The makers of Spooks are behind the new action-packed thriller Hunted. Melissa George stars as Sam Hunter, a spy who can’t trust anyone. She even begins to think that her colleague and lover Aidan (Adam Rayner) may want to kill her. Melissa tells TV Choice more…

There are lots of fight scenes in this eight-part series - you’ve accidentally punched four stuntmen!
Yes, and I gave one a huge black eye, because I did a back fist. I was so excited, because I’d been studying for two months for this one fight. I gave it a little too much and he didn’t duck. And as the scene was going on, his eye just got bigger and bigger.

Did you break any bones?
No. I was a champion roller skater from the age of five, and I was competing around the world. I was doing triples and spins and landing on concrete. And my mother would give me a litre of milk everyday, so I've got really strong bones.

Is this the most action-packed role you’ve ever done?
Yes, for sure. But Melissa has all these sides to her – not only she is she French, she’s English, she’s American. She’s a street fighter, and she’s also going after someone who murdered her mother. She works for a secret corporation, but she also thinks they might be trying to kill her.

Did you have a personal trainer to help you play such a physical role?
Yes, a personal trainer in New York City, who also was my real estate agent. She found my apartment in Manhattan, and she’s close to one of my best friends. She also used to be a brilliant, champion basketball player. So I used her to get me tough, and I’m really strong now.

Away from acting, you’re also an inventor, and you’ve created a few products, including one for making hemlines called Hemming My Way. How did you come up with that idea?
I just came up with it on Madison Avenue. I was so annoyed because I had these Balenciaga dress pants. In Manhattan, you take off your heels and put on your flats to get the train, or whatever. But I had six inches of hem and I thought, ‘I love the trousers long for my heels, but I really want them cute and short for my ballet flats.’ So I just came up with the idea, and took it to my best friend, who’s a retired screenwriter, and she runs the company now. She works from home.

You’ve starred in The Slap, Grey’s Anatomy and In Treatment, but how do you feel about your big break from 1993, Home And Away?
I was just thinking about those days recently. They were so special. I went to the audition and got to the next step, and then the next step. They couldn’t believe a 15-year-old girl could cry on cue!

BBC1, Thursday

David Collins