Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack writer Sally Wainwright honoured with OBE

The writer and director has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to writing and television.

She said: “It’s not the kind of thing people in my family would ever normally expect to receive.

“I’m pleased that it’s come on the back on Gentleman Jack because I’ve been working on that for 20 years.

“It’s been the highlight of my career to be able to write about Anne Lister so I feel quite emotional, I didn’t expect that.

“So for it to come on the back of that has been really quite beautiful actually.

“When you write dramas you hope you touch people in lots of different ways, as well as entertaining them, but to have written something that so many people said ‘it’s changed my life’, to have written a TV show that has changed people’s lives, it’s just never happened before.

“Even with Happy Valley being really successful and Last Tango is very well loved, to have written something that has actually changed people’s lives…it’s kind of a unique project in so many ways because she was a unique person, a unique character and it’s like everything she does becomes special and complicated.

“I just feel very privileged and lucky that I was the person who was in the right place at the right time to be the one who ended up dramatising her life.”

Wainwright is known for creating some of the best TV dramas of the past decade with many filmed and set in Calderdale.

Last Tango in Halifax first aired in 2012 and follows a couple who rekindle their relationship later in life.

The fifth series of the show hit our screens earlier this year and stars Derek Jacobi, Anne Reid, Nicola Walker and Sarah Lancashire.

Crime drama Happy Valley attracted millions of viewers to the BBC with the story of Sergeant Catherine Cawood lead a team of strong-willed police officers in Calderdale to solve cases in the area.

The show has won countless awards including winning the Bafta for Best Drama Series twice.

Gentleman Jack follows the life of 19th century Halifax diarist Anne Lister who lived at Shibden Hall.

The series focused on Anne's relationship with Ann Walker and attracted millions of viewers each week.

Filming for the BBC and HBO show took place across Calderdale including in Luddenden, Elland and at Shibden Hall itself.

The second series is due to begin filming this month.

The 57-year-old writer has been writing the second series of Gentleman Jack during lockdown, completing the final episode a few weeks ago.

“It’s taken me 13 months to write it," she said.

“I think people do assume that [lockdown] was a great time to get your head down but I actually found it really difficult to concentrate, particularly in the early months.”

Wainwright hopes the second series will air next year.