Grantchester boss reassures fans they've hit gold again with Tom Brittney's replacement

Joining Green in the cast will be Rishi Nair, playing the show's third vicar, Reverend Alphy Kotteram, after Brittney's Will Davenport and James Norton's Sidney Chambers.

Fans may be nervous about such a big change to the show, something creator Daisy Coulam has accepted, but she has also reassured them that they have got the right person for the job in Nair.

Coulam said: "It’s scary. Change is always scary, isn't it, and I think we there was such a genuine love between the characters and the actors, and you worry you can't replicate that.

"But we've been very lucky on this show that we did it once with James Norton, then with Tom, and sometimes I think there's like some kind of godly intervention in this show, because we hit gold the third time as well. So we were very lucky, even from the audition you guys hit it off."

Green then added: "It was really interesting. I met Tom and we just knew. And then when Rishi comes in, before we went into the room, I came out and we talked about Manchester United, his favourite team, of course he’s from Liverpool [laughs]. And we talked about Newcastle and he knew more about my team than I knew.

"But there was just some shorthand there that you can't quantify, it’s just there and it walks into the room, and there you are, and you start speaking and immediately there is a chemistry. That's why they call it a chemistry read. There's a chemistry there that's likeable, and I think that's one of the headlines about Grantchester, it’s incredibly likeable.

"And the relationship that's developed between myself and Rishi, again, not only in front of the lens, but behind it, is a wonderful one, and that comes from everybody at the top and this incredible team of people."

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Nair has already revealed some details about his character, saying: "He is anti-police. He has this kind of perception about the institution. Growing up as a brown man in the '40s and '50s in Britain, his experience with the police would have been very different to the previous two vicars.

"So, he has this kind of perception about them, and he has this personality trait that anyone that abuses their power, or anyone in a position of power that abuses that, he always stands up to that morally."

Grantchester season 9 will begin airing on ITV1 on Wednesday 8th January 2025 at 9pm.

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