*THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS FULL SPOILERS FOR THE HAPPY VALLEY FINALE ON BBC*
James Norton has revealed a big secret to Happy Valley fans about filming for the show's finale, after his character Tommy Lee Royce bowed out in dramatic style on Sunday night.
After three series of high drama, it all came down a 70s minute last episode as Sally Wainwrights' epic tale wrapped up nine years after its debut. Following Tommy's escape from court and successful bid for freedom at the end of episode four, the stage was set for a final showdown between him and Catherine Cawood, once again played superbly by Sarah Lancashire.
In the days running up to the Happy Valley finale airing on BBC One, fans predicted at least one death and a blockbuster conclusion but, what materialised, was probably more subdued than many anticipated, but still incredibly powerful TV as Tommy and Catherine locked horns and traded verbal blows one last time across her kitchen table.
In a scene that was pressure cooker of emotions, first blood went to Catherine as she described Tommy as "a f**ked up, frightened, damaged, deluded nasty little toddler brain in a big man's body," before he fired back by branding her a "sanctimonious b**ch,"
And then, as the minutes until credits rolling ticked away,. came the moment that changed the course of the finale, when Tommy covered himself in petrol and set himself on fire. His fate was then sealed by a single text message sent to Catherine while she was visiting daughter Becky's grave, with it reading: 'TLR dead. Hospital just rang.'
Much of the action in the Happy Valley finale was filmed on location in Hebden Bridge, including the exterior shots of Catherine's house, but James has now revealed that the kitchen shots weren't.
Speaking to GQ, he explained: "There were stunts. There were fire engines. They built the whole kitchen. You think it was the kitchen we shot in Hebden Bridge. That scene wasn’t actually shot in that house. What they did was they built a whole kitchen in a studio, because I think it would be hard pushed to go and ask the owner of the house ‘do you mind if we just exploded a human being in your kitchen?’"
He added: "So they built it in a studio. Amazing art department. They literally built the exact room down to the scratches on the surface, the same kind of mugs, the same kind of plates. It was incredible."
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