Lisa Riley has revealed the Manchester Arena bombing had an impact on her ‘Age Before Beauty’ character’s tattoo collection.
The 42-year-old actress plays tattoo artist Tina in the BBC drama, and after the horrific events at Ariana Grande’s concert in the northern city – where the show was filmed – she showed her support for those who were affected.
Speaking on ITV’s ‘This Morning’, she said: "Unfortunately we started shooting in Manchester, it was the Ariana Grande disaster at the MEN Arena.
"And it was so nice, because everywhere at the time, everyone was having the tattoo of the Manchester bee. It was meant to be central Manchester, so Tina’s character, I’ve got the Manchester bee on my wrist, which is nice."
The emblem has become a symbol of the city’s strength in the wake of the attack, which claimed the lives of 22 people.
The majority of the cast working on the six-part series lived either in Manchester or in the surrounding area, and they were brought closer together following the incident.
James Murray, 43, added: "We all stayed up there, yeah, and most of us were from up there or nearby.
"After the terrible thing that happened at the Ariana Grande [concert], there was a real camaraderie and solidarity on set, so it was a nice gig to be on."
The drama – which follows the trials and tribulations of a family beauty salon in Manchester – will conclude next week on BBC One with a special finale on Wednesday evening (29.08.18).
Lisa Riley admits Manchester bombing impacted Age Before Beauty
