Siobhan Finneran, best known for her role as Clare Cartwright in Happy Valley, is starring in the new ITV1 drama Protection. The actress has had a successful career spanning over 30 years, with notable roles in popular UK TV shows such as Downton Abbey, Benidorm, The Syndicate and The Loch. The 60 year old Oldham native was previously married to British actor Mark Jordon, known for his roles in Emmerdale and Heartbeat, for 17 years before they separated in 2014. They share two children, Poppy and Joseph. Mark, who portrayed Daz Spencer in Emmerdale, has since had two more children with his current partner, Laura Norton, another former Emmerdale star. Now Siobhan is linked to Death in Paradise star Don Gilet. While the pair play coy regarding their romance, they have made public appearances together such as strolling hand-in-hand at last year's TV Choice Awards and Siobhan playfully referring to Don as "my fella" during a chat with The Guardian. Don gifted Siobhan a book showcasing Rudi Hurzlmeier's art for Christmas, highlighting the couple's close connection. Siobhan recounted with amusement how a peculiar piece of artwork led to an unexpected festive surprise from her partner. She said: "It's a picture of a nun looking in a shoe shop, and a bloke next to her has got his hand on her bum. I showed it to Don [Gilet], my fella, and now one of my Christmas presents is a book of Hurzlmeier's work." After years of delivering outstanding performances in supporting roles, Siobhan is finally stepping into her first leading role in a drama. She will be playing Detective Inspector Liz Nyles in Protection, a series inspired by the real-life experiences of a veteran witness protection officer and the consequences when the system fails. The six-part series also stars Katherine Kelly. In Happy Valley, one of her most acclaimed roles, Siobhan portrays Clare, Catherine's younger sister and a recovering heroin and alcohol addict. Viewers were captivated as Clare, broke her sister Catherine's heart by taking Ryan to visit his criminal father in prison on Happy Valley. Siobhan has opened up about her real-life friendship with Sarah Lancashire (Catherine), tracing it back to their early encounters. "We first met when I was 17. She's a couple of years older and was doing this brilliant theatre studies course at Oldham College, which I'd applied to," Siobhan shared. "Sarah and some other students performed at the open day. We met then and eventually did a play together. "We've both got a slightly warped sense of humour and we both like a cake. It's always a joy to work with another actress who actually eats cake." For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter. Siobhan Finneran isn't just recognised for her role on Happy Valley; audiences remember her as factory worker Josie Phillips on Coronation Street, with her character known for her on-and-off employment and clashes with Mike Baldwin. Her acting repertoire extends to Heartbeat, Where The Heart Is, Clocking Off, and Bob and Rose. But one of her most standout roles may be as the scheming O'Brien on Downtown Abbey and as Janice Garvey in Benidorm, which saw her acting alongside Steve Pemberton, whom she met on the set of Happy Valley's first series.