Sheridan Smith fans have yet another gripping drama to sink their teeth into in the coming weeks, as an acclaimed Channel 5 show joins Netflix’s ever-growing TV collection
Sheridan Smith’s gripping drama arrives on Netflix(Image: Channel 5)
With winter just around the corner, it’s time to cosy up with a hot drink and a bingeable drama – thankfully, Netflix is adding another Sheridan Smith hit to its library for fans to dive into. Netflix subscribers can expect a host of new titles to arrive on the streamer – from Victoria Beckham’s new documentary to the second series of romantic comedy Nobody Wants This.
However, there’s one particular Channel 5 series that’s making a comeback on the platform after three years, starring Sheridan Smith as English teacher charged with having sex with a pupil. The Teacher follows teacher Jenna Garvey, who is accused of having sex with one of her 15-year-old pupils Kyle after a drunken night out.
BAFTA-winning actress Sheridan takes on the titular role, while Coldwater’s Samuel Bottomley plays student Kyle. The wider cast also features The Bill’s Cecilia Noble, My Mad Fat Diary’s Sharon Rooney, Emmerdale’s Kelvin Fletcher and Waterloo Road’s Tillie Amartey.
The drama originally aired on Channel 5 back in 2022 and fans couldn’t get enough of it at the time, with many praising Sheridan’s “incredible” performance. “Just finished watching The Teacher on Netflix and I thoroughly enjoyed it, Sheridan Smith is just incredible,” one wrote on X.
Another said that they were “gripped for all four episodes” and that Sheridan “played a blinder”, while a third wrote: “Just finished watching The Teacher on Netflix and I thoroughly enjoyed it, Sheridan Smith is just incredible.”
A fourth described it as an “addictive bit of telly” with “cracking” Sheridan, while another said: “Just binged the whole of ‘The Teacher’ now that it’s on Netflix. it made me want to buy silk shirts and hoop earrings. Say want you want about Sheridan Smith but she does very good crying.”
Last month, BBC drama Accused was added to Netflix, with many binging the award-winning anthology series. With each episode telling a different story in each episode, Accused features the likes of Christopher Eccleston, Mackenzie Crook, Tina O’Brien, Peter Capaldi and Naomi Harris across six hard-hitting episodes in series one.
Meanwhile, series two stars Sean Bean, Stephen Graham, Olivia Colman, Sheridan Smith and Anna Maxwell Martin among other stars.
In recent years, Sheridan has taken on a number of intense roles, from office cleaner Sam in ITV’s Cleaning Up to the titular character in Sky’s Rosie Molloy Gives Up Everything. Earlier this year, she starred as Ann Ming in true crime drama I Fought the Law – about the real-life mother’s campaign to overturn the double jeopardy law following the murder of her daughter Julie Hogg.
ITV’s true crime drama I Fought the Law deeply touched viewers this evening as the final episode aired, with the real life Ann Ming making a cameo at the end of the finale
ITV viewers were brought to tears by Ann Ming’s cameo
The final episode of I Fought the Law aired on ITV tonight, with viewers watching as Ann Ming successfully brought her daughter’s killer to justice after overturning the double jeopardy law. The emotional episode left many in tears, particularly as the real life Ann made a cameo alongside Sheridan Smith, who played her throughout the series.
In the final scenes, viewers watch as Ann and her husband Charlie head line dancing, with Ann seeing a vision of her daughter Julie across the dance floor after putting her killer behind bars. She then continues line dancing with Charlie as text on the screens tells viewers that at least ten people have been retried and convicted of murder since the double jeopardy law was overturned, with Ann receiving an MBE in 2007 for her services to criminal justice.
The show then revealed that Charlie (played by Daniel York Loh) battled with Parkinson’s Disease until his death in 2013 while Ann still lives in the North East and works with police forces across the country to improve how they engage with victims of violent crime.
Sheridan Smith embraced the real life Ann Ming in I Fought the Law’s final scenes
As the line dancing continued, the real Ann was seen sitting on the side before the camera cut to her dancing alongside Sheridan Smith. “She still enjoys line dancing, five times a week,” text on the screen reads.
Viewers took to social media to share how moved they were by the final episode, with one writing: “What incredibl final scene with the real Ann #IFoughtTheLaw.” Another said: “#IFoughtTheLaw God what a programme Sobbing mess Well done all involved.”
A third tweeted: “#AnnMing what a woman, the family have been through such extreme experiences. this show #IFoughtTheLaw & #SheridanSmith deserve awards for it, well done to all involved in the making, its great to see flashbacks of eras past, as life seems to get harder with the more we have
A fourth wrote on X: “Am sobbing my heart out #IFoughtTheLaw Final episode.” While another said: “I’ll say it again, an incredible woman. #IFoughtTheLaw.”
Another even called for Ann to take up office, writing: “If we had people like Ann Ming and Allan Bates running this country things would get done fairly, honestly and without them mostly intent on looking after themselves #IFoughtTheLaw.”
I Fought The Law has had viewers in tears and as Sheridan Smith’s triumphant return to the screen plays out, she is joined by a host of other familiar faces
14:03, 02 Sep 2025Updated 14:04, 02 Sep 2025
Sheridan Smith has had I Fought The Law viewers in tears in recent days(Image: ITV)
Julie Hogg, aged 22, was a mother to three-year-old son Kevin and wife to husband Andrew. She vanished after working a late shift at a local pizza parlour.
Heartbreakingly, Ann found Julie’s body hidden in the bathroom of her home in January 1990. 80 days earlier, the murderer had concealed Julie’s body behind the bath panel.
TV favourite Sheridan Smith has starred in a number of true crime dramas over the years (Image: ITV)
Jake Davies has appeared in Screw and Cyber Bully but now plays Matthew in I Fought The Law(Image: ITV)
During the show’s lengthy run throughout the 2000s, she also appeared on Fat Friends opposite Emmerdale star Lisa Riley as well as sunny sitcom Benidorm and BBC favourite Gavin & Stacey. She then turned to musical theatre, winning an Olivier Award for her portrayal of Elle Woods, the character made famous by Reese Witherspoon, in the West End production of Legally Blonde.
Further stage credits in Funny Girl and, more recently, Shirley Valentine and Opening Night followed.
But it’s gritty dramas that Sheridan has really made her mark. In 2014, she starred as Cilla Black in Cilla, played a cleaner with a gambling addiction in Cleaning Up and also starred in a number of true crime dramas with her the mother of a young gay man killed by Stephen Port in Four Lives, and as Karen Matthews’ friend Julie Bushby in the BBC drama The Moorside.
Daniel York Loh stars as Sheridan’s on-screen husband but has been seen before in Strangers and the short-lived sitcom Scarborough(Image: ITV)
But Sheridan is not the only famous face to be starring in the much-anticipated drama. She is joined by Enzo Cilenti as DS Mark Braithwaite. He previously starred in Jekyll & Hyde for ITV alongside Hollywood star Richard E. Grant and Strictly Come Dancing’s Natalie Gumede. He also had a main role as Aubrey Hackett in The Last Tycoon opposite Lily Collins, Matt Bomer and Kelsey Grammar and can also be seen alongside Olivia Colman and Dominic West in the 2019 BBC version of Les Miserables.
Esteemed actor Andrew Lancel makes an appearance as Guy Whitburn QC in I Fought The Law, but soap fans are likely to remember him as the villainous Frank Foster on Coronation Street. He appeared as the business associate of Underworld manager Carla Connor (Alison King), and subjected the factory boss to a horrific act of rape.
He was later found dead on the factory floor and it turned out that he had been murdered by his own mother Anne, who was played by Heartbeat favourite Gwen Taylor, after she discovered what he had done. Prior to his stint on the cobbles, he had appeared on Bad Girls and Queer as Folk and has also carved out an illustrious career in theatre having starred in tours of The Sound of Music and Cilla.
Andrew Lancel is known to Coronation Street fans as the villainous Frank Foster (Image: Liverpool Echo)
The cast is rounded out by Victoria Wyant, who plays the victim in question, as well as Rivals star as Rufus Jones. The actor recently starred as Paul Stratton in the hit Disney+ series and has also starred in The Casual Vacancy and appeared in the likes of Inside No. 9, Beyond Paradise and Black Ops over the years. Fans of Hollyoaks might also recognise Kent Riley, who played Zak Ramsey in the Channel 4 soap.
CBBC fans might also recognise Aimee Kelly, who plays Judith Morden in the drama series. The actress first found fame as a teenager when she played Maddy Smith in the hit supernatural series Wolfblood opposite Bobby Lockwood.
Since she quit the supernatural series more than a decade ago, she has appeared in episodes of Call The Midwife, Grantchester and Holby City. In 2024, she played Sasha in the psychological thriller Platform 7. Others set to appear in the programme, which finishes its run on September 8, are Jack James Riley, Bryony Corrigan, and Buddy Wignall-Ho.
Ann, unhappy with the Cleveland Constabulary’s investigation, took it upon herself to challenge senior officers in a bid to uncover the truth about her daughter Julie’s murder and bring the culprit to justice.
William Dunlop was twice put on trial for Julie’s murder, each time denying his guilt. On both occasions, the jury failed to reach a verdict, leading to his formal acquittal and release.
In 1999, while serving a seven-year sentence for violent offences, Dunlop confessed to a prison officer that he had murdered Julie. At the time, due to the double jeopardy rule, he could not be retried for the murder following his acquittal.
Ann, who also serves as a consultant on I Fought the Law, expressed her support for the ITV series and shared her delight that actress Sheridan would be portraying her, stating she was “overwhelmed”.
“I am very pleased that Hera Pictures will tell the story of my campaign to overturn the Double Jeopardy Law. My daughter’s killer was wrongfully acquitted, and a number of years later confessed to her murder, for which he could only be prosecuted for perjury due to the 800-year-old Double Jeopardy Law. I wasn’t going to let this stand in my way of getting justice for Julie.
A hit BBC One drama is returning to our screens in just a few days on Netflix 15 years on from its TV debut, with Sheridan Smith, Olivia Coleman, Stephen Graham and others starring
Sheridan Smith stars in series two of Accused with Robert Sheehan
With summer officially over, it’s time to curl up in front of the sofa with a series to binge – and now thanks to Netflix, a hit BBC drama will be back on our screens after over a decade. Netflix subscribers can expect a number of new shows and movies to arrive on the streamer this month, from Charlie Sheen’s new documentary to period drama House of Guinness.
However, as well as brand new shows, viewers will get another chance to watch BBC One anthology drama Accused 15 years after it made its TV debut. Created by Time writer Jimmy McGovern, the legal drama follows a different character on trial in each episode and how they came to be accused.
The first series stars the likes of Christopher Eccleston, Mackenzie Crook, Tina O’Brien, Peter Capaldi and Naomi Harris across six hard-hitting episodes. It was followed up by a second series two years later in 2012, with Sean Bean, Stephen Graham, Olivia Colman, Sheridan Smith and Anna Maxwell Martin among the stars joining the cast.
Accused went on to be nominated for a BAFTA TV Award in 2011, with Juliet Stevenson receiving nod for her performance in episode three. While she didn’t win, the show picked up Best Drama Series and Best Actor for Christopher Eccleston at the International Emmy Awards in 2011.
Two years later, Olivia Colman won Best Supporting Actress for her role in series two at the BAFTA TV Awards and the Royal Television Society Programme Awards, while Sean Bean won Best Actor at the International Emmys. The series is set to land on Netflix on 10 September in the UK.
Series one tells six different stories – the first starring Christopher Eccleston as a lapsed Catholic plumber who takes a gamble after coming under financial pressure, while the second follows British army soldier (played by Benjamin Smith) who is pushed to his limits after witnessing the death of a colleague.
The third episode sees a primary school teacher (Juliet Stevenson) stand trial for committing a terrible crime after the loss of her son. The next episode stars Andy Serkis as a taxi driver with a gambling problem who commits a crime of passion, while episode five sees Marc Warren play a loving dad who was involved in a violent crime.
Accused’s final episode stars Naomi Harris as a working mum who goes up against her estranged husband (Warren Brown) in court.
Viewers took to social media to praise the drama back when it first aired in 2010, with one writing; “That was a great piece of drama #Accused #BBC.” Another said: “Loving ‘accused’ on the bbc. ecclestone is incredible.”
Jack James Ryan has opened up about his role in the upcoming ITV drama I Fought The Law, which sees him starring alongside Sheridan Smith in the four-part series
Daniel Bird Assistant Celebrity and Entertainment Editor
19:00, 31 Aug 2025
Sheridan Smith’s I Fought The Law co-star Jack James Ryan was blown away by her performance(Image: ITV)
Coronation Street and Passenger star Jack James Ryan was left starstruck after working alongside Sheridan Smith on the ITV series, I Fought The Law. The 29-year-old actor, who has become a familiar face in British households, landed a role in the drama, which tells the real-life story of Ann Ming’s fight to change the Double Jeopardy Law and bring her daughter Julie Hogg’s murderer to justice.
Despite spending four months on set, Manchester-born Jack still found himself “geeking out” over his co-star Sheridan, 44. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, he said: “People say ‘Oh I’ve always loved this actor’ but when I knew that I was going to be playing alongside Sheridan, I couldn’t believe it.”
He continued: “It was just amazing, I have followed her career as a young actor and been totally inspired by the work that she’s done, so getting to spend the last four months watching her work and stealing everything was the best, so much better than drama school.”
Jack, who starred as William ‘Billy’ Dunlop, said it was ‘amazing’ working alongside Sheridan Smith(Image: ITV)
Jack also revealed that Sheridan has an incredible ability to instantly “switch on” and get into character at a moment’s notice following a break in filming.
“She is absolutely breathtaking,” he enthused. “To be surrounded by these actors, it has an absolutely great supporting cast throughout the series, so to be surrounded by them felt like I’d won the lottery – this is the type of work that I’ve always dreamed of doing.”
Discussing the show, Jack revealed: “I’ve never been in anything that was based on a true case, or any of the characters have been real, it’s always been fictional stuff. Straight away you feel the pressure to do it justice. Sheridan plays the trailblazer, Ann Ming, who has done so much for raising awareness in the work that she’s done.
Sheridan took on the lead role as trailblazer Ann Ming(Image: ITV)
“I know that we all felt the pressure, Sheridan and everyone, to do this story justice and deliver it in a sensitive way that was going to be impactful and honouring the people that we’ve lost. And also the people that are still fighting for justice, it wasn’t easy but it was also incredibly exciting to be a part of something which felt like it has the opportunity to really help and change people and have a real impact for the better.
“I’m really, really excited for this to come out, and I think it’s going to be, it’s going to be a really different side to me that people haven’t seen before,” he stated, adding there was a “quite a visual transformation.”
I Fought The Law will explore how Ann and Julie’s relatives coped with her baffling vanishing in Cleveland back in November 1989 after completing her shift at a neighbourhood pizza restaurant. Julie had maintained an extremely strong bond with her parents, Ann and Charlie. She was just 22 when she was killed.
Julie Hogg was just 22 when she was murdered(Image: PA)
Julie’s remains were found by her mother 80 days after they were concealed behind the panel of her bath by her killer. Nevertheless, her terraced property had been meticulously examined by forensics teams in the days following her disappearance.
The series, adapted from Ann’s memoir, For The Love of Julie, also features Daniel York Lou as Charlie Ming and Enzo Cilenti as DS Mark Brathwaite.
Additionally, Marlowe Chan-Reeves, Olivia Ng, Jake Davies, Victoria Wyant, Kent Riley and Rufus Jones all feature in the programme. Previously, Jack joined forces as a Movember ambassador – championing awareness of men’s mental health and urging blokes to open up.
Looking back on his involvement with the Movember campaign, he explained: “I was already well aware of the amazing work that Movember has done and does for raising awareness and funds for male mental health, just to be a small part of history moving forward is very exciting. It’s such an exciting project and a really meaningful project to get behind, male mental health is so under-reported and so unspoken about.”
I Fought The Law airs tonoght at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
Sheridan Smith stars in ITV’s new four-part series, I Fought The Law, as Ann Ming, whose daughter, Julie Hogg, was tragically strangled to death by Billy Dunlop
Billy Dunlop murdered Julie Hogg in 1989(Image: No credit)
Ann Ming’s relentless fight for justice for daughter is nothing short of remarkable. On 16 November 1989, Billy Dunlop, 25, strangled 22-year-old mum-of-one, Julie Hogg, to death – and hid her corpse behind a bath panel in her home in County Durham.
Julie was tragically found decomposing by her mother, Ann, 80 days later and, despite evidence against Dunlop, juries twice failed to find him guilty of the crime.
However, while serving a prison sentence for unrelated violent offences, Dunlop confessed to Julie’s death. But there was a twist: under the centuries-old double jeopardy rule, he couldn’t be tried again for the same crime.
Jack James Ryan stars as Billy Dunlop in ITV’s I Fought the Law(Image: ITV)
However, for Ann, played by Sheridan Smith in ITV’s new adaptation of the tragedy, I Fought the Law, giving up wasn’t an option. She petitioned politicians for more than a decade, lobbied the media and refused to let Julie’s case go unheard, with unwavering support from her husband Charlie, played by Daniel York Loh, in the crime drama.
So, as we wait to watch the four-part series, which starts on ITV at 9pm tonight, here’s the chilling discoveries that lead to Dunlop’s arrest and eventual life imprisonment…
Ann Ming finds her daughter’s body
When Julie disappeared from her home in November 1989, leaving behind her toddler son Kevin. Her mother, Ann, immediately sensed something awful had happened.
Three months later, her maternal instincts were tragically vindicated. She discovered Julie’s body, hidden under the bath at her home.
Julie Hogg’s body was tragically found by her mother, Ann Ming(Image: No credit)
Ann agreed that her daughter’s husband, who Julie had been in the process of separating from when she was killed, could move back into her daughter’s house with their three-year-old son, Kevin.
However, when her son-in-law went inside the home, he complained a strange smell was coming from the bathroom. Ann noticed the bath panel was loose and pulled it away, uncovering her daughter’s body, wrapped in a blanket: “That was the start of a living nightmare,” she said.
Chilling evidence heard at trial
Dunlop, who knew Julie from their local area and visited her at home after a day’s drinking before killing the mum-of-one, went on trial at Newcastle Crown Court on 7 May 1991, where a jury heard that there was finger print evidence on Julie’s keys.
Dunlop’s sperm was also on the blanket he’d wrapped her in, and there were fibres from the jumper he’d been wearing.
The prosecution team felt it was strong enough evidence to satisfy a jury – but, sadly, they were mistaken. The jury failed to reach a verdict and the judge ordered a retrial for 3 October 1991.
Dunlop’s defence team tried to then convince the jury that Julie had died of natural causes following a consensual act between her and Dunlop. However, they failed to reach a verdict for a second time and Dunlop was acquitted and could never be trialled again due to the double jeopardy law and walked away a free man.
Sheridan Smith as Ann Ming(Image: ITV)
Dunlop confesses
While serving a prison sentence for unrelated violent offences after the trial, Dunlop confessed to Julie’s killing. But there was a twist: under the centuries-old double jeopardy rule, he couldn’t be tried again for the same crime.
The police wanted to arrest him for perjury, but needed more evidence than just an admission.
As a result, a female prison officer wore a wire and obtained 90 hours of material about what happened on the night of Hogg’s death. He was arrested, pleaded guilty to the murder, and jailed for six years to be served consecutively to his existing sentence.
Ann’s battle for justice – ‘For once in my life, I’m speechless’
Driven by grief and determination, Ann launched a 15-year campaign to overturn the centuries-old double jeopardy law – which once prevented a person from being tried twice for the same crime.
Of course, Ann wasn’t satisfied with Dunlop’s perjury sentence and asked her MP, Frank Cook, to help her meet Home Secretary Jack Straw to scrap the double jeopardy law. He recommended she speak to the Law Commission and, in 2002, her 13 years of campaigning finally came to fruition.
Ann Ming’s relentless fight for justice for daughter is nothing short of remarkable(Image: PA)
A white paper advising changes be made to the legislation, to affect both future and retrospective cases, was presented in parliament by David Blunkett, and in April 2005, the 800-year-old law was binned for good. Ann told reporters at the time: “I just can’t believe it. For once in my life I’m speechless.”
In September 2006, Dunlop went on trial at the Old Bailey and was found guilty and sentenced to life behind bars. All his requests for parole and to be moved to an open prison have been denied.
Gavin and Stacey star Sheridan Smith brings Ann Ming’s relentless fight for justice to screens in I Fought The Law. The actress explains why the series was particularly daunting.
I Fought The Law looks back on the murder of Julie Hogg and Ann Ming’s subsequent fight for justice(Image: ITV)
Sheridan Smith portrays Ann Ming, charting her extraordinary fight for justice in ITV‘s newest drama I Fought The Law – but the role was nothing short of daunting.
“It’s what Ann came up against,” Sheridan Smith says, “It was one thing after another. It was relentless. I don’t know the strength it took for Ann to keep fighting. I’m absolutely in awe of her.”
Julie Hogg was 22 years old when she vanished from her Billingham home in November 1989, leaving behind her toddler son Kevin. Her mother, Ann, immediately knew something was wrong.
“I was convinced something had happened to my daughter from day one,” Ann says. But police believed otherwise. “They thought she could have gone to London to start a new life,” Ann says, “It really was frustrating.”
Three months later, Ann’s maternal instincts were tragically vindicated. She discovered Julie’s body herself, hidden under the bath at her home.
The investigation soon identified a suspect: William “Billy” Dunlop. He stood trial for Julie’s murder twice, but juries failed to convict on both occasions.
Then, while serving a prison sentence for unrelated violent offences, Dunlop confessed to Julie’s killing. But there was a twist: under the centuries-old double jeopardy rule, he couldn’t be tried again for the same crime.
But for Ann, giving up wasn’t an option. She petitioned politicians for more than a decade, lobbied the media and refused to let Julie’s case fade from memory with unwavering support of her husband Charlie, played by Daniel York Loh in the crime drama.
This relentless fight – both devastatingly personal and profoundly public – is the backbone of I Fought The Law. For Sheridan Smith, stepping into Ann’s shoes was a privilege and an emotional burden.
“I can only imagine and think if it was my child, but it was emotionally taxing,” she says. “It was just nine weeks and by the end of it, I was a shaking mess.”
Sheridan Smith plays Ann Ming in I Fought the Law – her most daunting role yet(Image: ITV)
The actress fully immersed herself in Ann’s world, devouring documentaries about the case and Ann’s book. Sheridan says: “I get mad at myself if I don’t feel the actual pain and trauma. I wanted to make Ann proud and get her story justice.”
Ann was also present as a consultant on the set, while filming took place in North East England. “She was a huge support and very crucial to the production the whole way through,” series director Erik Richter Strand says. “Sheridan is in every scene. She doesn’t get many breaks. We had to make that set safe, practical and comfortable for Sheridan.”
The transformation was physical as well as emotional. Sheridan swapped her trademark brunette for Ann’s blonde locks. But she dreaded one scene above all: the bathroom scene, where Ann finds Julie’s body. “I knew I had that coming, I wanted to get that scene out, it was a bit scary,” she says. “I knew it’d be torturous.”
“It was my first role as a mum,” she says. “It’s your worst fear, isn’t it? No one should have to go through that. I was emotionally attached to the whole thing.”
There was another, more personal note to Sheridan’s role. “When I did Mrs Biggs, I tried to think of my mum who lost her son, my brother,” she says.
“This time, there was a different layer. Just thinking how I would have felt in that moment, if it was my little one. This was much more powerful, that’s probably why it was a bit difficult.”
I Fought The Law is a new ITV drama based on the true story of Ann Ming’s long campaign to overturn the 800-year-old British double jeopardy law following the murder of her daughter
Sheridan Smith in ITV’s I Fought the Law(Image: ITV)
The upcoming ITV drama, I Fought The Law, tells the gripping story of Ann Ming’s relentless 17-year campaign to overturn Britain’s ancient double jeopardy law after her daughter’s murder.
Ann and her husband Charlie tirelessly fought to change the law that prohibited individuals from being tried twice for the same crime, following the tragic death of their daughter Julie in 1989.
Julie’s mutilated body was discovered by Ann hidden beneath the bath in her Billingham home, sparking her unwavering determination to bring the murderer to justice.
In 2006, Billy Dunlop was finally sentenced to life imprisonment for Julie’s murder. He had previously faced trial twice in 1991, but due to two juries failing to reach verdicts, he had been set free.
Here’s everything you need to know about the series, including its release date, cast, and number of episodes.
The four-part drama airs at the end of August(Image: ITV/Hera Pictures)
When does I Fought The Law premiere?
I Fought The Law is set to air on ITV on Sunday, 31 August at 9pm.
Each episode will run for an hour, ending at 10pm, and will also be available for viewing on ITVX.
The episodes will be broadcast on Sundays and Mondays.
How many episodes does I Fought The Law have?
The series consists of four episodes, which will air on the following dates:.
Episode 1 – 31 August.
Episode 2 – 1 September.
Episode 3 – 7 September.
Episode 4 – 8 September.
The first episode’s synopsis reads: “In 1989, Ann Ming is distraught when her 22-year-old daughter Julie Hogg goes missing, but the police shrug off her concerns, suggesting that she must have fled to London to reunite with her estranged husband.
“Knowing in her heart that Julie would never leave her brother Kevin behind, Ann uncovers a mother’s worst nightmare.”
Sheridan Smith as Ann Ming, Daniel York Loh as Charlie Ming & Buddy Wingnall-Ho as Kevin Hogg(Image: ITV)
Who is in the cast of I Fought The Law?
Sheridan Smith stars as Ann Ming, and she is a 44 year old English actress and singer known for her roles in The Royle Family and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.
Daniel York Loh plays Charlie Ming, with the actor having previously starred in Jade Dragon and Strangers.
Victoria Wyant stars as Julie Hogg, and the up-and-coming actress has previously starred in Foundation.
Enzo Cilenti plays DS Mark Braithwaite and he is known for his roles in The Last Tycoon, Domina and The Serpent Queen.
Other stars include Marlowe Chan-Reeves, Olivia Ng, Jake Davies, Kent Riley, Jack James Ryan, Andrew Lancel, Rufus Jones, Aimée Kelly, Bryony Corrigan and Buddy Wignall-Ho.
Sheridan Smith and Daniel York Loh play Ann and Charles Ming in I Fought The Law. But filming for the ITV drama was taxing – Daniel was notably reminded of a personal tragedy.
07:00, 23 Aug 2025Updated 07:11, 23 Aug 2025
I Fought The Law looks back on Ann Ming’s fight against the double jeopardy rule(Image: ITV)
Daniel York Loh appears in I Fought The Law – but filming for the series brought some sad memories back to the surface.
Her name was once linked to one of Britain’s most haunting murder cases. Now, Julie Hogg’s tragic story comes to the small screen in I Fought The Law, a four-part drama series written by Grantchester’s Jamie Crichton and based on For The Love Of Julie – a memoir written by Julie’s mother, Ann Ming.
Sheridan Smith portrays Ann, and the series charts her extraordinary fight for justice. “It’s what Ann came up against,” Sheridan, 44, says.
“It was one thing after another. It was relentless. I did nine weeks shooting it and I was a mess. I don’t know the strength it took for Ann to keep fighting. I’m absolutely in awe of her.”
Starring opposite Sheridan as Julie’s father Charles is Daniel York Loh. Charles Ming – “Charlie” in the show – was the steadfast mast to Ann’s boat throughout her battle for justice.
Daniel admits he hadn’t known Julie’s story before signing up. “I didn’t read the book until I got involved in the show,” he says. “As soon as I was asked to do it, I did it. Not many people are aware of it. I wasn’t very aware of it.”
Bringing Charles back to life, 12 years after his death at 88, carried its own weight. “I don’t have kids but I did have a younger brother. I lost him to a heroin overdose and I found his body,” Daniel shares.
The role also struck a deeper chord. “It reminded me of my own father in some ways,” Daniel explains. “You know, naturalised immigrant backgrounds, very British in a lot of ways but regarded as foreign. There’s a sense of displacement in that.”
I Fought The Law is based on Ann Ming’s memoir, For The Love of Julie(Image: ITV)
Julie was 22 years old when she vanished from her Billingham home in November 1989, leaving behind her young son Kevin. Her mother, Ann, immediately knew something was wrong. “I was convinced something had happened to my daughter from day one,” says Ann.
But police believed otherwise. “They thought she could have gone to London to start a new life,” Ann says. “It really was frustrating.” Three months later, Ann’s maternal instincts were tragically vindicated.
She discovered Julie’s body herself, hidden under the bath at Julie’s home. “It gave me strength because I’d been proven right,” Ann now says.
The investigation soon identified a suspect: William “Billy” Dunlop. He stood trial for Julie’s murder twice, but juries failed to convict on both occasions.
Then, while serving a prison sentence for unrelated violent offences, Dunlop confessed to Julie’s killing. But there was a twist: under the centuries-old double jeopardy rule, he couldn’t be tried again for the same crime.
For Ann, giving up wasn’t an option. She petitioned politicians for more than a decade, lobbied the media and refused to let Julie’s case fade from memory.
The series dives into the murder of Julie Hogg, 22, and explores her mother Ann’s fight to bring her killer to justice(Image: ITV)
The cast is rounded out by Luther’s Enzo Cilenti as DS Mark Braithwaite, Doctor Who star Marlowe Chan-Reeves, who plays Ann’s son Gary, Grace actor Jake Davies as Julie’s ex Matthew, Vera actor Jack James Ryan as William Dunlop and Unforgotten’s Andrew Lancel as Guy Whitburn QC.
Ann’s determination inspired the Criminal Justice Act 2003, which introduced new exceptions to the double jeopardy rule in both England, Wales and later Scotland. Ann still calls for other countries to follow suit.
“It’s being debated in Australia,” Ann says. But she doesn’t want the change to stop. “I’d like to meet all world leaders to change this law around the world.”
In 2006, Dunlop finally pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 17 years. Though her battle has ended after more than a decade, Ann’s resentment lingers.
“I feel angry that we were never allowed to meet up with the forensic team,” she says. “Nobody was sacked. One went onto be commander. That wasn’t right. I never got an apology from the police. Nothing at all.”
This relentless fight is the backbone of I Fought The Law. For Sheridan, stepping into Ann’s shoes was a privilege and an emotional burden. “I can only imagine and think if it was my child, but it was emotionally taxing,” she says.
Sheridan fully immersed herself in Ann’s world, devouring documentaries about the case and Ann’s book. “I get mad at myself if I don’t feel the actual pain and trauma. I wanted to make Ann proud and get her story justice,” she says.
Sheridan Smith and Daniel York Loh play Julie Hogg’s parents, Ann and Charles Ming(Image: ITV)
Ann was also present as a consultant on the set while filming took place in North East England. “She was a huge support and very crucial to the production the whole way through,” series director Erik Richter Strand says. “Sheridan is in every scene. She doesn’t get many breaks. We had to make that set safe, practical and comfortable for Sheridan.”
The transformation was physical as well as emotional. Sheridan swapped her brunette style for Ann’s blonde locks. But she dreaded one scene above all: the bathroom scene, where Ann finds Julie’s body. “I knew I had that coming, I wanted to get that scene out, it was a bit scary,” she says. “I knew it’d be torturous.”
Sheridan’s own experience as a mother – she shares her five-year-old son Billy with former partner Jamie Horn – gave the role an added resonance.
“It was my first role as a mum,” she says. “It’s your worst fear, isn’t it? No one should have to go through that. I was emotionally attached to the whole thing.”
“When I did Mrs Biggs, I tried to think of my mum who lost her son, my brother,” she says, referring to her older brother Julian, who died of cancer at the age of 18.
“This time, there was a different layer. Just thinking how I would have felt in that moment, if it was my little one. This was much more powerful, that’s probably why it was a bit difficult.”
Her efforts paid off – Ann couldn’t be happier with her portrayal and the pair have even gone on to form a bond. “We’re friends for life now,” Sheridan says, holding tightly on to Ann’s hand.
Sheridan Smith has taken on a new role that claimed was her toughest yet as she played real-life hero Ann Ming who battled to put her daughter’s killer behind bars
Sheridan Smith has taken on a cutting new role(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Sheridan, 44, has also confessed that she is “sober for real” while discussing her addiction battle. Speaking in a new interview, Sheridan talks about her role, telling the real-life story of Ann Ming, who spent 15 years campaigning for the UK’s 800-year-old ‘double jeopardy’ law to be overturned following the murder of her daughter Julie Hogg.
Sheridan said that she would draw on her own experience to fulfil the role. She told The Guardian, “I’d remember the night my brother died and my mum screaming, so I’d tap into that. Now, as a mum, I imagine what if something happened to your child.”
Sheridan’s brother Julian died of cancer when he was 18, and Sheridan was just eight years old. She said playing Ann “took it out of her” and made her think about the kind of roles she will take in the future.
Sheridan plays Ann Ming in I Fought The Law(Image: ITV)
She explained, “I have to always remember that the real-life characters have actually gone through this, but I think a little bit of each character stays in me.” Sheridan then addressed her sobriety saying: “I was always going back and forth between drinking and sobriety. But this time I feel it’s for real.”
Ann Ming’s daughter Julie was murdered by William ‘Billy’ Dunlop, but jurors failed to find him guilty twice, which meant he couldn’t be tried again legally. But Ann and her husband Charles – who sadly passed away in 2013 – did not give up and kept campaigning until they got the law amended.
Billy is now serving a life sentence after the brutal murder of Julie, who was just 22 when she died and a mother to a three-year-old, Kevin. Julie’s body was found 80 days after Billy murdered her, concealed underneath the bath in the bathroom of her home.
Ann battled to put her daughter’s killer behind bars(Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Police officers and forensics teams had carried out extensive searches of her home but failed to find the body, which was eventually discovered by her family as they investigated a smell. Billy had strangled and sexually mutilated Julie.
Ann said, “My daughter’s killer was wrongfully acquitted, and a number of years later confessed to her murder, for which he could only be prosecuted for perjury due to the 800-year-old Double Jeopardy Law. I wasn’t going to let this stand in my way of getting justice for Julie. I’m overwhelmed that Sheridan Smith will be playing me.
“Having such an iconic and talented actress portray me is truly wonderful.”
Speaking about the role, Sheridan said, “I am so honoured to have been asked to play the role of Ann Ming, a mother so determined to fight for justice for her murdered daughter that she spent 15 years campaigning for the Double Jeopardy Law to be changed.
“She is a truly courageous and remarkable woman to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude.”
