Line of Duty star Vicky McClure’s husband reveal they ‘talked about murders all the time’

Most couples enjoy snuggling up and binge-watching a TV series together, and husband-and-wife team Jonny Owen and Vicky McClure are no exception, finding themselves glued to Making A Murderer into the early hours.

But instead of retiring bleary-eyed to bed, the power couple started an extraordinary conversation – one that, years later, has led to their new TV documentary series, which is set to change the way we view some of the grisliest crimes in history.

‘I remember us staying up all night watching Making A Murderer a few years ago, and it was one of the first times ever where we were saying “Let’s watch another episode, let’s watch another episode,” so complete binge-watching,’ Jonny told Metro.

‘Suddenly, it was three in the morning, and as we finished another episode, we started saying, “We should do something like this, a series about the history of crimes and infamous murders.”

‘Vicky is a huge fan of crime documentaries, and I studied history
at university.

I said, “Imagine combining a documentary with the history of a crime, with a programme that shows how crime affects the way that we live decades later. We started talking about a possible series.’

And given their interests, the couple made obvious choice as hosts for the show.

‘With Jonny’s love and vast knowledge of history, and my curious interest in people, it felt like a great pairing to take on this type of show,’ says Vicky.

Fast forward a few years, and Britain’s Murder Map is the couple’s first joint documentary programme – now airing on Sky History and History Play.

It sees them travel back in time to properly investigate different killings and unravel the stories of the victims as much as the fate of the killers.

‘Filming was a nice way to spend some time together,’ says Jonny. ‘We were waking up every day and then going on set together and living through these crimes.

‘At the end of each day, we were sitting down, and we were talking about the murders all the time.

‘I knew I’d enjoy working with Vicky, because we did work together before. We met on the set of Svengali in 2012 [Vicky played Shell, the on-screen partner of Jonny’s character, Dixie]. This time around, I called us George and Mildred on set!’

With the cameras rolling, Vicky turned detective while history-lover Jonny buried himself in the background of each case they covered – from Edinburgh body snatchers Burke and Hare – ‘This was an 1828 Line Of Duty’, says Jonny – to murderous Dr Crippen, who attempted to escape on a cruise line before being hanged for his crimes.

‘Vicky’s so brilliant with people. She spoke to victims’ families, such as the niece of one of the victims of Glasgow killer Bible John, and I saw the way she put them straight at ease,’ says Jonny.

‘She’s a brilliant natural detective, and she would love to be in AC-12 [Line Of Duty’s fictional anti-corruption division] in real life. She’d be so good at it!

‘Vicky is so sensitive, and from the start, she was saying that too often the victim of a crime gets lost in the story, and it’s really important we find out who that person was and what their lives were like.’

For Vicky, delving into old cases proved conflicting. ‘I found every case fascinating and very sad,’ she says.

‘The Bible John case [the hunt for a Glasgow serial killer in the 60s] was shocking in the way the police described victims Patricia, Jemima and Helen. The awful language they used made it sound as if the victims had it coming.

‘Kelso Cochrane’s case, being in an area I know well, was also very disturbing in terms of the racist brutality and the way it was handled.

‘With most of the murders taking place in areas facing extreme poverty, I did take some solace in how strong and caring these communities were.’
Jonny also found filming emotional. 

‘We lived and breathed this series. I was really moved by the story of Timothy Evans, hung for a murder he didn’t commit in 1950. Real-life killer John Christie stood up in court and gave testimony against Timothy, who came from the same town as me, Merthyr Tydfil.

‘As a little boy, I remember both my father and grandfather saying “the state murdered him” as Evans was hung for a crime he didn’t commit. In time, his hanging led to the abolition of the death penalty – but it took years for his family to get a pardon.’

Another extraordinary moment came when experts reconstructed the face of executed killer William Burke, using his death mask.

‘Burke and Hare were called body snatchers in 1828 Edinburgh, but in fact, they were serial killers,’ says Jonny.

‘Edinburgh was the centre of medicine at the time, and demand was high for bodies that doctors could practice on. Burke and Hare killed victims to sell the corpses to doctors.

‘Burke was executed for his crimes, while Hare turned King’s evidence and was spared. 

‘On our series, experts did this amazing thing with Burke’s actual death mask – bringing it back to life in an incredible facial reconstruction on a massive screen. Vicky and I saw it on a big screen for the first time in a lecture theatre in Edinburgh, and both went, ‘Oh my God!’

‘We’d been studying Burke and Hare, but this suddenly brought everything to life for us and staring at his face for the first time felt like a real shock.’

During filming on the busy streets of London, Glasgow and Edinburgh, it was inevitable that Line Of Duty star Vicky was widely recognised.

‘She’s recognised a lot,’ Jonny says. ‘People are brilliant. They want a chat and a selfie. Police love her, and when she’s out filming, it’s often the police who come over. She loves chatting to them.’

Is it strange to see Vicky in her Line of Duty persona? ‘Sometimes when she’s filming, Vicky will FaceTime me and she’s in all the gear, and it’s quite a shock,’ says Jonny.

‘I love Line Of Duty, and I sit and watch it with the rest of the country.
I don’t ask what’s going on, and Vicky wouldn’t tell me. So sometimes an episode will finish on a cliffhanger, and I’ll go ‘Woah’ and Vicky will smile and say, “Oh yes!”’

Filming together on this passion project has been an added bonus, admits the cheerful and affable Jonny.

‘Everyone thinks we must have a glamorous life, but we have to get home in time for the supermarket deliveries, and I’ll still jump out and get milk because we’ve run out’.

The couple make an excellent presenting team, and any fans of crime, history and real-life stories will love the meticulously researched series. As viewers, we can only hope that murder remains on their mind… for a second series.

Britain’s Murder Map is on Sky History and History Play

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.