
Before the final episode of Happy Valley, performer Mollie Winnard clarified why Poppy Hepworth (Bonnie Stott) is never seen without her coat.
In the blockbuster drama, the 25-year-old actress portrays Joanna Hepworth, mother to Poppy and Florence (Bethany Stott), who is tormented by her abusive husband Rob Hepworth (Mark Stanley).
Fans of the Sally Wainwright sitcom, which also stars Sarah Lancashire and James Norton, have noticed that Poppy never takes her coat off, even when she is indoors.
One argument about Poppy’s connection to the clothing is that she feared that if she removed the jacket, she would never be able to escape Rob’s wicked grasp.
A viewer explained: ‘I reckon Poppy and the coat is going to be that Joanna once told her that they’d go off somewhere and live happily ever after without Rob but that she’d have to be ready to go when they decided to run and Poppy took it to heart.’
Many people thought the cloak was used to cover up bruises from her violent father or as a measure of protection while living in an abusive family.
Mollie has now explained why Poppy is always wearing a coat.
She explained: ‘It’s actually a trauma thing, so it’s a [protective] layer.
[The coat] is definitely to protect [herself] because of what she’s living in, the environment that she’s living in. She doesn’t want to take her coat off.’
Mollie explained that the coat was inspired by Ayub Khan Din’s 1990s play East Is East.

Sajit, a youngster with behavioural issues who lives with a violent father, refuses to take off his parka even when he goes to bed.
While Mollie, whose character Joanna was brutally murdered by Faisal Bhatti (Amit Shah), claims she has no idea what happened in the finale, other performers have vowed it would be a smash hit.
Con O’Neill, who portrays Neil Ackroyd, teased it was ‘amazing,’ while Tommy Lee Royce, 37, described the climax as’magical.’
Happy Valley concludes on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.