The real reason behind Jodie Whittaker's "unusual" accent in Dear England
Jodie Whittaker plays Dr Pippa Grange
Dear England stars Jodie Whittaker as “penalty guru” Dr Pippa Grange – and the keen-eared among you may have noticed her unusual accent.
The new BBC drama, created by James Graham (Quiz, Sherwood), revolves around Gareth Southgate (played by Joseph Fiennes) and his takeover of the England football team.
As the series begins, it’s clear the team needs a big shake-up in every way; players, chemistry, and – above all else – their mindset when it comes to winning and losing.
So, Southgate enlists the help of Dr Pippa Grange, a sports psychologist who tries to reinvigorate the team and promote a more positive attitude. Whittaker is, typically, excellent – but the way she uses her voice is singular to the role.
Why Jodie Whittaker’s accent in Dear England is so important
Unlike a few other fictional characters in Dear England, Dr Pippa Grange is a real-life person – and Whittaker paid close attention to the way she speaks.
Grange was born in Yorkshire, just like Whittaker. However, in 1996, she moved to Australia to work on her first doctorate and eventually moved into sports, working with Australian rules football players and Olympic athletes.
Given the basis of her first thesis (studying the relationship between stress and performance in sport), she went on to work for the Australian Football League Players Association as its general manager of culture and leadership.
In 2017, she was tapped as the new head of people and team development for England’s Football Association.
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Grange has also written several books, and her audiobook recordings helped Whittaker perfect her accent. “Pippa narrated the audio version, so I would listen to her accent and the way she spoke,” she told the BBC.
“She’s from the North but she spent a long time in Melbourne and that absolutely comes through in her accent – I hear an Aussie twang over a Northern twang so that really helped to give me a way in.”
‘I was cringing… and then it was fun’
Dear England was originally conceived as a stage production, premiering at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2023.
Grange met with Graham twice when he was developing the play. “The first time I didn’t know what to do with myself. I felt very exposed [even though] nobody knew I was there other than James Graham,” she told The Times.
“I was cringing. But I did see it a second time and I found it really fun.”
Just like Whittaker’s version of her in the show, Grange hasn’t ever embraced the “penalty guru” plaudits.
“My prerogative as a psychologist is support and enablement. I’m the last person to be the one with the halo. I don’t think it’s particularly helpful, but it was such a strong and appealing story to the nation that that kind of happened.”
Grange left the FA in 2019. However, as someone who was instrumental to the evolution of the England team, you may be curious what she thinks about their chances in the World Cup.
“You can really only see from the inside. I hope so. I wish them every success, but a World Cup is like a horse race. People can come from anywhere,” she said.
Read more: The best BBC dramas on BBC iPlayer now
