The big interview
Actor and writer Ruth Jones talks to Nathalie Whittle about her new role as ‘Nanny’, dealing with the menopause by baking and her film-star dreams
It’s lunchtime on the GH cover shoot and Ruth Jones is telling me about a recent trip to Bardsey Island in North Wales with her 85-year-old mum. ‘I miscalculated everything,’ she chuckles. ‘We almost missed the boat and then, when we finally got on, the water was really choppy. We were battered and bashed, with sea foam pouring all over us. Still, we laughed the whole way!’
It’s this knack for telling stories that has seen Ruth create – and star in – some of Britain’s best-loved, BAFTA-winning comedies, from Gavin & Stacey to Stella. It’s also, no doubt, the reason she’s now a bestselling author. Her third novel, Love Untold, a moving tale that explores the complex bond between mothers and daughters over four generations of a family, is out 29 September.
The 56-year-old has also taken on a different kind of role recently. Ruth, who lives in Cardiff with her husband, TV producer and writer David Peet, and has three grown-up stepchildren, has recently gained a step-granddaughter, Frida. ‘I’m Nanny Ruth and David is Grandpa David,’ she beams. ‘Who knew that being a grandparent could bring so much joy?’
Here, Ruth shares why she’s embracing this exciting new chapter of her life…
Congratulations on your third novel, Love Untold. Is there pressure that comes with being a bestselling author?
It definitely adds pressure! When I wrote my first novel, Never Greener, I was convinced people would say, ‘Oh, it’s not like Gavin & Stacey’ – but thankfully, it got a good response. When I came to do the second, I thought, ‘Oh gosh, how am I going to match that?’ This time around, who knows? My sister and one of my best friends have read it – they enjoyed it at least!
Do you ever read the reviews of your novels?
I have done in the past – and I regretted it. The Guardian once reviewed Never Greener and they called it a ‘damp squib of a novel’. I was so affronted that I wrote to the reviewer, which I was advised not to do! She was very patronising and said, ‘Oh, you mustn’t take these things personally.’
One of the themes of Love Untold is the lessons we can learn from different generations. Have you found that to be the case in your own family?
Absolutely. My mum has taught me a lot about the importance of taking things one day at a time and not panicking about the future. She’s also taught me practical things, such as how to sew a button on, how to make Wel
