Lorraine Ashbourne is back in the new series of After the Flood
18:10, 18 Jan 2026Updated 18:46, 18 Jan 2026
Lorraine Ashbourne is back in the new series of After the Flood(Image: ITV)
After the Flood series two returns on Sunday evening with Lorraine Ashbourne back as Molly Marshall.
Lorraine’s, 65, character Molly is the protective and worrying mother of Jo Marshall, played by Sophie Rundle, in the hit ITV police drama.
The first series of After the Flood saw an unidentified man found dead in an underground car park following a catastrophic flood. PC Jo was tasked with uncovering the truth behind the man’s demise, leading to startling and shocking revelations.
In the upcoming series, we see Jo, now a detective, embarking on a perplexing new murder investigation. As Waterside grapples with the looming threat of moorland fires and potential subsequent flooding, a body is unearthed under peculiar circumstances.
Jo’s pursuit of the murderer puts her at odds with the town’s powerful and influential figures, ultimately ensnaring her in a deeply personal investigation.
Lorraine’s, 65, character Molly is the protective and worrying mother of Jo Marshall(Image: ITV)
To expose the corruption that has plagued the local police force – and her own family – for years, she will need to conduct her investigation covertly.
Lorraine is no stranger to TV and film roles, having starred in the likes of King Kong, City Central, Playing the Field, Jane Eyre, Unforgotten, Jericho, The Crown, Bridgerton, Sherwood and Riot Women – to name a few.
In her real life away from acting, Lorraine is married to Hollywood actor Andy Serkis. The couple met in 1989 and married in 2002.
They have three children together Ruby, 28, Sonny, 26, and Louis, 21 – all who have gone into acting careers themselves.
Lorraine is married to Hollywood actor Andy Serkis. The couple met in 1989 and married in 2002.(Image: Jo Hale/WireImage)
Andy, 61, is best known for his role as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Other roles include The Escapist, 13 Going on 30, Flushed Away, Rise of the Planet of the Apes franchise, King Kong, the Star Wars franchise including TV series Andor, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Panther and The Batman – to name just a few.
The couple’s children have also had successful acting careers. Ruby appeared in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Serpent, Becoming Elizabeth, Shardlake and I, Jack Wright.
Sonny has appeared in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Casual Vacancy, Dolittle, Young Wallander, The Witcher, Masters of the Air and Miss Scarlet and the Duke.
The couple’s children have also had successful acting careers, pictured with son Louis at his 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple premiere (Image: 2026 Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Meanwhile youngest child, Louis, has appeared in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, The Kid Who Would Be King, Arcade and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Louis has also appeared in Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit as Georgi Girev, Out There as Johnny Williams and BBC series Wild Cherry as Hugo.
Talking about her children following in their acting footsteps, Lorraine recently joked to The i Paper: “We should have taken them to the Science Museum more!”
However, she admitted she’s “still undecided” on whether she wants her children to pursue acting, adding: “I hate the idea of them having to go through rejection. We keep telling them that every actor has to face it. No matter what level they’re at, someone out there is not going to want you.”
After the Flood returns on Sunday, 18 January, at 9pm airing weekly on Sundays and Mondays on ITV. All episodes are available on ITVX.
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