Unforgotten: meet the season 5 cast

Unforgotten will return for season 5 on Monday

Unforgotten season 5 has finally returned to our screens, and this time we have welcomed a new star of the show who has replaced Nicola Walker in the gritty murder mystery series. But since the show also introduces a host of new suspects in every series, there are plenty of new faces on the show. Meet the cast here….

Sinéad Keenan - DI Jessica James

Known for: Showtrial, Little Boy Blue, Being Human 

Sinéad has joined the show as DI Jess James, a no-nonsense detective assigned to join Cassie’s old team alongside Sunny Khan, who has to get used to his late friend’s replacement. Speaking about the character, Sinéad explained: "She was a fast-tracked cop, one of these ones who have a degree and can skip a few levels.

WATCH: DI Jessica James joins the team in Unforgotten season 5 

"She is very good at her job, very ambitious, and has a promotion. She’s got a husband, two children, perfect life. And then she starts this new job, and on the first day she gets some news on the way to work that completely blindsides her that has implications in terms of how she is at her job. So that’s simmering in the background."

Sanjeev Bhaskar - DS Sunny Khan

Known for: The Sandman, The Khumars

Sanjeev returns as Sunny, Cassie’s once-partner and close friend who mourns her death in the season four finale. Speaking about returning to the show without Nicola, he said: "It was weird, because not having Nicola there felt really odd. In a way, she is such a good and close friend, I felt slightly lost in the way that Sunny does. But the fact that it was about Cassie/Nicola made it easier to get to those places. I hope that comes across."

Rhys Yates - Jay

Known for: The Outlaws, Silent Witness

The show always welcomes a new host of suspects, and Jay is one of the key players of season five. Speaking about the character’s troubled past, Rhys said: "This wasn’t a good or bad, right or wrong character – the role went a lot deeper than most. Sometimes, people can only only see what’s on the surface, but in this case, we get to see the character’s whole journey to understand why he is the way he is."

Martina Laird - Bele

Known for: Summerland, The Bay 

While we don’t know exactly how, Bele will be a major suspect in the new series. Speaking about the character, Martina said: "When we meet Bele, she has all these aspirations of developing a catering empire. She’s running a successful vegan restaurant with her partner, which she’s hoping to grow into something bigger and better for herself.

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"As we find out more about her, we understand why she’s so driven to make something of herself. There’s a lot of secrets, but she finds herself suspected of being part of the central crime story."

Ian McElhinney - Tony

Known for: Derry Girls, Game of Thrones 

Ian plays a suave former politician living a comfortable, privileged life - but with some dark secrets. He said: "There is something in his history that is brought to light during the investigation, and whenever they start to look into it, it becomes apparent that he’s obviously implicated in some way, or he certainly knew certain people who were at the heart of this thing, and therefore he needs to be investigated further."

Max Rinehart - Karol

Known for: Derry Girls, Bad Education

Max plays Karol, a Polish-born Londoner who now works in Paris. Max said: "He is definitely resilient, hardworking, determined. I think he’s quite a brave person. And at the heart of it, he’s a family man, and he very much wants to start his own. I would say he is loyal as well."

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