Production is underway on Betrayal, a four-part thriller for ITV1 and STV, with Shaun Evans cast as a troubled MI5 officer caught between duty and disintegration. Filming is taking place in Manchester and Liverpool ahead of a 2026 release.
Evans plays John Hughes, an intelligence officer struggling to adjust to a rapidly evolving spy landscape. At home, his relationship with partner Claire is faltering. Romola Garai plays the role. She comes into the project fresh off an Olivier Award win for The Years.
The tension escalates after a covert operation turns fatal. Nikki Amuka-Bird co-stars as Simone Grant, a senior intelligence figure who begins to question John’s loyalties. Zahra Ahmadi joins as Mehreen Askari-Evans, a driven MI6 transfer whose presence unsettles John’s already fragile balance.
Written by David Eldridge, Betrayal continues his deep engagement with moral ambiguity and power struggles. His previous credits include the stage play End and a television adaptation of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Julian Jarrold, whose credits include The Crown and Becoming Jane, directs.
The supporting cast includes Gamba Cole, Omid Djalili, Matthew Tennyson, Hayley Tamaddon, Anthony Flanagan, and Paddy Rowan. Several emerging actors make their TV debuts in the series, including Elham Karimpour, Aidan Rivers, Corin Silva, and Eliza Agrosoaie.
Betrayal follows the fallout from John’s dealings with a British-Iranian informant, triggering consequences that test allegiances and threaten lives. The show will stream on ITVX and STV Player alongside its linear run.
