Beyond Paradise's Kris Marshall shares personal connection to fostering storyline
Humphrey and Martha explore becoming foster parents in the show's second season.
After deciding to discontinue their IVF journey, Beyond Paradise's Humphrey and Martha look set to explore becoming foster parents in the show's second season.
The idea was floated by a social worker in the Christmas special after the couple encountered a charming young boy called Ryan, who made quite the impression on them, as they did on him.
"They've been through the mill with IVF," Kris Marshall told RadioTimes.com and other press.
"And when they've come to the end of that and had the realisation that maybe it wasn't going to happen for them in the way they'd hoped, rather than pull up the drawbridge, because they're quite open people and they have a lot of love to give, they're like, 'Well, how else can we help?'
"There are kids out there who maybe are in transitional periods in their lives with their families and need support and help and a little bit of humour and cuddles and love.
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"And Humphrey and Martha have those in abundance, so it's a quite a natural progression when they get their heads around it."
Sally Bretton echoed Marshall's comments.
"I'm not sure they look at it as building their family as such, more that they have a lot of love and they can make a difference," she explained. "It comes to them and they realise that, and then they start following that and seeing what it brings."
Read more:
- Kris Marshall on Humphrey and Martha's fostering journey in Beyond Paradise
- Beyond Paradise cast tease season 2's "bolder and bigger" cases
Fostering is also a subject that Marshall has a "very third hand" connection to.
"My late mum fostered quite a lot before I was born, so I... tapped into her experiences," he said. "It's not a great well of information, but I recalled and recounted her stories of her time as a foster parent."
Marshall also said that the Beyond Paradise producers worked with The Fostering Network to ensure that they handled the subject matter as "truthfully and as sensitively as possible".
"It was something that had to be gotten right, and I hope we've done that - I think we have. I think it’s handled really well," he added.
"And hopefully it will support people who have been through this, and also continue the narrative for people who don't know much about it."
Beyond Paradise season 2 will begin on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 22nd March 2024. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what else is on.
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