Speaking to HELLO! and other media outlets, Phillips said the series’ emphasis on community is one of the reasons she believes it will resonate with viewers.

“I think it’s what we’re missing,” she explained. “We’ve become so disconnected from each other, even in small towns. This show is a reminder of how comforting that sense of community can be—even if people do get murdered.”

With its mix of gossiping neighbours, eccentric antiques dealers and other colorful locals, The Hairdresser Mysteries leans into a nostalgic charm.

“It has the coziness of those 1970s sitcoms,” the 56-year-old continued. “It’s about small groups of slightly eccentric people, and there’s something really touching about everyone accepting each other’s flaws.”

© BBC/Mill Bay Media/Gary Moyes

Phillips also argued that the series offers a refreshing alternative to what she sees as today’s culture of instant judgment.

“People know that everyone is a little odd in their own way, and they accept it, forgive it, and even like it,” she said. “That’s just life.”

She went on to describe the show’s message as an “antidote” to cancel culture.

“It’s a nice antidote to, ‘Cancel him! Exclude him! She did something wrong, burn her,'” Phillips joked. “I think the show is trying to make people feel a little better while reminding us how to treat one another.”

Why Sally said yes to the role

Discussing what drew her to the role, Sally described the premise as a “really funny idea.” She joked, “I spend a lot of time at the hairdresser because my hair is a nest – my ex-husband, in fact, used to call it ‘the nest.’ It takes a lot of taming.”

© BBC/Mill Bay Media/Gary Moyes

Sally also noted how hairdressers are often at the centre of local gossip. “Hairdressers just know everything,” she said, explaining how a friend of hers who works as a hairdresser had once styled the hair of everyone involved in an affair. “She had done the hair of the mother-in-law, the mother, the wife and the mistress, and was trying to remember who she had told what to,” said Sally.

© BBC/Mill Bay Media/Joss Barratt

The Miranda star also said one of the biggest draws of the series was the relationship between Lily and her assistant, Clary Coombs, played by Charlotte Jordan.

“It’s been such a joy to be part of a female double act,” Phillips shared. “I don’t think I’ve ever done one before, and Charlotte and I clicked immediately. We got on like a house on fire.”

She added that their natural chemistry helped shape the heart of the series, making Lily and Clary’s partnership just as engaging as the mysteries they set out to solve.

The Hairdresser Mysteries is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now. 

Source: Various