Barry Island a heavenly place, says Bridgerton star

A star of the Netflix series Bridgerton has said Wales was a "big part" of her life growing up.

Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury in the Netflix hit show, said she grew up in a village in the Cotswolds with Welsh teachers.

She remembered school trips to St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff and Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

"I thought Barry Island was the most heavenly place ever," she said.

"For my summer holidays we used to go to Tenby and the Gower coast," she told BBC Radio Wales Drive.

"Wales was on my doorstep," she said.

"When I was in was in primary school I would go to St Fagans Museum in Cardiff and then we would go to Barry Island fun fair.

"I thought I had gone to the most heavenly place ever," she added.

Part two of season three of the Regency-era drama was released on Netflix on Thursday.

The latest season has become its most successful with the series expected to rank as one of the most popular Netflix TV series of all time.

The actress has also maintained strong links to Wales throughout her career, playing Colette Griffiths in Casualty and Francine Jones in Doctor Who.

She said of her time in the sci-fi series: "I love Russell T Davies like cooked food, I think he is genius."

She said she recently had to take on a Welsh accent too, in the new mystery thriller Red King.

The accent for her role as Lady Heather was heavily influenced by her childhood teacher.

"Heather Deans was my art teacher when I was little," she said. "My mum taught at my secondary school and she and Heather are the best of friends still, all these years on."