The Other Bennet Sister Star Ella Bruccoleri Reveals Safety Concerns Behind Memorable Lake Scene

Ella Bruccoleri has revealed that one of The Other Bennet Sister’s most memorable romantic scenes became unexpectedly stressful behind the cameras after a last-minute change of filming location raised health and safety concerns for her co-stars.

The former Call the Midwife actress, who played Sister Frances in the BBC drama, took centre stage as Mary Bennet in The Other Bennet Sister. The series reimagined the life of the frequently overlooked middle Bennet sister from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, following Mary as she left Longbourn and travelled to London to discover a life beyond the shadow of her family.

One particularly memorable sequence offered a playful nod to Colin Firth’s famous lake scene from an earlier Pride and Prejudice adaptation — although this time, Mary found herself caught between two potential suitors.

A romantic lake scene became complicated behind the cameras

The sequence begins with Mary rowing across a lake alongside Tom Hayward, played by Donal Finn, before Charles Ryder, portrayed by Laurie Davidson, interrupts them.

Before either man manages to declare his feelings, both end up in the water.

Bruccoleri said the scene deliberately balanced two very different tones. On one hand, it was intended to feel “sincere and romantic, quite sentimental,” while at the same time embracing the comedy and absurdity of the situation.

Despite the complications that eventually emerged, the actress described filming the sequence as one of her favourite days on the production.

“It was one of my favourite days on set because it was just baking hot and Donal and I were mainly just on a boat by ourselves in the middle of the lake all day,” she told The Independent.

Behind the relaxed atmosphere on camera, however, the production team was dealing with an unexpected logistical problem.

Last-minute lake change raised safety concerns

According to Bruccoleri, the scene had originally been scheduled to take place on a different lake.

The production had planned to anchor the boats to the bottom, giving the crew greater control while filming. But shortly before the shoot, tests were carried out on the water and the team discovered they could not use the original location.

That forced production to move the sequence elsewhere at short notice.

“It became quite stressful because the crew were supposed to shoot it on a different lake where they could anchor the boats to the bottom of it,” Bruccoleri explained.

“And then at the last minute, they tested the water and couldn’t use it, so then we had to use a different one.”

The change became particularly significant because Finn and Davidson were required to spend an extended period in the water while the scene was being captured.

“Our lads were in the water for quite a long time, so there were big concerns about their health and safety,” Bruccoleri said.

Despite those difficulties, the finished sequence became one of the drama’s notable visual references to previous Jane Austen adaptations.

BBC confirms more The Other Bennet Sister

The series proved a major success for the BBC, becoming the biggest launch for a new drama in the UK in a year.

Its popularity has already secured its future, with the broadcaster confirming that The Other Bennet Sister will return for a three-part Christmas special.

The original series concluded with Mary agreeing to marry Tom Hayward, leaving the upcoming episodes to explore what comes next for the couple.

“The final episode of the series saw Mary agreeing to wed Tom Hayward, but fans will be keen to know what challenges the future holds for the happy couple…” the BBC teased.

For Bruccoleri, the lake sequence may have looked effortlessly romantic and comedic on screen, but her account reveals that bringing the memorable moment to life required some unexpected adjustments behind the scenes.

The Other Bennet Sister is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.