Blue Lights Stars Katherine Devlin and Dearbháile McKinney on Policing, PTSD and Northern Ireland

Katherine Devlin made her significant acting debut as Constable Annie Conlon in the acclaimed BBC series Blue Lights, which has won a Bafta and is set at the fictional Blackthorn Station in Belfast. Hailing from Northern Ireland, Devlin relates to her character's Catholic roots, whose narrative includes leaving home due to death threats. In an interview with BBC Newsbeat, she emphasized the importance of understanding Annie's motivations for joining the police, noting that the upcoming season delves into her concept of home. Dearbháile McKinney, portraying Aisling Byrne, consulted with actual officers regarding PTSD. Earlier this year, the Police Service of Northern Ireland recorded its lowest Catholic applicant rate in over ten years. Since its establishment in 2001, the percentage of Catholic officers has risen from 8% to 32%. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher affirmed the PSNI's dedication to improving representation and announced a new recruitment campaign for student officers soon. Nathan Braniff, who plays Tommy Foster, remarked on the show's reflection of a transforming Northern Ireland, while Frank Blake, portraying Shane Bradley, reminisced about a Westlife song played during the Belfast shoot. The fourth series premieres at 21:00 BST on BBC One and iPlayer.