LAST week I attended an online Q&A session with Kay Mellor and the cast of her new TV drama, The Syndicate.

YouTube star Joe Sugg, making his TV acting debut in the show, confessed he was nervous about tackling a northern accent. Kay Mellor praised his performance, and his audition, but his casting has sparked online debate about whether a southerner should play a northern role. Isn’t all this getting a bit daft? Surely acting is all about changing accent and appearance.

I have more respect for actors who take on different accents than those who simply play bland variations of themselves.