One of the most loved shows on TV at the moment was not only created by a real-life couple but stars them as well. The Australian series Colin from Accounts was created and written by husband-and-wife duo Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, who play the show’s main characters, Gordon and Ashley. Set in Sydney, it follows the pair who are brought together after Ashley flashes her boobs to Gordon while crossing a road, the distraction of which causes him to hit a dog, who they then call Colin. 

The second season was released by the BBC in the UK this week, with fans already praising the new batch of episodes after racing to watch them. The series also boasts an impressive 100% rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes.

After each making their names in other beloved series’, here’s everything we know about the couple’s careers and details of their private lives away from screens.

On-Screen Chemistry

Patrick, 48, and Harriet, 35, met in 2015 while filming the TV series No Activity, a detective comedy that ran for two seasons. He played Detective Hendy, an ambitious detective keen to restore his reputation after a disastrous drug bust, while Harriet played April, a young police officer on dispatch duty waiting for reinstatement into active duty after she tasered a man to death because he did not listen or take her seriously.

Two years after meeting, Harriet moved to the United States where Patrick was living. ‘I think you want to be close to the person you’re with,’ she told Confidential at the time. ‘I think it was a natural thing anyway, I’d probably do it even if he was still here…it’s not a follow-the-leader situation.’

Patrick’s break-out role was in the 2004 drama The Alice, going on to appear in shows including A Moody Christmas, Offspring and Glitch.  He also previously appeared in Home and Away, All Saints and Upper Middle Bogan, as well as voicing the character of Uncle Radley in Bluey.

Meanwhile Harriet’s first major screen role was in the drama series Love Child, in which she played a young unwed pregnant woman in 1960s Sydney. She also appeared in an episode of A Moody Christmas, as well as in the series Packed to the Rafters. Other notable roles have been in Janet King, Rake, The Other Guy and Wakefield.

A Whirlwind Romance

In 2021, the couple got married while on vacation in Tampa, Florida, just five days after Patrick proposed. He shared the news on Instagram, writing: ‘Things to do in Tampa in March. 1. Catch a sunrise, 2. Propose to girlfriend, 3. Get married five days later.’

Five months after their wedding, the couple welcomed daughter Joni Jane Brooklyn Brammall, who they adopted through a US agency. ‘International Daughter’s Day feels as good a time as any to introduce our little Joni Jane Brooklyn Brammall,’ Harriet posted on social media at the time. ‘Born September 16, 2021, and with us from her first moments thanks to her incredible birth mother.’

The couple, who largely avoid sharing photos of their daughter’s face publicly, do post photos with Joni on social media, most recently including sweet pics with her grandparents, swimming at the beach and during her birthday celebrations.

Balancing Work and Family

The pair have created, produced and starred in Colin from Accounts, with Harriet recently joking she’s likely suffering from Stockholm syndrome due to spending so much time with her partner. But she added: ‘We still laugh a lot, and we are also learning to protect our relationship.’

‘We want to make good television, but we are learning to put up some boundaries because in the middle of this is our love and … our union … and we can’t keep shopping that out for the sake of a good TV show,’ she told Marie Claire.

The series also stars Emma Harvie as Megan, Helen Thomson as Lynelle, Genevieve Hegney as Chiara, Michael Logo as Brett, Tai Hara as James, Annie Maynard as Yvette and Darren Gilshenan as Lee.

Both seasons of Colin from Accounts are streaming on BBC iPlayer.

A Love Story for the Ages

Speaking to Marie Claire recently, Harriet explained why she thought the show had been such a runaway hit here too. ‘I think [the Brits] were able to laugh at these rambunctious little Australians doing crazy things as, like, their weird cousin Down Under,’ she said. ‘There was a warmth that they felt seeing the show and I think we were just similar enough in terms of our sensibilities and just fresh enough as in something different.’

Harriet and Patrick’s love story is a testament to the power of shared passion, both for each other and for their craft. They’ve created a show that’s both hilarious and heartwarming, and their real-life relationship adds an extra layer of depth and authenticity to their on-screen chemistry. With a new season of Colin from Accounts already out, and a film screenplay in the works, it’s safe to say that this talented couple has a bright future ahead of them, both on and off screen.

Colin from Accounts is streaming on BBC iPlayer.