You probably know Siobhan Finneran from Downton Abbey or the bleak crime drama Happy Valley, so her latest role is a jolt. She plays Mrs. Phillips, a cult leader’s wife, in Netflix’s six-episode thriller Unchosen, which arrived on Netflix on 21 April 2026.
Siobhan Finneran: Latest Drama, Career and Personal Life
Latest role: Mrs. Phillips in Unchosen | Downton Abbey: 2010–2012 | Happy Valley: 2014–2023 | Married: Mark Jordon, August 1997 (divorced 2014)
Quick snapshot
Latest role
- Mrs. Phillips, the cult leader’s wife, in the Netflix thriller Unchosen, released 21 April 2026 (What’s on Netflix streaming guide)
Downton Abbey
- Sarah O’Brien, the scheming lady’s maid, in ITV’s Downton Abbey, 2010–2012 across series 1–3 (Wikipedia biography)
Happy Valley
- Clare Cartwright, a recovering heroin addict, in BBC One’s Happy Valley, 2014–2023 (Wikipedia filmography)
Marriage
- Married actor Mark Jordon in August 1997 and divorced in 2014, according to Wikipedia biography
The table lists the dated facts that the research notes verify, with the source named for each row.
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Unchosen release | 21 April 2026, six episodes of about 50 minutes each | What’s on Netflix |
| Role in Unchosen | Mrs. Phillips, wife of a cult leader | What’s on Netflix |
| Downton Abbey | Sarah O’Brien, series 1–3 (2010–2012) | Wikipedia |
| Happy Valley | Clare Cartwright, 2014–2023 | Wikipedia filmography |
| Protection | DI Liz Nyles, ITV1 premiere on 16 March 2025 | i News |
| BAFTA nomination | Best Supporting Actress for Happy Valley, 2017 | Wikipedia |
| Death in Paradise | Fleur Edwards, episode 15.3, 16 February 2026 | Cosmopolitan UK |
What is the latest drama with Siobhan Finneran?
Netflix psychological thriller role
Netflix released Unchosen on 21 April 2026 as six episodes of about 50 minutes each. Finneran plays Mrs. Phillips, the wife of a cult leader. The series was formerly titled Out of the Dust and is written, created and executive produced by Julie Gearey. Molly Windsor, Asa Butterfield, Fra Fee, Christopher Eccleston and Olivia Pickering co-star.
Digital Spy reported in April 2025 that Finneran had been confirmed for the show under its earlier title. The project was described as a cult drama set behind the closed doors of a fictional conservative religious sect (Digital Spy TV news). The trailer and key art followed in late March 2026, according to Edinburgh Live entertainment report.
Verdict: Netflix’s Unchosen moves Finneran from broadcast drama into a six-episode streaming thriller, and as Mrs. Phillips she sits alongside Christopher Eccleston rather than at the centre of the story.
Happy Valley and earlier ITV dramas
Finneran played recovering heroin addict Clare Cartwright in BBC One’s Happy Valley across series 1–3, from 2014 to 2023. Sarah Lancashire plays her on-screen sister. Her work on the series earned a British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2017. The third series aired on BBC One and BBC iPlayer after a seven-year break (i News interview).
Finneran led ITV’s six-part thriller Protection as DI Liz Nyles, a witness protection officer. It premiered on ITV1 on Sunday 16 March 2025. Katherine Kelly, Nadine Marshall, Barry Ward and Tilly Kaye were in the cast, and the series streamed on ITVX (Yahoo UK news).
“Like hundreds of thousands of women, Liz is trying to keep a balance between personal and professional.”
In March 2025, Finneran told i News that Happy Valley should be left where it ended. The Happy Valley run is therefore closed by the actor’s own account.
Why did Finneran leave Downton Abbey?
Her Downton Abbey credit
Finneran played Sarah O’Brien, the scheming lady’s maid, in ITV’s Downton Abbey. Wikipedia records the part as a main role across series 1–3, in 25 episodes, between 2010 and 2012. The cast won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012 for series 2. Readers who want another cast member’s career can read the Brendan Coyle Downton Abbey actor biography.
Reason for departure
Finneran announced her exit in March 2013, ahead of series four. Wikipedia states she had been signed for only three series. In a separate interview, she put it simply.
“I signed up to do three series and that was all I wanted to do.”
The three-series contract is the only reason the research notes support. No source records a wider motive, so this article does not offer one.
The pattern: her exit followed a three-series commitment she describes herself, not a dispute that any retrieved source documents.
Who is Siobhan Finneran’s partner now?
Is Siobhan Finneran still married to Mark Jordan?
No. Wikipedia records a marriage to actor Mark Jordon in August 1997 and a divorce in 2014. Some sources spell his name Jordan.
Is Siobhan Finneran single?
Several outlets report that she is in a relationship with actor Don Gilet. Wikipedia dates the relationship to 2018. The Mirror gives 2017 as the start, and Hello places it a year after the 2017 drama The Loch. Hello also reports that Finneran called him “my fella” in a 2025 Guardian interview, but that interview was not retrieved for this check.
“There’s a new confidence to her and she gets more work now.”
The relationship rests on secondary reports. No primary statement was retrieved, so the start date should be treated as unresolved.
What this means: the most defensible answer is that Gilet is Finneran’s reported partner, not one confirmed in a primary source.
Who did Siobhan Finneran play in Coronation Street?
The research notes do not name a Coronation Street character for Finneran, and no retrieved source links her to the soap. A search snippet mentions a character called Alice Holmes without naming a show, so it cannot be tied to her.
Emmerdale role
The notes contain no Emmerdale credit for Finneran. Her one soap-adjacent role in the notes is Janice Garvey in ITV’s Benidorm, which Tuko reports she played across the first seven series, from 2007 to 2015. Tuko is a lower-tier source, so that credit is treated as reported rather than confirmed.
The catch: the soap question cannot be answered from verified sources, so a character name in a snippet should not be read as fact.
Does Siobhan Finneran have children?
Wikipedia reports that Finneran and Mark Jordon have two children. CivicReport says the children’s details are not publicly confirmed, and the retrieved sources give conflicting names. The article therefore does not name them.
How tall is Siobhan Finneran?
No source in the research notes gives her height.
Why does Siobhan Finneran wear a wig?
No confirmed reason is given in the sources. The notes do not mention a wig, so no explanation is offered here.
Where does Siobhan Finneran live now?
Hello reports that Finneran lives in Saddleworth, while Gilet lives in north London and spends about seven months a year in Guadeloupe filming Death in Paradise. The report is medium confidence and has not been checked against a primary source.
Readers looking for personal facts should check these answers against a later primary statement, because the current sources are secondary and partly conflicting.
What is confirmed and what is not
Confirmed
- Unchosen was released on Netflix on 21 April 2026, across six episodes (What’s on Netflix).
- Finneran played Sarah O’Brien in Downton Abbey from 2010 to 2012 (Wikipedia).
- Finneran played Clare Cartwright in Happy Valley from 2014 to 2023 (Wikipedia filmography).
- Finneran married Mark Jordon in August 1997 (Wikipedia).
Reported but unconfirmed
- Start date of the Gilet relationship: 2017 (Mirror) or 2018 (Wikipedia).
- Number and names of her children: two children are reported, but the names conflict (Wikipedia; CivicReport).
- Residence in Saddleworth (Hello! Magazine).
- Protection renewal status: Tuko reports ITV said there will be no second series, but this was not resolved with a primary source.
- Janice Garvey in Benidorm, 2007–2015 (Tuko).
- Birthplace of Oldham, Lancashire: a search snippet only.
- Time series three in October 2026: reported by Hello! Magazine and the Mirror.
The implication: the confirmed list is short, and most personal-life claims depend on one or two secondary outlets.
Timeline of key dates
- 2010–2012: Sarah O’Brien in Downton Abbey, series 1–3 (Wikipedia).
- March 2013: departure from Downton Abbey announced (Wikipedia).
- 2014–2023: Clare Cartwright in Happy Valley (Wikipedia filmography).
- 2017: British Academy Television Award nomination for Happy Valley (Wikipedia).
- March 2019: casting in Netflix’s The Stranger announced (PressParty newsdesk).
- 16 March 2025: Protection premieres on ITV1 (i News).
- April 2025: confirmed for the Netflix series then titled Out of the Dust (Digital Spy).
- 16 February 2026: appears in Death in Paradise episode 15.3 (Cosmopolitan UK).
- Late April 2026: Unchosen trailer and key art unveiled (Edinburgh Live).
- 21 April 2026: Unchosen released on Netflix (What’s on Netflix).
What the record supports
Finneran’s recent credits are documented: Unchosen, Protection and her soap-era roles in Downton Abbey and Happy Valley are supported by the sources. Her partner, children and residence are reported, not confirmed. Until Finneran or her representatives make a primary statement on those points, readers should treat them as reports.
Related reading: Tina O’Brien Coronation Street career
hellomagazine.com, tuko.co.ke, civicreport.uk, mirror.co.uk, hellomagazine.com, donmarwarehouse.com
Frequently asked questions
Which ITV dramas has Siobhan Finneran appeared in?
She appeared in Downton Abbey (Sarah O’Brien, 2010–2012), Happy Valley (Clare Cartwright, 2014–2023) and Protection (DI Liz Nyles, 2025). Tuko also reports a role as Janice Garvey in Benidorm across series 1–7.
Where can Siobhan Finneran’s dramas be streamed?
Protection streams on ITVX, Happy Valley streams on BBC iPlayer, and Unchosen is available on Netflix.
Has Siobhan Finneran appeared in films?
The research notes list a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the British Independent Film Awards for The Selfish Giant (2013). They do not include a full film filmography.
What other television work is listed for Siobhan Finneran?
She played Johanna Griffin in Netflix’s The Stranger, announced in March 2019, and appeared as Fleur Edwards in episode 15.3 of Death in Paradise.
Where was Siobhan Finneran born?
The research notes contain no verified source for her birthplace or birth date. A search snippet names Oldham, Lancashire, but no full article confirms it, so this article does not state it.
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Edward Davies Bennett is Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Publisher at Insight Britain, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and the corrections process.