Grace season 5 release date confirmed – with series picking up on a tragic note

And it looks like things will start on a tragic note for Roy and his partner Cleo, with stars John Simm and Zoë Tapper revealing in a Q&A ahead of the new season that it will open with the heartbreaking news that Cleo had lost the baby she was expecting.

"When we find Cleo and Roy, they are dealing with the loss of a child, which has obviously happened between the series. You realise quite quickly what's happened," Simm explained.

And Tapper added: "You find out very early on that she's lost the baby, so that's the sort of first image you have of her and of them, is dealing with this really devastating loss.

"They were really poignant, moving scenes to film and interesting in another way, because I think for Cleo, her work is so integral to who she is as a person, and she's on bereavement leave at the beginning of this series, and Roy has had to go back to work, so they're separated in their grief as well."

As for the mystery that will form the focus of the opening episode, a brief synopsis teases: "The team is called to investigate when a body in a barrel washes up on a beach in Sussex, but Roy finds himself in a frantic race to save hundreds of lives in a Brighton football stadium after they receive an anonymous demand."

Read more:

• Grace, starring John Simm, officially renewed for season 6
• Adolescence makes ratings history – enormous viewing figures confirmed

There's been a lot of good news for fans of the series recently, with the show also having been renewed for a sixth run ahead of the new season's launch.

Author Peter James said of the renewal: "I have been blessed with the most brilliant cast an author could wish for, and the most communicative and creative production team.

"I’m inundated, daily, with emails from the public both in the UK and around the world telling me how much the series is loved, and that is a true testament to the sheer quality of the episodes.

"I hope there will be many more series to come - they are the best adaptations of my work that I’ve ever experienced. Working with ITV and all involved is a total and ongoing joy."

Grace season 5 arrives on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 6th April, with seasons 1-4 available to stream on ITVX.

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