Recalling the circumstances of her first marriage in 2001, Lancashire stated she only married because she became pregnant and possessed both a traditional outlook and a fear of the stigma of having a child out of wedlock. Thomas, her first child with Hargreaves, was born in 1987; a second son, Matthew, was born in 1989. During her early career, Lancashire found herself with large breaks between theatre appearances. To support herself financially, she worked as a drama tutor for five years at Salford University alongside her acting work.