Grantchester season 7 is just around the corner and Mrs Chapman actor, Tessa Peake-Jones, has opened up about a shock new storyline which will see her character get a troubling diagnosis.
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Peake-Jones explained that Mrs C “hasn’t been feeling her best" and is visited by the doctor and from this point life changes quite radically.
"She is a very private woman and keeps this personal illness to herself for as long as possible. She will be faced by some demons this series and will be challenged with how she’s going to handle this."
It seems that this difficult development for Mrs C will put pressure on her relationships as she suffers in silence and doesn't want to worry them, making her "grumpy and distracted".
"Her intentions are good in not telling her loved ones but it makes them question 'what on earth is the matter with her?' Jack has no idea what’s going on with Mrs C and he is actually a bit paranoid and suspicious about her behaviour and that she might be seeing someone else or heaven forbid, having an affair. He thinks she may have fallen out of love with him."
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Following her crisis of faith last season when Leonard was sentenced for 'gross indecency' for being gay, Peake-Jones suggests this will be an even more personal test of her beliefs, and it will in fact be Leonard that will help her through it.
"She’s asking God, ‘where are you when I need you?’ And Leonard is the one who eventually Mrs C turns to about her diagnosis and he metaphorically holds her hand all the way through it."
Season 7 will also see testing times for Robson Green’s Geordie, following his split from wife Cathy, while Charlotte Ritchie will be joining the cast as Cathy’s niece Bonnie.
Grantchester will return to ITV on Friday 11th March at 9pm. You can order the Grantchester Mysteries books which the series is based on from Amazon. Find out what else is on with our TV Guide, or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
