In March 2002 Lancashire received an Honorary Master of Arts degree from Salford University. In April, she starred in two-part psychological thriller "The Cry", which she described as her "most naked role yet". She played a social worker grieving her second still-born child who is determined to protect a baby she perceives to be at risk of abuse. Lancashire drew on her own experiences of clinical depression in her depiction of her character's mentality. Her performance saw her awarded with a Golden Nymph award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. In April it was reported that Lancashire had been lined up to play the lead role in comedy drama "Life Begins", which creator Mike Bullen had written with Lancashire in mind. However, by June, Lancashire had exited the drama, unwilling to commit to a potentially long running series. Later that month BBC News and newspaper "The Guardian" reported that Lancashire had exited her exclusive deal with ITV, which would not be renewed after it expired in the autumn. The decision was reportedly influenced by Lancashire's desire to reduce her workload and to have the freedom to take on other roles. In September 2002 she appeared in a two-part crime drama pilot, "Rose and Maloney", as legal investigator Rose Linden. On 22 December she appeared in the television movie "Birthday Girl" as Rachel Jones, who plans a party to celebrate being in remission from a serious illness, only to discover that the disease has returned.