It gave me the motivation to finally move out."
Suranne's children
Suranne and Laurence welcomed their first child together - a son - in March 2016. As Suranne doesn't use social media regularly, no one knew the Gentleman Jack actress was expecting until she stepped on the National Television Awards red carpet with her gorgeous baby bump on full display!
As the couple prefer to keep their lives as private as possible, their now nine-year-old son's name remains unknown. However, she made a rare comment on motherhood when she appeared on the This Morning sofa in 2017. "I love being a mum. It is the best," she gushed.
© InstagramSpeaking about her role in Vigil, Suranne reflected on balancing her career and son, explaining: "Being a woman who constantly wants to prove herself and feels like a responsibility of many people, when we're out filming and when crews are doing lots for us - I think Amy and I share that. I have a child. I share that [with Amy]. I'm constantly trying to balance my life and my career. I share that."
During lockdown, Suranne and Laurence expanded their family again when they adopted two adorable dachshund puppies! The family currently live in Muswell Hill, London.
