Romola Garai joins Shaun Evans in ITV thriller BETRAYAL, as filming begins in the North West

ITV and Mammoth Screen have announced the start of filming for Betrayal, a gripping new espionage thriller and relationship drama set in the shadowy world of MI5.

Bringing this four-part thriller to life is BAFTA and Emmy-nominated director Julian Jarrold (A Very Royal Scandal, This England), with production currently underway in Manchester and Liverpool.

Starring Shaun Evans (Until I Kill You, Endeavour, Vigil) as John Hughes, the series explores the strain modern intelligence work places on MI5 operatives. Regarded by his colleagues as out of touch with the times, John must navigate a world of secrets and surveillance while also confronting the unravelling of his personal life - exposing the emotional cost of a profession where loyalty is fragile and betrayal can strike from any direction.

Joining Shaun is acclaimed film, television and theatre actress Romola Garai, who this year was nominated for two Olivier Awards, winning for The Years. Romola plays John's partner, Claire, whose trust in him is strained by the secrecy and demands of his work.

Shaun and Romola are joined by Zahra Ahmadi (Beyond Paradise, The Bay) and Nikki Amuka-Bird (I, Jack Wright, Rumours), alongside Gamba Cole (The Outlaws, Three Little Birds), Omid Djalili (The Letter for the King, His Dark Materials), Matthew Tennyson (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Grantchester), Hayley Tamaddon (Unforgotten, Coronation Street), Anthony Flanagan (Protection, House of the Dragon), Paddy Rowan (G'wed, Four Lives), Waj Ali (Out There, Dead & Buried), Karim Kadjar (Wolf Hall), Emma Cunniffe (Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, The Long Shadow), Georgina Rylance (Benediction, Sherlock), Ben Lambert (Outlander, The Crown), Julia Watson (Doctor Who, Doctors) and Julian Wadham (Black Doves, The Crown). Television newcomers Elham Karimpour, Aidan Rivers, Corin Silva and Eliza Agrosoaie also join the cast.

Betrayal is written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge. David has two forthcoming plays opening later this year - End, the final part of his acclaimed trilogy for the National Theatre, and his adaptation of John Le Carre' The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, at the Soho Place.

Produced by Irma Inniss (Mr Loverman, The Bay) Betrayal follows John Hughes (Shaun Evans), a mid-career MI5 officer grappling with a rapidly changing security landscape and his own personal demons. When John's clandestine encounter with a potential British-Iranian informant ends in bloodshed, he comes under scrutiny from superiors including Simone Grant (Nikki Amuka-Bird). As John navigates the murky world of espionage, the strain on his marriage to GP Claire (Romola Garai) becomes increasingly unsustainable.

Tensions escalate further with the arrival of Mehreen Askari-Evans (Zahra Ahmadi), a sharp, ambitious operative who has recently transferred from MI6, challenging both his professional standing and emotional control.

Produced by Mammoth Screen, the ITV Studios label behind the critically acclaimed drama Code of Silence, Betrayal is also produced in association with Navarino Pictures.

The series is executive produced by Mammoth's founder and Chief Creative Officer Damien Timmer, alongside David Eldridge, Shaun Evans, Julian Jarrold and Tom Leggett. The show was developed by Rebecca Keane, Mammoth's Creative Director.

Commissioned for ITV by Polly Hill, Director of Drama, Polly and Drama Commissioner, Huw Kennair Jones, oversee the production on behalf of the broadcaster.

Production company Mammoth Screen is part of ITV Studios, which will distribute the series internationally.

Betrayal will premiere on ITV1, STV, ITVX, and STV Player in 2026.

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