Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
Entertainment
Catherine Addison-Swan

Happy Valley fans spot 'problem' with Tommy Lee Royce's closing scenes in latest episode

Happy Valley fans were left on the edge of their sofas last night as a shock twist left them fearing for the life of everyone's favourite fictional copper.

The BBC series has had viewers hooked after being away from our screens for seven years, before returning for a third and final series. This time round we've seen Sergeant Catherine Cawood, played by Sarah Lancashire, at odds with her grandson Ryan over his decision to visit his dad - notorious murderer Tommy Lee Royce - in prison.

Things came to a head in Sunday's fourth episode, which saw Tommy escape from court and go on the run as Ryan looked on, while Catherine voiced concerns that the villain would be "coming for her". But while millions at home were gripped by the tense scenes, some couldn't help but be distracted by the locations that were used.

READ MORE: Helen George in Call The Midwife 'separation' plot as actress makes career move

Many of the Happy Valley scenes set in Leeds were actually filmed in Bolton. From the café where Catherine confronted Clare about taking Ryan to see his dad in prison to the court where Tommy made his dramatic escape, several of this series' key locations can be found in Bolton but were made to appear as if they were in Leeds.

However, for Bolton locals or anyone familiar with the town, it was rather disconcerting for them to see some recognisable buildings in 'Leeds' when they tuned into Happy Valley on Sunday - particularly when other scenes were filmed in actual Leeds. The confusion came in the dramatic final moments of the show when Tommy fled the court, running into a newsagent's to change into cyclist gear to make himself unrecognisable to the police before sneaking out the back door.

But many fans were quick to recognise that both the court and newsagent's were both locations in Bolton - but when Tommy exited the newsagent's, he was suddenly in the middle of Leeds. While of course this all unfolded in 'Leeds' in the Happy Valley world and you have to allow for some dramatic licence, in North East terms this is roughly the equivalent of watching Tommy nip into a newsagent's in Alnwick and come out in Durham city centre.

Viewers took to social media to point out the massive distance between the locations that were used. "Tommy Lee Royce entering a newsagent's in Bolton and exiting in Leeds. I'm never going in that newsagent," one fan tweeted.

"He ran from Bolton Crown Court to Vicar Lane in Leeds!" another said. For those unfamiliar with these two destinations, it would take a total of 15 hours to walk between them according to Google Maps.

"Mad how Tommy escapes from Bolton and ends up in Leeds," someone else joked.

Another viewer added: "The newsagent's in Bolton has a portal to another town! Need to take a visit, will save me on train fare."

There are just two episodes to go of the third and final Happy Valley series, and with Tommy on the run there's no telling what the future could bring for Catherine - who is just days away from retiring from the force. Fans have been left concerned that the heroine might not get to enjoy her retirement after all, given the events that unfolded in the latest episode - but we face a nail-biting wait until Sunday to find out what happens next.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.