Corrie star Sally Dynevor ‘so proud’ as daughter lands lead role on Netflix blockbuster

The 25-year-old is the leading lady in new Netflix period drama Bridgerton, an eight-parter starting on December 25.

Mum Sally, 57, will also be on screen on Christmas Day in an hour-long Coronation Street special.

And she is thrilled to be sharing the limelight with her girl, who started out with low-profile roles in the likes of Waterloo Road and, more recently, the US series Younger.

Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Sally told of her joy and said: “I just want to say I’m very proud of Phoebe and as a family, we are so excited to see Bridgerton on Christmas Day.”

In the show, Phoebe plays Daphne Bridgerton, one of eight siblings caught up in a world of wealth, lust and betrayal.

She is made for the part, with her striking red hair and ethereal skin perfect for Georgian England – 1813 to be precise.

But Sally, who plays Corrie’s Sally Metcalfe, isn’t at all surprised by her daughter’s breakthrough and revealed that years of ambition and hard work have helped her to find fame.

She said previously: “Phoebe decided she wanted to act when she was 12 or 13.

“My mother-in-law Shirley said to me, ‘You mustn’t dissuade her. Actors are the most wonderful people in the world and the most fun’.

“I thought, ‘She’s absolutely right’. And even if it’s very difficult, she’s going to have a great time.

“I was probably more nervous watching her in something than I’d ever been for me, but she’s doing OK.

“I am always telling her if you want to survive in this business, you have to have ­discipline and set aside days and nights to ­learn lines.”

Clearly, the advice seems to be working. As well as having an actress for mother, Phoebe’s dad Tim is a Bafta-nominated scriptwriter for Emmerdale.

Phoebe was raised in Manchester and has two siblings – brother Sam, 23, and sister Hattie, 17.

Her career began in earnest in 2009 when she was cast as Siobhan in TV school drama Waterloo Road.

But that same year, Sally found a cancerous lump while researching a traumatic plot for her TV namesake. Sally said: “If I had not been researching this storyline, I may not have discovered the lump in my breast.”

It was a hard year for the family and they endured a sea of emotions.

Soap fans did too – willing Sally to get well in real-life and on screen.

Thankfully, both Sallys came through. And in real life, it inspired the family to raise money for cancer-related charities.

With her mum’s health scare behind them, Phoebe could focus again on acting. In 2015 she was Martha Cratchit in A Christmas Carol – as reimagined in the BBC1 series Dickensian.

She went on to play namesake Phoebe Rundle in TV drama The Village and was Lotti in a small screen version of Guy Ritchie’s crime caper Snatch.

But it’s her latest role that has catapulted her to even greater prominence.

The Netflix series is based on the Bridgerton books written by American author Julia Quinn.

It follows the escapades of a rich family and their tumultuous social lives full of scandal, gossip and affairs. It is brilliantly narrated by screen and music veteran Julie Andrews, 85, and co-stars include Ben Miller, 54.

The first episode sees Daphne “coming out” on the social scene as prime marriage material.

But all is not as it seems when she apparently falls for hot suitor Simon Basset, the 10th Duke of Hastings – played by Zimbabwean actor Regé-Jean Page, 30.

Other familiar faces in the ensemble include Nicola Coughlan, 33, one of the breakout comedy stars of recent years after her performances as Clare Devlin in Derry Girls.

Miller stars as the laid-back Lord Fotherington – a velvet-clad aristocrat looking to marry off three daughters.

Full of glamorous outfits and corseted debauchery, Bridgerton is billed as the perfect telly antidote for festive lockdown blues.

And Phoebe’s character is at the centre of the plot. As the eldest daughter of a powerful family, she is a prize catch on Regency London’s competitive marriage market.

Hoping to follow in her parents’ footsteps and find a match sparked by true love, Daphne’s prospects initially seem to be unrivalled.

But as her older brother begins to rule out her potential suitors, a high society scandal sheet – written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown and voiced by Julie Andrews – casts aspersions on Daphne.

Enter the highly desirable and rebellious Duke of Hastings, a committed bachelor and the catch of the season.

Despite proclaiming that they want nothing the other has to offer, sparks fly as Hastings and Daphne engage in a battle of wits while navigating society’s expectations for their future.

Show creator Chris Van Dusen recognised the on-screen chemistry between the actors playing the pair.

He said: “When Phoebe and Regé read together, we knew we had something really special.

“Phoebe has this special spirit about her.

“As Daphne, she’s a picture perfect debutante – wide-eyed and innocent.

“Yet there’s something really vulnerable about Phoebe’s performance, which works so incredibly well.”

Speaking about the show, Phoebe said: “Reading the scripts was quite overwhelming because I could tell that it was going to be a huge production. I had a really good idea of who Daphne was and I could relate to her in so many ways.

“I also knew there were things I would have to learn because Daphne had to horse ride, dance and play piano.

“It was quite epic and I was super excited.”

With good reason. The previews have wowed the critics.