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The Rumour: Channel 5 Offers First Look at Upcoming UK Thriler Series

Channel 5 released a first look at The Rumour, the upcoming 5-part crime series adapted from Lesley Kara's book and starring Rachel Shenton.

Published Wed, 06 Aug 2025 08:37:02 -0500

by Adi Tantimedh

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Article Summary

Channel 5 reveals first look at The Rumour, a gripping UK thriller based on Lesley Kara’s bestselling novel.
Rachel Shenton stars as Joanna, a mother caught in a web of secrets and suspicion in a small seaside town.
When a chilling rumour spreads, paranoia and distrust threaten to tear the community apart.
The Rumour premieres this autumn on Channel 5, with high-profile cast and top UK production teams involved.

Channel 5 in the UK has released preview pictures for their upcoming 5-part thriller The Rumour, coming to the channel this autumn and hopefully a streamer in the US. The cast of The Rumour includes Rachel Shenton (All Creatures Great and Small, For Her Sins, The Strangers Part 1 & Part 2), who stars as Joanna – a mother desperate to outrun her past and protect her future.

The Rumour: Channel 4's First Look at Upcoming Thriler — Image: Channel 5

Also joining the cast is Joanne Whalley (Willow, Wolf Hall, Scandal), Emily Atack (Rivals), Samuel Anderson (Doctor Who, Amandaland), Ellie Haddington (Enola Holmes, Motherland), Lucy Speed (Unforgotten, Afterlife), Liza Sadovy (A Real Pain, Patience, A Small Light) and Carryl Thomas (Emmerdale, Silo, Silent Witness, Eastenders). Rounding out the ensemble cast are Tamzin Griffin, Alex Waldmann, and Okezie Morro.

The Rumour: Channel 4's First Look at Upcoming UK Thriler Series — Image: Channel 5

Joanna moves to the quiet town of Flinstead with her young son, Alfie – a fresh start in a place that promises peace. But beneath its quiet surface lies something more sinister. When she discovers a chilling rumour about a convicted child killer hiding in plain sight, Joanna seizes the chance to bond with the local mums by sharing it – unknowingly unleashing a wave of paranoia and suspicion. As whispers grow louder and tensions rise, Joanna is swept into a dangerous spiral of secrets and blame. With trust eroding and fear spreading like wildfire, she begins to question not only the town's past but her own instincts. Who can she trust? And what will it cost her to find the truth?

The Rumour is a gripping exploration of how fear and curiosity can take root and how a single whisper can shatter everything. The story is based on Lesley Kara's Sunday Times bestselling book, following a deal negotiated by Emily Hayward Whitlock at The Artists Partnership in association with Amanda Preston at LBA Books. The Rumour is a co-production from Cuba Pictures and Clapperboard in association with Fremantle, which will distribute the series internationally.

The series was ordered by Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, 5, who will executive produce with Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer, Paramount UK for 5. Dixie Linder (Chemistry of Death, McMafia) and Nick Marston (Chemistry of Death, McMafia) will executive produce for Cuba Pictures alongside Rachel Gesua (The Teacher, The Catch, The Holiday, Kidnap & Ransom), Suzi McIntosh (Silent Witness, The Cuckoo, The Catch, Peaky Blinders) and Mike Benson (The Ex Wife, The Castaways, The Teacher) for Clapperboard. Richard Clark (Doctor Who, Chemistry of Death, War of the Worlds) will direct the series with Giula Sandler (The House Across the Street, White House Farm) as writer and executive producer, and Dominic Barlow (The Mallorca Files, Mr Selfridge) is on board as producer.