Suranne Jones offered an insight into her life as a mother and revealed the non-negotiable rule she has for her nine-year-old son. The actor and producer shares one child with her former magazine editor husband, Laurence Akers, whom she married in 2015 after meeting him at the wedding of her famous friend Sally Lindsay. While the Hostage actor keeps details about her son close to her chest, she recently shared the item she has banned him from using. The 46-year-old Netflix star explained her attitude towards smartphones and admitted they were a "scary" thing.
She told The Times: "I worry when the people who make smartphones say they don’t give them to their kids. Or they limit themselves." Suranne continued: "My son doesn’t have a phone. It’s so addictive. I get lost scrolling. I have to take a holiday from it, because it’s scary. I’d love to have a huge digital detox."
Despite a ban on owning a mobile phone, there is one piece of technology her pre-teen is obsessed with - artificial intelligence. During the same interview, Suranne explained: "My nine-year-old loves ChatGPT. I never use it. He likes coding and he’s good at maths – I’ve got no idea how that is even possible, because his dad and I are not."
Holding audiences hostage
Suranne’s revelations about her relationship with her son - who she gave birth to in March 2016 - follow her appearance in the new Netflix show, Hostage. The former Coronation Street star plays Prime Minister Abigail Dalton in the nail-biting five-part thriller, a role which she said she drew from her personal life to prepare for. In the series, Suranne’s character grapples with saving her country or her family after her husband is held hostage for ransom - however, the terrorists are after her job, not her money.
Speaking to HELLO! and other press in London, she revealed how she stepped into Abigail’s shoes. The Vigil actor said that she could relate to her character’s struggles to maintain a private life working in such a public job. "I try and keep a private element to my life, but then I do want to show support for the charities I work for," she opened up. "I have a community theatre that I like to give elevation to, so I drew on a lot of that stuff."
She went on to reveal that a visit to the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) helped solidify her portrayal of the character. Suranne reflected: "It really helped me with who she's perceived to be and then who she is within the family unit, and then with her husband. It gave me very clear lines to draw the character."