Jasmine Jobson responds to Top Boy spin-off

Top Boy star Jasmine Jobson has responded to the potential spin-off series focused on her character Jaq Lawrence.

The actor seemingly bid farewell to Jaq following the hit Netflix crime drama's season five finale last year, though the show's creator Ronan Bennett has since confirmed he's in talks with Netflix over a potential spin-off, which he said "will be around Jaq" if it's given the green light.

Addressing Bennett’s plans following her win for Best Supporting Actress at tonight’s (May 12) BAFTA Television Awards, Jobson revealed that Netflix is yet to approach her about a spin-off, though she’s "down" if the streamer is too.

Related: Top Boy director reveals alternative ending that names shooter

"Netflix haven't come to me. All I will say is, if Netflix are on it, I'm definitely down," she told Digital Spy and other press. "I was struggling to let go of Jaq, so if they want to bring it back, let's do it. But it's out of my hands."

Elsewhere, Jobson discussed how she prepared for the role of Jaq, revealing that she had spoken to some of her LGBTQ+ friends in order to "figure out the ins and outs" of portraying the character authentically.

"Sometimes I could ask wrong questions and, you know, it's all just a learning curve," she explained.

"So that's where I really went from there. And I just want to say that I'm very, very grateful for my friends because they've been a massive pinnacle in me creating this character."

Related: First trailer for Top Boy star Micheal Ward's new Netflix movie The Beautiful Game

On the response she's received from the LGBTQ+ community since Jaq made her way onto our screens in 2019, Jobson continued: "The love is so, so real.

"I've spoken to a few people that have called me and they've said that, with the character that I've had in Top Boy, it's made them feel a little bit stronger in owning themselves, and I'm very happy that I've been able to be that person to make you feel like, 'I'ma own it'.

"We all need to have more confidence in ourselves and I was raised to force confidence into myself. So I would love to be able to help infiltrate confidence into everybody no matter what character I play."

All episodes of Top Boy are available to stream on Netflix.

Content Production Intern, Digital Spy

After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022. In this role, Iona writes across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. During her time at Digital Spy, she has interviewed multiple Love Island stars, reported from the Black Adam red carpet and, most recently, interviewed the cast of Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid.

TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since.  For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing.  She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.