Happy Valley fans praise Sarah Lancashire for tense moment in ‘best TV scene ever’

Sarah Lancashire has been hailed as a ‘GOAT’, one of the greatest actresses of all time, as fans called for her and co-star Siobhan Finneran to win Baftas for their on-screen ‘masterclass’.

Sarah, 58 – who played Raquel Wolstenhulme in the soap opera Coronation Street during the ’90s – stars as the main protagonist and tough copper Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the BBC’s Yorkshire-based drama, now in its third series.

In Sunday’s episode, Catherine confronted her sister Clare, played by Finneran, 56, for taking her grandson Ryan to visit his convicted criminal dad Tommy Lee Royce (played by James Norton) in prison without her knowledge.

The emotional scene, in which Catherine saw a vision of her late daughter Becky, left viewers in tears as it ended on a cliffhanger when she walked out of the cafe where she’d had it out with Clare.

Talking on Twitter, viewers were blown away by the scene and called it the ‘best TV ever’, praising both actresses for their talent.

One tweeter said: “Brilliant. Sarah Lancashire is phenomenal in this series.”

Another said: “Is this for real? Other worldly acting and script. Faultless.”

With a third saying: “Best thing on TV. Don’t want it to end.”

Sarah won a Bafta for Best Actress for her portrayal of Catherine in 2017 and was nominated for the award in 2015.

In 2017, the star also won the National Television Award for Best Drama Performance for the role.

Happy Valley series three premiered on New Year’s Day and airs on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One, it is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer.