A star from Amandaland has confessed to shedding tears in the car due to the pressures of parenthood.

The BBC series is a spin-off from the BAFTA-winning sitcom Motherland, which aired for three series from 2016 to 2022. Several actors have reprised their roles, and viewers are reacquainted with the main character, Amanda Hughes (portrayed by Lucy Punch), and her friend Anne Flynn (Philippa Dunne).

Philippa, who has also appeared in shows like Derry Girls, disclosed that she now identifies with the characters on Motherland since becoming a mother herself. The actress welcomed a daughter, now four years old, while the show was still in production.

In a recent interview with Ryan Tubridy on Virgin Radio UK, she was asked if her perspective on the franchise had "changed" now that she's a parent, to which Philippa responded: "There was definitely a penny-dropping moment."

She further revealed that during the initial series, she questioned whether situations were being exaggerated for "entertainment purposes". However, Philippa hinted that she has since discovered elements of the show to be quite "real", reports .

She revealed: "For the first couple of series, I didn't know what ... I thought 'is this all just ramped up for entertainment purposes or is any of this real?' And then I remember the moment like I just copped on that like, 'oh the school gates scenario was real' and it's as terrifying as it is on the TV show because it's just an explosion of sound and noise and chaos and stress [and] kind of like trying to hide and run away as quickly as possible."

Ryan probed her about a specific scene, asking: "But it all changed then? So you're watching going ... all that thing you thought was being hyped up and turned into comedy is reality."

Philippa confirmed to the host, admitting: "The screaming, the stress, the panic, the problem solving, the crying in your car, all of that. It's all real."

Amandaland kicked off last week over two years since the previous Motherland installment, a Christmas special broadcast in 2022. The new series features Amanda starting afresh post-divorce.

Philippa teased the development of her role saying Anne is "living her best life" when reintroduced, elaborating: "She's had a few years of freedom [from Amanda], and things are going really well. [...] She's no longer following Amanda around."

Ahead of the launch, she further commented: "Then Amanda comes back into the picture. Of course, Anne is delighted to see Amanda because she absolutely loves her, but she's unaware of just how much Amanda takes up her time and headspace."