From MTV to murder most foul, with a stop-off at the Strictly studios, Laura Whitmore likes to try new things, and a serious acting role is the latest. She stars in the stage adaptation of multi-million selling author Peter James’ book Not Dead Enough which comes to the stage in Dartford, with Shane Richie as DS Roy Grace, as she explains here.

Acting was always a love of mine, but I went down the presenting route...

I was waiting for the right part. Then when this came up I auditioned for it and got it! Now it gets real.

Being on the stage is like live television. I love that live feeling...

So, yes, there are nerves but it’s exciting because each performance is going to be completely different every night. You’re really putting yourself out there as an actor. The thrill of that is going to be amazing

It is a little bit like going back to the beginning...

But everything you do that’s new it’s like you’re going back to the beginning. It’s the same as when I first did MTV, you have to be like a sponge soaking it all up. I watch the other actors and learn from them. You’re only as good as the people around you

I’m working with some incredibly experienced actors...

Shane Richie could have been like “who is this girl from MTV who thinks she can act?” but he’s been great. He has so much experience. He is a dream to work with. We’ve had some funny moments when we’re doing a really intense scene and we’ve got a dead body next to us and we look down. We really have been corpsing – literally.

I love any crime dramas – CSI and things like that...

Science was my best subject at school and I did think about going into forensics, so this role is good for me. Cleo Morey’s a pathologist and spends a lot of time in the mortuary. I’m not sure I could work on dead bodies the way she does, though. They say you have to remove yourself when you’re doing that and I don’t know if I could.

I came to London to be an MTV presenter nine years ago and I didn’t know anyone...

I’m never at home though – I’ve been all over the place, in LA and Ibiza for MTV, in Italy, in Australia for Celebrity... so if someone put me in one place for a long time it would be weird for me. So touring is fine for me – I’m used to it.

THE DETAILS

Not Dead Enough will be at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford from Wednesday, January 25 to Saturday, January 28. For tickets, visit orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 220000.

It will also be at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury from Monday, April 10, to Saturday, April 15. For tickets, call 01227 787787 or visit marlowetheatre.com

The show will then be at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley from Tuesday, May 30 to Saturday, June 3. For tickets, call 020 3285 6000 or visit churchilltheatre.co.uk

THE SHOW

Multi-million selling author Peter James’ book Not Dead Enough comes to the stage with Shane Richie as DS Roy Grace.

On the night Brian Bishop murdered his wife, he was 60 miles away, asleep in bed – or so he says. But as DS Grace continues to deal with the mysterious disappearance of his own wife, he digs a little deeper into the chilling murder case and finds that love can be a dangerous thing.

Olivier Award winner Ian Talbot directs Shane and Laura Whitmore in the show, which is the third novel in Peter James’ Roy Grace series to head to the stage.

Laura trained at the Leinster School of Music and Drama in Dublin before being chosen as the new face of MTV Europe.

After MTV she has gone on to present I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! NOW! and was one of the big names in 2016’s Strictly Come Dancing, on which she was partnered with Italian Giovanni Pernice.

Shane and Laura will also be joined on stage by Stephen Billington, best known for television roles in Coronation Street and Hollyoaks.