'I thought I might die' - Stephen Nolan describes car chase terror as he's back on the beat with the PSNI in new series of Peelers
Peelers presenter Stephen Nolan says he feared for his life during a high speed car chase to be shown in the new series of his fly-on-the-wall documentary, which follows PSNI officers on the beat.
The show returns to screens today after a hugely successful first run earlier this year, and will follow officers outside of Belfast for the first time.
Fans of the first series can rest assured that the officers who made the first series so memorable are back – but we will meet new faces in Lurgan and Portadown.
The BBC says almost a quarter of the population of Northern Ireland watched the first series – which also had national success.
Series two will be broadcast across the UK, and deal with everything from drug-related incidents, violent street fights and dangerous driving offences to animal cruelty investigations, domestic abuse cases and major drug searches.
Speaking to the News Letter at Broadcasting House in Belfast, Stephen Nolan says that the series is the most successful project if his career – and attributes its success to the characters at the heart of it.
“I think people are interested in the police in Northern Ireland. No matter what their opinion is, it's talked about. But really, at the heart of it is characters.
“We we are looking for all the different angles of stories and all the different angles on policing when we're out on the ground. But it's the characters.
“It's the characters of the police officers. It's the characters of the the criminals and who they are and and and and how they come across. And I suppose one of the advantages of me being around this place for quite a long time is there's no barriers – most people are wanting to talk to me and are themselves.
“It's the authenticity of it. Dramas and fiction spend a long time trying to cast people, and these people [police officers] – you couldn't write the script for how strong the characters are in real life”, he said.
The first series of the programme sparked political debate around policing – and whether and to what extent officers’ hands are tied when dealing with issues like e-bikes and anti-social behaviour. Mr Nolan, whose Third Street Studios company produced the series for the BBC, says there will be more such talking points in the new series.
“There's so many talking points in this series, I don't know what one to to concentrate on, and that's a that's a good problem to have.
“There's a very dramatic car scene where I'm in Lurgan, with a couple of new characters, Bert and Harry.
“So Bert's this kind of really cool hard man cop. But he is a brilliant cop, and he's chasing through a built up residential area, a guy that has so little regard for safety and all these pedestrians that could have been hurt.
“And Bert pursues and pursues and pursues, and he he ends up catching this guy. But you're left very much with the with the feeling of right, well, what what does the courts do next?”, the BBC veteran said.
On the car chase – in which he was involved as a passenger – Mr Nolan described his fear.
“I was terrified in that car chase. To the point where it's the first time this series, and I can't remember any other time in my life where I thought ‘I might die here’.
“So I remember in the back of the car, and the reality of what I was then in the middle of, in terms of this project.
“I could die now, because because one car when when they're going at those speeds, one person walks out in the front of the road, one car comes out unexpected, and I I certainly thought that that could have been it.
“That was that was a really shocking moment for me, and one I'll never forget” he said.
“Without giving too much away, the the guy is caught, and I had this whole flurry of emotions in me. Then I was furious with him, for putting me, the police, himself, pedestrians in that level of danger. But I was also scared, and just all this adrenaline racing racing through my body”, he said.
The series deals with recurring themes of homelessness, mental health and addiction – something officers are handling on a daily basis.
“The level of addiction in the city centre is off the scale. There's no way the police can tackle that on on their own, and they’re right in the middle of it at the minute” he said.
“There's a tragedy in this series, and sometimes we all think we have problems, but it's a lady called Pauline who told me her her life story. I don't think I'll forget that that story, and I don't think I'll forget Pauline anytime soon”, he said.
Stephen Nolan said the response to the first series of Peelers was incredible. “Everywhere I went, people were asking me about it. We're delighted to be back with even greater access to frontline policing across Northern Ireland. This series gives viewers an unfiltered look at the reality of the job, following officers as they tackle crime, protect vulnerable people and respond to incidents that can change in an instant.
“It's compelling, surprising and, at times, deeply moving television”, he said – adding that “it wouldn't be Peelers without the officers giving me a bit of stick from time to time”.
‘Peelers: The PSNI - For Real’ is back on screens on at 10.40pm tonight (Wednesday), with the whole series available on BBC iPlayer from 6am.
It will also be on BBC Two on Monday 16 November at 10pm.