Katherine Parkinson has said the set of In The Club was the nicest place to be as a pregnant woman.

The IT Crowd actress stars in the new BBC One Kay Mellor drama about a group of women all expecting babies, but was the only one who was really pregnant during filming.

Katherine, who is pregnant with her second child, said: " I was very surprised to get pregnant and I knew I was doing this job, but I did think there couldn't be a nicer set to be pregnant on.

"With my first pregnancy I was in the West End having a nervous breakdown on stage every night, which wasn't the most comfortable experience. I remember worrying my baby would come out traumatised because I was screaming so much.

"It was a bit strange (on In The Club) because it was so pertinent to what I was going through personally, but it was quite nice."

She said the programme had even helped her prepare for the birth: "Mine was a water birth, and that's what I'd like to have this time, so it was like a kind of extended birthing workshop for me."

Christine Bottomley also stars in the drama and said she was glad to have ticked the box of a birthing scene.

She said: "I loved my birthing scene, I loved letting rip, because I was the last to do it and I was really excited about those couple of days filming. It was a real challenge and a great one to tick.

"I haven't given birth, so it was really important to me to get it right."

In The Club's cast also includes Hermione Norris, Jill Halfpenny and Will Mellor, and begins on BBC One on August 5 at 9pm.