Annabel Scholey On ITV’s Winter, Rivals Series 2 Part 2 & Life In The Wiltshire Countryside

If you know Annabel Scholey, chances are it’s as one of television’s powerhouse women – Contessina de’ Medici in Medici, divorce lawyer Nina Defoe in The Split or, most recently, scandal-hungry tabloid journalist Beattie Johnson in Disney+’s Rivals. Now, the Wakefield-born actress is trading big hair for a warrant card in Winter, a new six-part ITV detective drama in which she stars opposite Richard Armitage.

Annabel plays detective inspector Lauren Bell, a by-the-book officer who is forced to team up with Armitage’s rule-bending pathologist, Ethan Winter, to crack a series of cold cases. Shot in and around Antwerp, it promises a theatrical, Sherlock-esque spin on the classic ITV crime drama. And that’s not all: Beattie is back for the second half of Rivals series two – naughtier than ever. We caught up with Annabel (from the back of a taxi on her way to The One Show) to talk Belgian cafe culture, Pretty Woman polo dresses and why playing awful is always more fun.

Q&A: Annabel Scholey On Winter & Rivals

Annabel Scholey (Photography: David Reiss. Styling: Rosie Arkell-Palmer. Make-up: Brooke Simons. Hair: Sven Bayerbach)

You’re currently starring in Winter. Can you give us a quick elevator pitch of the show?

It’s a double act between Ethan Winter, a pathologist played by the brilliant Richard Armitage, and detective inspector Lauren Bell, who I play. We meet them at the very beginning and they kind of repel each other. They’re both quite stubborn individuals – Winter particularly likes to colour outside the lines, and DI Bell is all about doing things properly – so they clash. There’s a lot of electricity between them, not all good.

Each episode follows a different cold case, and we watch them bumping up against and finding out about each other. There’s also an overarching arc to the whole series, which delves into a secret that Winter is living with – that’s the glue that links the whole series together. As the two of them begin to thaw out and realise they’ve got quite a lot in common, they go on a journey to try and solve this mystery.

When you hear ‘ITV detective drama’ you get an instant idea of what it might be, but it has a real theatrical tone to it. It was shot by a Belgian crew, and the director is very ambitious with his movement and shots, so it looks quite cool. It’s got a real Sherlock vibe about it, and the cases are quite odd.

Tell us a little more about Lauren Bell. What drew you to the role?

Lauren comes across as quite hard and steely – she’s a tough nut to crack. I’m not really used to playing roles like that; I tend to get cast as quite open, messy, emotional women, which is great because that’s obviously exciting to play. So I was drawn to seeing what it would be like to play somebody more muted, who doesn’t give much away. That was a challenge, because I’m quite an open book myself and I lean on the emotional side of characters a lot in my performances. It was good to find restraint in her.

She’s very determined. She comes across as very cool and judgy, but actually she’s very soft-centred. Winter sort of cracks her open and holds up a mirror to her. She’s at a funny point in her life – a bit of a crisis point. She’s just lost her dad, her kids are becoming teenagers, her marriage is a bit rocky, and she’s trying to find her way in this new role as a DI in what is still a largely masculine world. I’d never played a detective or a policewoman before, so it’s always good to go into a different world and explore that.

She may feel different from your previous characters, but that determination and power feels familiar. Why do you think you so often end up playing driven women?

Well, I am that myself! I also think being in my age bracket now – just over 40 – you do get launched into your professional woman era. I’ve done lawyer, I’ve done surgeon, I’ve recently done a baroness in a Netflix show I’ve just filmed. I think we associate women of a certain age with being powerful and professionally strong. Obviously, there are lots of other types of people to play – I really enjoy vulnerable characters and off-centre characters, and I’m always looking for a challenge that takes me away from myself, whether that’s accent, the way a character looks, their background or their vulnerability. But I think that’s probably what I give off in life, so maybe I’m better at those roles.

What was it like working with Richard Armitage?

I loved it. I’ve always been aware of his body of work – he’s brilliant – and we got on so well, even from the chemistry test. We just clicked. You always try to make a chemistry test work because you want the job, but it felt really easy between us. I think we’re quite similar in the way we work; we’re both very focused.

He’s also a writer – he’s written a couple of novels – so he brings that fine detail. He’s very good at sifting through the script and pinpointing if something isn’t quite working. That’s not my skill; I see things more with a director’s eye than a writer’s eye, so that was really helpful. And he’s great fun. He takes it seriously, but he’s such a well-rounded human. We had a lovely time together in Antwerp – we were into the same things, doing Pilates together, going out for wine. I feel like I have a good friend in him, which is always a bonus when you’re away from home.

Did you have any favourite filming locations?

We filmed in some delightful places. Winter’s flat was epic – a top-floor apartment in a high-rise, I think owned by a celebrity in Antwerp. It was the most incredible pad; you could see the whole city lit up. I wasn’t in many scenes that day, so I was just hanging out, looking at the city. We went all over – to Brussels, to some gorgeous hotels, and into the countryside closer to the French border.

I didn’t know anything about Belgium before I worked with this company on The Couple Next Door a couple of years ago, but I got to know Antwerp really well then and found I really enjoyed it. It’s got a great pace; it’s quite relaxed. This time I was there in the spring rather than the winter, and it has a gorgeous cafe culture – everyone’s out on the street having a lovely time. It’s a very easy vibe. I was pleasantly surprised.

Any standout moments from filming?

I think this has actually been cut, but poor Richard had to do quite a few stunts. His character likes rock climbing, and Richard does not. We had a climbing wall day where I just sat and enjoyed him having a bit of a nightmare! I was below him, steadying him by his feet as he was about to bash into the wall, watching him try and try again. It was a very easy day for me – he was not having the best time. It was funny.

You’re also returning to our screens as Beattie Johnson in part two of Rivals series two. What can you tease?

Obviously, we’ve got the horrendous aftermath of the death, which I don’t think people really saw coming – there’s all that to come. And Beattie is feeling naughtier than ever. Tony Baddingham has become even more unhinged since he lost his wife, so you can only imagine where that might lead – the two of them together are pretty monstrous.

We’re introduced to some new characters, and Beattie finds out exactly who they are – we don’t know straight away as the audience – and she starts to stir up more and more trouble, creating as much drama as possible. There are more of the big set pieces the audience loves, some great dance numbers, and a soundtrack that will be familiar to a lot of people. I think that’s why people love it – the nostalgia, and how ridiculous the costumes are. The costume and hair are amazing. Lots more fun.

Do you have a favourite Beattie costume?

I do like my polo dress – it’s black and white, and it gives me Pretty Woman vibes. I love all my costumes. I know Ray Holman, our costume designer, really well – I’ve worked with him on The Split and Doctor Who, and for loads of years. He’s always brilliant, he just goes for it, and he’s got amazing vintage pieces for me. There’s an incredible dress coming up in the second half that fitted like a glove – we didn’t even try anything else on. It was like it was made for me. Absolutely breathtaking. He’s so clever.

Beattie plays a much bigger part in series two. Was it fun getting to interact more with the rest of the cast?

Oh, definitely. I was only in series one for a cough and a spit, which I knew was the case, and it was just lovely to go and see what was happening. Then I watched it as an audience member and thought, wow, this is such a great show. I do have pre-existing relationships on it – I’ve worked with Aidan [Turner] before on Being Human, the vampire show, and I know Lisa McGrillis really well, so it was nice to see old friends. But you look at a show like that and think, I want to be in the middle of this with everyone. Then they called and said they wanted her to be a much bigger part, so I was delighted. She gets more and more juicy – you’ll see in the second part.

What’s your favourite thing about playing Beattie?

Nothing is off the table. You can be as outrageous as you want – with that hair and those costumes! I’ve done comedy, but mostly drama, so the trickiest thing is finding the tone: finding truth in those larger-than-life characters. That’s a really delicate balance, and I’ve really enjoyed finding it and watching the others, because there’s some comedy genius in that show. It’s great to be on set with such amazing actors, to learn from them and play around – and just be outrageously awful. It’s always more fun.

What else is in the pipeline?

I’ve just wrapped on a show for Netflix with Bad Wolf, The Lord’s Day, where I play a baroness. I don’t know when that’s out yet, but probably next year. It was a great show. I’ve also got an Amazon Prime show I shot a while ago now, Paris Has Fallen, which has dropped on Canal+ and is coming out here in the autumn or winter. So a couple of things – it’s been a good time.

Is there a genre you’d love to do more of?

As long as I’m challenged, I don’t care what it is. I’d like to do some more northern work, because I’m from Wakefield. But really, I just want to be challenged and stretched – I’m grateful for any challenge.

Anyone you’d dream of working with – actor, writer or director?

I’ve worked with some amazing people so far, but I would love to work with more female directors. Greta Gerwig would be a dream.

Do you live in town or country – and which do you prefer?

I live in a Georgian house in the Wiltshire countryside, and it’s my preferred habitat!

How do you find balance between your personal and work life?

Finding balance between work and personal life is almost impossible – you can only do your best. I try hard to work close to home as much as possible, and there’s such a thriving filming industry in the West of England and Wales, so I’m geographically lucky.

How can we all live a little bit better?

I think slowing down regularly and stepping off the metaphorical treadmill is so important – finding time for mental and physical peace so you can find perspective. Easier said than done, of course.

Do you prefer staying in or going out in the evenings – and what would you be doing?

I’m a homebody for sure. I love being at home with my family and our dog. My husband and I love a TV binge and a good glass of wine, or hosting friends. We recently put a sauna in the garden, so that’s also on the list for relaxation.

What Annabel Is Loving Right Now

I’m currently watching… Slow Horses (which, annoyingly, I can’t binge) and MobLand – two addictions.

I’m currently reading… The Names by Florence Knapp. Brilliant.

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… The Gentlemen season two.

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… The Diplomat season four. I’m a mega fan of Keri Russell.

Favourite film of all time… Amélie. I think it’s flawless.

Favourite song of all time… This is a very hard question… ‘Moon River’.

Band/singer I always have on repeat… My seven-year-old dictates the music in my car, and currently we’re listening to Olivia Rodrigo a lot.

My ultimate cultural recommendation… A weekend in Rome. I lived there for five months whilst filming and fell in love. Walk through Villa Pamphili, eat the most delicious food (preferably tiramisu) in Trastevere, and visit the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps at night. It’s a magical place.

Cultural guilty pleasure… The Traitors – and I’ll say it loud and proud! It’s amazing.

Annabel Scholey stars as DI Lauren Bell in Winter, out now on ITV and ITVX. itv.com

Rivals series two part two arrives on Disney+ on 11 November 2026. disneyplus.com