Douglas Henshall reveals personal connection to Forever Home character

Graham Norton's best-selling novel Forever Home is getting an adaptation on 5, and it certainly looks like it's set to be a series full of mystery.

The six-episode drama will follow Carol Crottie (Amy Nuttall), who begins to grow suspicious after her husband Robert, who has dementia, refuses to leave his home.

The series' synopsis continues: "She starts to wonder if the reason he won't leave his home has something to do with the whereabouts of his first wife, who ran off with Robert's brother 20 years ago, leaving behind their two young children Kaden and Sally."

For actor Douglas Henshall, who plays Carol's husband Robert, however, the role has more of a personal connection.

As he explained: "My grandmother had Alzheimer’s and my dad has dementia and my father-in-law had dementia. So, I have quite a bit of experience of it and the odd ways that it manifests itself.

"Some of it is nuts and other bits are just heartbreaking. My grandmother calling the police down to her house to say that there were naked dwarves who had stolen her pension book.

"This was about 40 years ago. Where did you conjure that image from that those would have been the people who stole your pension book?"

Henshall continued: "And then there is the other side of just watching somebody trying to remember who you are or who you might be. And those moments of clarity. That little glimmer in the eyes where for a moment they are there again."

Henshall is perhaps best known for playing Professor Nick Cutter in the sci-fi series Primeval, but is also well known to audiences for playing beloved Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez in Shetland. Henshall left the series in 2022, with Ashley Jensen taking on the reins as lead detective, DI Ruth Calder.

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Previously, actor Amy Nuttal teased what to expect from Forever Home's TV adaptation, explaining that there are "more twists and turns than there are in the book", with actor Lewis Cope (who plays Kaden) adding that the person responsible for the murder in the series "is actually different to the book".

Nuttall was quick to emphasise that the changes from the source material were "an added extra," and "a bonus, hopefully, that the audience will love".

As well as Henshall, Nuttall and Cope, the series also stars the likes of Denise Welch (Coronation Street), Aimée Kelly (Hijack), Shane Zaza (Happy Valley), James Baxter (Alma's Not Normal) and Kevin Whately (Lewis).

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Forever Home premieres on Monday 14 September at 9pm on 5.

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Authors

Chezelle Bingham is a Sub-Editor for Radio Times. She previously worked on Disney magazines as a Writer, for 6 pre-school and primary titles. Alongside her prior work in writing, she possesses a BA in English Literature and Language.