Shetland star opens up on chilling filming ordeal as she admits 'hands stopped working'

Shetland star Ashley Jensen has shared insights into the demanding conditions on set as she discussed the hurdles she encountered while filming.

The 55-year-old actress is poised to return to television screens tonight, reprising her role as DI Ruth Calder in the ninth series of the popular BBC drama.

Now at the forefront of the show, succeeding DI Jimmy Pere, Ashley's character comes back to the limelight after the series took a nearly year-long hiatus, with fans keenly anticipating its comeback, reports the Daily Record.

In anticipation of the new episodes, Ashley joined the Wednesday edition of BBC The One Show and confessed that during the shoot, she experienced a moment when her hands 'stopped working' due to the extremely cold conditions.

Chatting with presenters Alex Jones and Vernon Kay, Ashley disclosed: "This year we got the proper Shetland weather and we had snow in April and 60-mile-an-hour wind and it was very very cold."

She elaborated: "Every time we go to Shetland it's all pretty much filmed outside because that's the part we have to show as they are authentic Shetland islands so we had to have heat pads in our pockets."

Recounting a particularly challenging incident, she added: "At one point we had to shoot a scene where I had to get out of a car and get a phone and house keys out of my pocket and my hands literally stopped working and it was genuine frustration. It was pretty cold."

The actress also opened up about the unpredictable weather conditions she encountered while working on a remote island, revealing the logistical challenges it posed.

She detailed: "You can't get home unless you have five days clear of no filming. You have to stay on the Island because the weather can literally turn at any moment."

Ashley went on to say: "There could be beautiful sun, then by the time you get to the airport, there is a thing called haar, which is a sea mist that comes down and planes can't take off or land so they keep you there. But I think that is quite good because it leads to everyone having a bit of camaraderie and everybody getting along."

Shetland airs from 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.