With the dawn of the New Year came the return of one hugely-anticipated series: Happy Valley.

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Airing weekly on BBC One every Sunday at 9pm, the episode 1 cliffhanger has already left many viewers impatient for the following episode of season 3. And for good reason – it was one hell of an ending.

Spoiler warning from here if you haven't yet watched it.

Not only were viewers re-introduced to the beloved Happy Valley cast, they were also left reeling by the fact that a mysterious "man and woman" were accompanying 16-year-old Ryan (Rhys Connah) to go and visit his father, Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), in prison.

The surprise admission comes when Sergeant Catherine Cawood's (Sarah Lancashire) Inspector, Mike Taylor (Rick Warden), tells her he's received a phone call from a prison liaison officer in Dewsbury.

The officer informed him of ongoing rumours about Catherine's grandson's visitation, and Taylor relays the news to Catherine, who initially dismisses it.

Catherine can't quite believe her grandson could be capable of organising such a trip but as the first episode draws to a close, Mike approaches Catherine's office days later, telling her that he has news about the visits and Catherine "isn't going to like it".

Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) in Happy Valley. BBC/Lookout Point/Matt Squire

While our minds have been furiously sweeping over every possibility as to who this mysterious couple could be, RadioTimes took to Twitter to run a viewer poll.

A total of 10.6% of voters opted for Daniel and Ann, 9.1% voted for Richard and Roz and 12.1% voted for another possibility entirely. But the clear frontrunners were Clare and Neil, amassing a staggering 68.3%.

One user tweeted: "No way would Ann, Richard or Nevison go anywhere NEAR Tommy or encourage Ryan to. I'd hope Clare wouldn't but unsure about Neil and his influence over her..."

As for the true identity of the couple, all will be revealed as Happy Valley season 3 continues on Sunday. And it's safe to say, we cannot wait.

Read more:

Happy Valley season 3 continues on Sunday 8th January at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The first two series are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.

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Authors

Morgan Cormack
Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.

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