Betrayal has all the makings of a great ITV thriller – not least because it’s led by Endeavour actor Shaun Evans and Vigil’s Romola Garai.

The channel has confirmed the brand new spy thriller is currently in production. ITV describes Shaun Evans’ character John Hughes as a “troubled operative in the clandestine world of MI5”. He’s a spy trying to avert a serious and dark threat to national security while making sense of his own place in the world…

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming thriller, including writer, plot, cast, and start date.

What’s the plot of Betrayal on ITV1 and ITVX?

ITV’s Betrayal will introduce MI5 agent John Hughes, a man battling his own demons whilst also trying to save the world. Think James Bond, but with a smaller budget.

John Hughes joined MI5 during the war on terror and was at the forefront of averting the biggest terrorist plots on UK soil. Now, in his mid 40s and married with two children, he’s struggling to adapt to the new MI5. In this world, threats to national security have changed and he’s forced to adapt…

The ITV synopsis tells us: “On a hunch, John meets Ehsan, a British Iranian man with links to the Manchester gangland who claims he has intelligence about a plot on UK soil.

“But, before he can share intel, Ehsan is executed by a lone gunman, and John impulsively kills the assassin in retaliation. This triggers a chain of events which puts John in direct collision with his superiors who are furious that he appears to have got involved in a Manchester gang turf war.”

In order to save his career and reputation, John begins to look into Ehsan’s past. All the while struggling with his own mental health after having killed a man.

Who wrote Betrayal on ITV1?

Betrayal was written by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge. David is best known for writing the TV movie Our Hidden Lives, and The Scandalous Lady W.

The script is described as “emotionally intelligent, thrilling and darkly funny thriller”.

David Eldridge said: “I’m thrilled be working with ITV and Mammoth Screen on Betrayal, an espionage drama rooted as much in the trials and betrayals of family life as in the bloody, dangerous business of spying.

“It’s also a pleasure to be collaborating again with Shaun Evans for whom I have created the show’s leading role – out of favour intelligence officer John Hughes.”

Shaun and David previously worked together on The Scandalous Lady W.

Who plays John Hughes in Betrayal?

Actor Shaun Evans, 44, portrays MI5 agent John Hughes in Betrayal on ITV1. Shaun came to fame playing John Paul Keating in the Channel 4 comedy Teachers, opposite Andrew Lincoln and Navin Chowdhry.

The Liverpool-born actor went on to appear in Whitechapel, and Silk, before appearing as Glover in series one of Vigil in 2021.

However, Shaun is definitely best known for playing Endeavour Morse in the ITV drama Endeavour. He portrayed the famous detective from 2012 to 2023.

In 2024, he portrayed John Sweeney in the true crime dramatisation Until I Kill You, opposite Anna Maxwell Martin.

Who else is in the cast of ITV thriller Betrayal?

Romola Garai will join Shaun Evans in the ITV thriller Betrayal. She’ll play John’s partner, Claire, whose trust in him is strained by the secrecy and demands of his work.

ITV has also revealed the supporting cast of Betrayal on ITV1. Shaun and Romola are joined by Beyond Paradise‘s Zahra Ahmadi. She plays Mehreen Askari-Evans, a sharp, ambitious operative who has recently transferred from MI6, challenging John’s professional standing and emotional control.

Luther’s Nikki Amuka-Bird portrays John’s superior Simone Grant.

The Outlaw’s Gamba Cole, His Dark Materials’ Omid Djalili, and Grantchester‘s Matthew Tennyson will also star.

The rest of the cast includes: Unforgotten‘s Hayley Tamaddon, Protection‘s Anthony Flanagan, Four LIves’ Paddy Rowan, Out There’s Waj Ali, Wolf Hall’s Karim Kadjar, and The Long Shadow‘s Emma Cunniffe.

Sherlock’s Georgina Rylance also stars, alongside The Crown’s Ben Lambert, Doctors’ Julia Watson, and Black Doves‘ Julian Wadham.

Television newcomers Elham Karimpour, Aidan Rivers, Corin Silva, and Eliza Agrosoaie also join the cast.

When is the start date of Betrayal on ITV?

Betrayal is in the very early stages of development. It has just started filming in the North West of England (June 2025).

That means it is unlikely to land on ITV until early 2026 at the earliest.

Where is it set?

Cast and crew have begun filming Betrayal in and around Manchester and Liverpool.

Pretty handy for its main star Shaun Evans, who hails from Liverpool.

Read more: All the clues the BBC One crime drama Line of Duty is coming back for a series 7

 

Betrayal has begun filming for ITV in 2025.