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Endeavour favourite stars in first look at all-new MI5 drama from award-winning writer where "loyalty and deception collide"
Shaun Evans, Romola Garai and Zahra Ahmadi star in Betrayal, which is coming to ITV1 in 2026.
Mammoth Screen for ITV
- James Hibbs
Published: Friday, 21 November 2025 at 10:58 am
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A selection of first-look images have been released for Betrayal, the new ITV drama from award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge, directed by BAFTA and Emmy nominee Julian Jarrold (A Very Royal Scandal).
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The images for the series, which will arrive in 2026, show us the characters played by Shaun Evans (Endeavour), Romola Garai (Vigil) and Zahra Ahmadi (Beyond Paradise) for the first time.
While Evans plays John Hughes, a mid-career MI5 officer, Garai plays his partner Claire and Ahmadi his unlikely ally, Mehreen Askari-Evans, an intelligence operative.
The synopsis for the series says it sees John "navigating a rapidly evolving intelligence landscape while struggling to keep his personal life intact".
Shaun Evans as John Hughes and Romola Garai as Claire in Betrayal. Mammoth Screen for ITV
The synopsis continues: "Acting on a hunch, John meets a British-Iranian man with links to the Stockport gangland who claims to have intelligence about an imminent plot on UK soil.
"When the encounter takes an unexpected turn, John finds himself under internal investigation, facing scrutiny from his superiors, including Simone Grant (Nikki Amuka-Bird), while his partner Claire (Garai) grapples with the secrecy that defines his world.
Shaun Evans as John Hughes and Zahra Ahmadi as Mehreen Sakari-Evans in Betrayal. Mammoth Screen for ITV
John’s efforts to save his marriage are complicated by his inability to let the case go. And when he meets Mehreen Askari-Evans (Ahmadi), an intelligence operative who is tasked with taking over John’s duties, he finds an unlikely ally.
"As John becomes increasingly convinced of the involvement of a hardline faction of the Iranian regime, he also starts to worry there are enemies closer to home. But can he identify the target and avert the attack before it’s too late?"
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Other stars set to feature in Betrayal include Gamba Cole (The Outlaws), Omid Djalili (His Dark Materials), Matthew Tennyson (Grantchester), Hayley Tamaddon (Unforgotten), Anthony Flanagan (House of the Dragon), Paddy Rowan (G’wed), Waj Ali (Out There).
They will be joined by Karim Kadjar (Wolf Hall), Emma Cunniffe (Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes), Georgina Rylance (Sherlock), Ben Lambert (Outlander), Julia Watson (Doctor Who) and Julian Wadham (Black Doves).
Betrayal will premiere on ITV1 and ITVX in 2026.
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Authors
James HibbsDrama Writer
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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