Amandaland, airing on BBC One at 9pm on February 5, follows the life of Amanda (portrayed by Lucy Punch) as she navigates raising her teenage children post-divorce in a new environment. Born in Hammersmith, London, 47 year old Lucy's parents ran a market research company. She attended private school and briefly studied at University College London before deciding to chase her acting dreams. Lucy made her acting debut in 1998 with an episode of The New Adventures of Robin Hood, later appearing in Doc Martin and Are You Ready For Love?. She was initially cast as Deena Pilgrim, the female lead in the TV pilot Powers, but was eventually replaced.

Susan Heyward ended up playing the role. Originally intended for FX, the pilot became the first original television series for the PlayStation Network, leading to several main roles being recast, including Lucy's. Following this, she embraced the role of Amanda in Motherland. In her personal life, she was romantically linked with actor and film director James D'Arcy for several years after they met on the set of the TV movie Come Together in 2002. In 2015, she welcomed her first child, a son named Rex, into the world.

She shared with Conan O'Brien the story behind his name, revealing, "It took 10 days to come up with that little name. I didn't name my baby for 10 days. I took my time and then I gave my baby the name I realised was very similar to my dog's name - Asterix.". She humorously added, "I often call the baby Asterix," referring to him as her "little baby puppy.". She confessed that she was "not prepared" for the arrival of a newborn and admitted to being quite "disorganised" during her pregnancy. Lucy relocated to LA in 2006, but following the recent devastating fires there, she has considered moving back to the UK.

In a chat with the Daily Mail, she confessed her difficulty in settling down in one place, stating: "I’ve always got one foot out the door, wherever I am. "I never got round to getting a green card. I’m on these rolling visas, which is ridiculous: I have a home there and I have two American children. "But I can’t commit to anywhere. I get itchy feet. I like being a little bit here and a little bit there.".

She had relocated to LA for a TV show, The Class, but when it was axed and job opportunities began to dwindle, Lucy considered quitting acting. Her mother even suggested a career switch to chiropody. However, when Nicole Kidman withdrew from Woody Allen’s 2010 film You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, Lucy bagged the scene-stealing role. Amandaland will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm on February 5. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox.