KAY Mellor says filming her new series of The Syndicate during the pandemic was “terrifying” but also joyful.

The six-part series, written by the Bafta-winning screenwriter, centres on a group of kennel workers who think they’ve won the lottery - but all is not as it seems and the young syndicate find themselves on the wealthy French Riviera.

The series was filmed in West Yorkshire and Monaco, with some scenes shot in Apperley Bridge and Burley-in-Wharfedale. As the Telegraph & Argus recently reported, singer-songwriter David Nowakowski of Bradford band Scars on 45 composed the theme tune and other tracks for the series.

In an online discussion this week, award-winning writer Kay Mellor and members of the cast including Neil Morrissey, Joe Sugg, Gaynor Faye, Taj Atwal and Katie McGlynn talked about filming and living in a ‘bubble’ together under Covid restrictions.

“I thought it was going to be terrible, but it’s been an interesting time for us,” said Kay. “It’s a rare thing to shoot anything in Covid. It was all testing, testing, testing. We had to wait 24 hours to get results each time. We had testing in Monaco too - nine times altogether we could have been taken down, if tests had been positive. It was terrifying but it was the only way we could do it. This is about a group of people, a syndicate, and we couldn’t do it with social distancing. We could only do it in a bubble.

“The crews were masked, the DOP was shouting through a mask. The actors dedicated their life to this; they didn’t go home, they stayed together in apartments and came to work with a smile on their faces every day. They were wonderful.”

Neil Morrissey said: “We were bundled on set every day, it was a joy to be around these people. I felt privileged to be able to do that.”

Gaynor Faye added: “There was a lot of anxiety, it was tough, but we all came together. So many of my friends as actors have lost jobs. We were very fortunate to do this.”

The cast enjoyed filming locally, and went for country walks off set. “I like the idea that The Syndicate is rooted in Yorkshire, I’ve always enjoyed that in previous series,” said Neil Morrissey. “Kay’s a brilliant writer; her dialogue ranges from funny to tragic in the flip of a sentence. It’s a joy to work with a Kay Mellor script.”

YouTube star and 2018 Strictly Come Dancing finalist Joe Sugg plays an aspiring rock star in the show - his first TV acting role. He revealed that he submitted a self-tape audition and was invited to meet Kay in Leeds. “My first day on set, I was very nervous, but everyone made me feel so welcome,” he said. “I learned so much from the other actors, and from Kay.”

Kay praised his northern accent, adding: “It was a long shot that he’d be able to do it but when I met him he took direction really well, and listened. I think he will make a great actor.” Several of Kay’s TV dramas, including Band of Gold and Girlfriends, were filmed in Bradford. This fourth series of The Syndicate follows previous series filmed at locations such as Great Victoria Hotel and City Park.

l The Syndicate is on BBC One on Tuesday, March 30 at 9pm.