BBC Unveils Cast for Thriller Series Wahala

Images: BBC Press - Composite image of Adelayo Adedayo, Deborah Ayorinde, Cush Jumbo, Susan Wokoma and Genevieve Nnaji.

By Jon Donnis

The BBC has unveiled the cast for Wahala, a new six-part drama adapted by BAFTA nominated writer Theresa Ikoko from Nikki May’s bestselling debut novel of the same name. Produced by Firebird Pictures, part of BBC Studios, the series is set to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Leading the cast are Adelayo Adedayo, Deborah Ayorinde, Cush Jumbo and Susan Wokoma, with Nigerian screen star Genevieve Nnaji also joining the production.

Set between present-day London and Nigeria, Wahala follows four Nigerian-British women in their thirties as they navigate careers, relationships and family life while confronting secrets from their past. The title comes from the Nigerian word “wahala”, meaning trouble, and the drama promises plenty of it.

Adelayo Adedayo, Cush Jumbo and Susan Wokoma play close friends Simi, Boo and Ronke, whose lives have been tightly intertwined for years. Their friendship faces its biggest challenge when Isobel, played by Deborah Ayorinde, enters their world.

Wealthy, charismatic and impossible to ignore, Isobel quickly disrupts the balance between the women. As tensions rise and buried truths begin to emerge, loyalties are tested and events spiral towards devastating consequences.

Theresa Ikoko is known for acclaimed projects including Rocks and Grime Kids, while the cast brings together performers recognised for roles in The Responder, Supacell, Criminal Record, Them, Cheaters and Enola Holmes.

Blending friendship drama with psychological tension and mystery, Wahala is shaping up to be one of the BBC’s most intriguing upcoming series.

Theresa Ikoko says: “I can’t wait to bring Wahala to life with this amazing cast, wonderful directors and brilliantly talented crew.”

Adelayo Adedayo says: “I am so excited to be bringing Theresa’s adaptation of Wahala to life, and I can't wait to work alongside this wonderful cast. Get ready for a thrilling ride with this friendship group!”

Deborah Ayorinde says: “I’m so excited to be a part of this thrilling series. I’m also excited to embody a character that people haven’t seen from me before.”

Cush Jumbo says: “I’m very excited to be part of this show and to bring this fantastic story to the screen.”

Susan Wokoma says: “As a long fan of Theresa Ikoko and her exquisite writing, it is a honour to be a part of her powerhouse Wahala team. So excited to bring to life Nikki May’s world alongside three of this country’s most outstanding actresses - let’s go!”

Genevieve Nnaji says: “I’m very happy to be joining Wahala and to be working with such a brilliant team. It’s an intriguing story and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “Theresa’s scripts for Wahala are an absolute joy - riveting, full of rich and complex characters, and everything you’d want from Nikki May’s exquisite book brought vividly to life on screen. It’s no surprise that it’s attracted a cast of this magnificent calibre.”

Filming Begins on Second Series of An t-Eilean as New Mystery Emerges in the Western Isles

 

Sorcha Groundsell (Kat Crichton) (Image: Black Camel Pictures)

By Jon Donnis

Filming has officially begun on the second series of the acclaimed Gaelic drama An t-Eilean, also known as The Island. The award winning production continues its story with Sorcha Groundsell reprising her role as Kat Crichton alongside Sam James Smith returning as Ruaraidh Maclean.

The new series expands its cast with Ava Mackinnon, Owen Sutcliffe, Tanith Munro, Aidan O’Callaghan, Debbie Mackay, Yolanda Mitchell, Jamie Quinn, Roxie Mohebbi and Àdhamh Ó Broin all joining the production. The drama has been created by Nicholas Osborne and co written with Mairead Hamilton, continuing their focus on a tightly woven mystery set against the atmospheric backdrop of the Western Isles and the mainland.

Produced by Black Camel Pictures for BBC ALBA, BBC FOUR and BBC iPlayer, the series runs across four episodes, each lasting forty seven minutes. The production remains rooted in its distinctive setting, with much of the filming taking place on location across island and mainland landscapes that shape the tone and tension of the story.

The new series begins with Kat Crichton, played by Sorcha Groundsell, now working as a police sergeant while feeling increasingly strained in both her professional and personal life. She is caring for her ill father and dealing with ongoing low level crime in the local area. Her routine is disrupted when the body of a young woman is discovered beneath a local bridge, pulling her into a far more serious investigation.

As Kat begins to investigate, she uncovers deeper layers within the community, exposing hidden lives and troubling secrets among the islands’ younger residents. The case quickly grows beyond a single incident, forcing her to confront both the investigation and her own long standing connections to the place she calls home.

Sam James Smith returns as Ruaraidh Maclean, who is now running the local youth group. When he begins to suspect that more young islanders may be missing, he finds himself drawn back into Kat’s orbit as the investigation intensifies. His involvement helps deepen the case as it tightens around those closest to the community.

What unfolds is described as a tense and unsettling search for answers, developing into a complex pursuit of a possible serial killer.

COMPETITION: Win Ellis Series 2 on DVD

Following its critically acclaimed first outing, that proved a ratings winner, Acorn Media International has announced Ellis Series 2 will be released on DVD on 18th May, following its transmission on Channel 5 Three-time Olivier Award winner and BAFTA nominated actor Sharon D. Clarke (Mr Loverman, Showtrial) reprises her role as the inimitable, no nonsense case cracker, DCI Ellis, in the hotly anticipated second series of this groundbreaking detective drama.

And to celebrate we have a copy on DVD to give away!

Synopsis:

Ellis Series 2 finds the detective inspector fresh from her victories in series one as she is once again parachuted in to tackle failing cases across the North of England..  

 

With DS Harper (Andrew Gower – Outlander, Carnival Row, Miss Scarlet and the Duke), by her side, she faces a new wave of fractured communities and mysteries that test not only her forensic brilliance but her resilience too. 

 

From acclaimed writers Paul Logue (Shetland, Vera) and Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre (Murder Is Easy), the new series features two gripping cases that peel back layers of silence, ambition and betrayal.  

 

The sharp and driven detective must investigate the suspicious death of a beloved community leader exposing long-held resentments and the death of a young woman that leads to the team uncovering a hidden network of coercion and exploitation.  

 

Our favourite new case cracker is back to take on more seemingly unsolvable killer crimes, but nothing will stop the tenacious Ellis in this must-see gritty detective drama. 

Pre-Order from https://amzn.to/42WpWm2

Enter now for a chance to win.

What is the name of the character played by Sharon D. Clarke in Ellis?

Send your name, address and of course the answer to competition365@outlook.com

Quick Terms and conditions

1. Closing date 25-05-26

2. No alternative prize is available

3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.

4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

5. Entries that come directly from other websites will not be accepted.

Hamburg Days Brings The Beatles’ Early Years to the Screen

(L-R) Ellis Murphy at Paul McCartney, Patrick Gilmore as Pete Best, Rhys Mannion as John Lennon, Harvey Brett as George Harrison, Louis Landau as Stu Sutcliffe (Image: Gordon Timpen/ Hamburg Films Ltd)

By Jon Donnis

A new television drama exploring the early rise of The Beatles has officially begun filming, with casting now revealed for the six-part series Hamburg Days. Production is underway across Hamburg, Munich and Liverpool, with the story focusing on the band’s turbulent and transformative years performing in Germany during the early 1960s.

Produced by W&B Television and Turbine Studios, the series is inspired by the autobiography of German artist Klaus Voormann. The drama examines how the young Liverpool musicians evolved while playing the crowded clubs of Hamburg’s St. Pauli district, long before worldwide fame arrived. The project has already been picked up by BBC iPlayer and BBC One for UK audiences.

The cast includes Rhys Mannion as John Lennon, Ellis Murphy as Paul McCartney, and Harvey Brett portraying George Harrison. Louis Landau takes on the role of Stu Sutcliffe, while Patrick Gilmore appears as Pete Best.

German actors also play a central role in the story, with Luna Jordan cast as photographer Astrid Kirchherr and Casper von Bülow portraying Klaus Voormann. Laura Tonke will appear as Nielsa Kirchherr.

Set against the backdrop of smoky clubs and late-night performances, Hamburg Days follows the meeting between the young band and artists Kirchherr and Voormann, whose influence helped shape the group’s image and creative direction. The series aims to capture the point where an ambitious but rough-edged rock and roll act began transforming into one of the most influential music groups in history.

The project has been developed by Benjamin Benedict, known for Generation War, with scripts written by Jamie Carragher. Direction is shared between Christian Schwochow, whose previous credits include The Crown and Munich: The Edge of War, alongside Laura Lackmann.

Music for the series is being curated by BAFTA-winning producer David Holmes, recognised for work on Killing Eve and the Ocean’s franchise. Klaus Voormann is also attached as an exclusive consultant, giving the production a direct link to the era it recreates.

Worldwide sales outside the UK and Germany will be handled by AGC International.

HEREDIS Brings Assassin’s Creed to the Stage in Ambitious Live Spectacle

Images: Ubisoft Press

By Jon Donnis

A bold new live production is preparing to step into the spotlight, merging the energy of circus performance with the storytelling power of gaming. HEREDIS brings together circus artists, acrobats, actors and dancers in a two hour stage experience inspired by the world of Assassin’s Creed.

The project unites major creative forces across industries. Ubisoft joins with The 7 Fingers, alongside partners La Tribu, Behaviour Interactive and Décibels Productions. According to Nassib El Husseini, the aim is to push beyond traditional boundaries and create something that sits between live performance and interactive storytelling.

Directed by Sébastien Soldevila, the production draws on a team of Montreal based talent. Writers, choreographers, composers and designers combine their work to shape a fully immersive world. The creative roster includes Olivier Kemeid, Geneviève Dorion-Coupal and Maxim Lepage, alongside specialists in staging, lighting, costume and physical performance.

On stage, seventeen performers deliver a high intensity mix of acrobatics, parkour, choreographed combat and physical theatre. The action unfolds within large scale visual environments inspired by the Assassin’s Creed universe, shifting across different historical settings and time periods as the story progresses.

At the centre of HEREDIS is an original narrative. A young man, marking his twenty fifth birthday, receives a mysterious letter that draws him into the HEREDIS programme. His search for a father who vanished years earlier becomes the catalyst for a journey that moves through centuries, blending personal stakes with a wider historical backdrop.

For Ubisoft, the production represents a fresh way to expand the reach of the franchise. Aymar Azaïzia describes it as an opportunity to connect with audiences beyond gaming, while still respecting the tone and depth of the original material. Soldevila himself points to the series as a natural fit for the stage, given its physicality and rich historical layers.

HEREDIS will premiere at Théâtre Maisonneuve in Montreal from 3 December 2026, marking the start of an international tour. The production then moves to Casino de Paris in Paris from 21 January 2027, signalling the next stage in what is planned as a global run.

The result is a stage production that aims to translate a well known interactive world into something immediate and physical, where movement, spectacle and story carry the experience in front of a live audience.

Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts: from 3rd December, 2026

Casino de Paris: from 21st January, 2027

Co-production: The 7 Fingers, La Tribu, Behaviour Interactive, Décibels Productions

Duration: 95 minutes + intermission

Website: HEREDISSHOW.COM

The Celebrity Traitors Returns

Image: BBC Press

By Jon Donnis

The next chapter of The Celebrity Traitors is on its way, and this time it is going bigger than ever. Set to return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later in 2026, the hit spin-off is bringing together its largest celebrity cast so far, with twenty-one well-known names stepping into the now-iconic castle for a tense game built on suspicion, strategy and outright deception.

Produced by Studio Lambert in Scotland, the series follows the same gripping format that turned its predecessor into a phenomenon. Each participant will compete not for personal gain, but for a potential prize of up to one hundred thousand pounds for a charity of their choice. The twist, as ever, lies in trust. Or rather, the lack of it. Some contestants will secretly take on the role of traitors, working in the shadows to eliminate others, while the rest attempt to expose them before it is too late.

At the centre of it all is Claudia Winkleman, returning as host with her signature calm intensity. She will guide a wide-ranging group that spans actors, musicians, comedians, broadcasters and digital creators. The line-up includes names such as Bella Ramsey, James Acaster, James Blunt, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Maya Jama and Michael Sheen, alongside a mix of familiar and unexpected faces. It is the kind of casting that feels deliberately unpredictable, which is exactly what the format thrives on.

Filming once again takes place in the Scottish Highlands, where the remote setting adds its own quiet pressure. Away from the outside world, alliances form quickly and break even faster. Every conversation matters, every glance can be misread, and every vote carries weight. Contestants must decide who they can trust, who should be banished, and who might be quietly orchestrating events behind the scenes.

The show returns on the back of remarkable success. The first celebrity edition, which aired in October 2025, pulled in an average audience of 14.9 million, peaking at 15.4 million for its finale. Those numbers placed it firmly at the top of the entertainment landscape, marking it as the most-watched episode of its kind across the market in nearly a decade. It also became the leading series across all genres and platforms that year, a rare feat in an increasingly crowded field.

The momentum did not stop there. The main series continued its upward climb, with its fourth run in January 2026 drawing a 28-day average of 12.5 million viewers. Much of that came through BBC iPlayer, which accounted for over half of the total audience and showed significant growth compared to the previous series. Only the celebrity edition managed to outperform it, underlining just how strong the format has become.

With a larger cast, a proven formula and expectations now firmly set, the upcoming series carries a certain weight. Whether it can match or even exceed what came before remains to be seen. One thing feels certain though. Once those castle doors close, the game will not be about fame or reputation. It will be about survival, suspicion and how well each player can lie under pressure.

The Five Star Weekend - Sunlit Secrets Beneath a Picture Perfect Life

Image: Sky TV Press

By Jon Donnis

Based on the best selling novel by Elin Hilderbrand, The Five Star Weekend arrives as a glossy, sun soaked drama set to air exclusively in the UK and Ireland on Sky and streaming service NOW in July.

At the centre of the story is Hollis Shaw, played by Jennifer Garner, a celebrated cook and bestselling author whose life is built on carefully curated perfection. Known for her recipes, refined taste and reassuring public image, Hollis is forced into emotional freefall after a devastating personal loss. What follows is not just grief, but the slow unravelling of a life that once looked unshakable.

As Hollis struggles to move forward, the cracks in her world begin to widen. Her marriage shows strain, her relationship with her daughter becomes increasingly complicated, and her need for approval from her audience grows more consuming. The surface level glamour begins to fade, revealing something far more fragile underneath.

In an attempt to rebuild herself, Hollis plans a weekend retreat at her Nantucket home, inviting three friends from different chapters of her life. Each guest represents a different version of who she once was, spanning childhood, her twenties and her thirties, alongside an unexpected fifth guest who shifts the dynamic entirely. It becomes a gathering that is meant to heal, but instead begins to expose long buried tensions.

Set against a luxurious coastal backdrop, the weekend takes on an increasingly unsettled tone as friendships are tested, boundaries are pushed and long held secrets begin to surface. What starts as a restorative escape slowly turns into something far more revealing about who these women really are and what they have been hiding from each other and themselves.

Alongside Garner, the series features D’Arcy Carden, Gemma Chan, Regina Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Harlow Jane and Timothy Olyphant. The wider cast includes Rob Huebel, David Denman, Josh Hamilton, West Duchovny, Judy Greer, Tory Devon Smith, Morrison Keddie and Roberta Colindrez.

The Five Star Weekend brings together grief, reinvention and long simmering truths in a setting where beauty and discomfort sit side by side.

It streams in July on Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland.