Why His & Hers is about to make writer a worldwide star
His & Hers. (L to R) Jon Bernthal as Detective Jack Harper and Tessa Thompson as Anna in Episode (Picture: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025)
The TV adaptation of her third novel, His & Hers, stars actors Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal as two estranged spouses, one a detective and the opposite a information reporter, who vie to unravel a homicide through which every believes the opposite is a major suspect.
Since its launch on Netflix final month it has been at primary in additional than 80 international locations, having been watched by 66.6 million folks, with solely Adolescence having overwhelmed it for the pace and quantity of viewers it has attracted. Regardless of the TV adaptation taking six years to finish, Alice says she was excited as quickly as she learn its script.
“The present was six years within the making and I’m so glad that it’s lastly out on the planet and so pleased with each single one that labored on it.
“I knew this one was particular the primary time I learn the script again in 2021.
“Every thing that has occurred since has been a life spotlight, not only a profession spotlight. It truly is the stuff of goals.”
She provides: “I used to be in Atlanta when the present was being filmed in 2024. In the case of display screen variations I wish to be concerned however by no means need to intervene. One of the best of the very best labored on this present. The primary time I arrived on set it felt like essentially the most fantastic dream. Characters who had lived inside my head for years have been all of the sudden strolling and speaking and asking me questions.
“Seeing my characters come to life was some of the surreal moments of my life and nothing lower than magic.”
Creator Alice Feeney wrote Netflix hit His&Hers (Picture: Brian Grant)
A decade in the past Alice Feeney made the courageous resolution to stop a secure profession as a BBC journalist to turn out to be a full-time writer. After having had 10 years of rejections from publishers, touchdown an agent who believed in what was to turn out to be her first e-book, Typically I Lie, spurred her on to take the life-changing plunge. She had began that e-book eight years earlier, aged 30, on trains whereas commuting to her job in west London from her residence in Essex.
And 9 years later, having written eight thrillers, Alice, now 48, is struggling to come back to phrases with having hit the massive league for international bestsellers, with TV and movie studios adapting 4 of her books. She says: “I generally nonetheless wrestle to consider any of that is actual. I used to be all the time writing on the prepare to work and in my shed on days off.
“It’s 10 years since I received my agent, stop my job as a BBC journalist, and have become a full-time writer.
“After 10 years of rejections earlier than that, one particular person believing in me fully chan-ged my life. It’s a debt I can by no means repay.”
Alice, who spent 16 years on the BBC as a reporter, information editor after which producer of the One O’Clock Information, provides: “Typically I want I may return in time and inform the me from 20 years in the past all of the superb issues that may occur if she simply stored writing.
“I don’t suppose she would have believed me. I typically wrestle to consider any of that is actual even now.”
Alice, who lives together with her husband and her black Labrador in south-west England, has cherished having the ability to lastly present the Netflix present to her family and friends.
She says: “I’ve been telling everybody how a lot I adore it since I noticed the ultimate completed episodes final yr.
“It’s nonetheless such a thrill to activate the tv, hear the Netflix “tudum” and see certainly one of my books proper there on my TV display screen. The present has resulted in new readers discovering my books too, which can also be pretty.”
Her newest e-book, My Husband’s Spouse, which is out now, tells the story of artist Eden Fox who goes for a run alongside the Cornish coast to calm her nerves on the eve of her first exhibition, however returns residence to search out her key doesn’t match within the lock and a stranger opening the door – one who appears eerily like her.
Then Eden’s husband involves the door and insists that this stranger is his spouse.
Alice has been delighted by its on the spot success, saying: “Each writer hopes their newest work could be their greatest work, and I’m so glad that this story has been so fashionable with my readers.
“They’re who I write the books for, so figuring out so lots of them beloved this one actually does imply the world to me.”
The author was just lately pictured standing beneath a billboard signal for His & Hers in New York’s Instances Sq. throughout her sold-out US e-book tour, earlier than returning to the UK for extra sold-out occasions.
She says: “January 2026 will all the time be some of the magical months of my life.
“His & Hers landed on Netflix initially of the yr. Seeing big shifting billboards for the present in Instances Sq. blew my thoughts a little bit bit, as did the present going straight to primary in 80 international locations. My US e-book tour for My Husband’s Spouse began shortly afterwards, intently adopted by the UK tour.
“I miss my canine nevertheless it’s been essentially the most fantastic whirlwind.
“I simply really feel so fortunate and so grateful to have the very best job on the planet and I’m having fun with each minute.”
Her newest e-book was optioned for TV a yr in the past, earlier than it was even edited, by Carnival and Common Studios, who made The Day Of The Jackal and Downton Abbey.
Her earlier e-book, Stunning Ugly, is being tailored into a movie by Hidden Pic-tures, who simply made The Housemaid film from Freida McFadden’s best-selling e-book. And her debut novel, Typically I Lie, is now with Tommy Harper, the producer of blockbuster movie Prime Gun: Maverick.
His&Hers e-book cowl picture (Picture: Courtesy Macmillan Publishers)
Requested how she’s going to deal with having been propelled into the highest echelon of writers, Alice says: “I feel all you are able to do as an writer is attempt to write the very best books which you can yearly. After the tour I’ll be straight again to my desk.
“Nothing (besides my canine) makes me happier than writing my books, and after I spend too lengthy away from my desk I begin to get twitchy. I all the time attempt to write the e-book I might most wish to learn, after which cross my fingers that readers will love the story as a lot as I hoped they might.”
Her yr to recollect is about to proceed with Alice just lately being named as one of many headliners of this summer time’s Theakston Outdated Peculier Crime Writing Competition in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, chaired this yr by Lisa Jewell.
She’s going to be part of huge names together with Ann Cleeves, Brenda Blethyn, David Baldacci and Anthony Horowitz on the world’s main crime writing competition, supported by the Every day and Sunday Categorical, in July.
Alice says: “I’m satisfied to bits. It’s such an exquisite competition. I’ve been just a few instances however by no means been invited to participate earlier than, so I’m thrilled.”
My Husband’s Spouse by Alice Feeney. For Heather Suttie’s e-book column (Picture: Every day Document)
She provides: “I’m truly a little bit of a hermit in actual life. I are usually at my desk for 11 months of the yr after which I’m allowed out for one month for good behaviour to tour and promote the e-book at publication time!
“I say no to occasions after I’m writing, and I’m all the time writing lately, so I say no lots. However that is Harrogate.
“And I used to be invited by the fantastic Lisa Jewell. It’s an enormous honour, so I’m breaking my very own guidelines for this one.”
And true to kind this hardworking “hermit” has already written her subsequent e-book, which is about to come back out subsequent yr.
She reveals: “I’m not allowed to speak about it but, however I can let you know that it’s a little darkish, there are twists, and that there’s a canine (as a result of there’s all the time a canine, and it’s typically a black Labrador like my canine).
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“Spoiler alert – the canines in my books will all the time be wonderful. I can’t promise the identical in regards to the people.”
● My Husband’s Spouse by Alice Feeney (Macmillan hardback, £16.99) is out now. For extra data on the Theakston
Outdated Peculier Crime Writing Competition, go to harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
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