Meet the cast of The Bay season 5 on ITV

This season, Jenn steps back into her team after taking compassionate leave after the death of her father and throws herself back into work despite her family needing her.

As ever, this new season of The Bay boasts an entirely fresh guest cast of familiar faces, from Neil Maskell to Leanne Best.

Speaking about the guest cast, writer and co-creator Daragh Carville said in a press pack for season 5: "Actors that I've admired for years have come on board. I'm so thrilled.

"We have the likes of Leanne Best, Neil Maskell, David Troughton amongst others. The chance to work with someone like Leanne is just a gift as a writer.

"She's been able to access a rawness of emotion as Hannah's mum, Julie, that I don't think we've ever seen on the show before. The show is to some degree a study of grief and loss, but I don't know if we've ever seen that portrayed with so much truth and rawness as Leanne does.

"She's phenomenal, as is Neil as Steve, Julie’s ex-husband. It was also a real joy for me to get a chance to write for David Troughton, who's an actor I've admired for decades."

So, who's who in the cast of The Bay? Read on for everything you need to know about the characters in season 5.

The Bay season 5 cast: Full list of characters and actors in ITV drama

The full cast list for The Bay season 5 is as follows, led by Marsha Thomason. Scroll on to find out more about the characters, plus what other roles you may recognise the actors from.

• Marsha Thomason as DS Jenn Townsend
• Daniel Ryan as DI Anthony 'Tony' Manning
• Erin Shanagher as DS Karen Hobson
• Andrew Dowbiggin as DS James 'Clarkie' Clarke
• Olwen May as DC Louise 'Lou' McClaren
• Barry Sloane as Chris Fischer
• Georgia Scholes as Erin Fischer
• David Carpenter as Conor Townsend
• Emme Hayes as Maddie Townsend
• Suzanne Packer as Anne Jackson
• Tara Lynne O’Neill as Sinead Flanagan
• Leanne Best as Julie Ashworth
• David Troughton as Tommy Campbell
• Neil Maskell as Steve Dawson
• Stephen Wight as Craig Ashworth
• Ceallach Spellman as Bradley Dawson
• Holly Maguire as Emma Bradshaw
• Max Ferguson as Elliot Hayes
• Darryl Mundo as Jude Bell
• Lex Shrapnel as Dr David Wallasey
• Lucy Chambers as Poppy Richards
• Steven Elder as ACC Robert Pearson
• Lorna Brown as DCI Josephine Hardy

Marsha Thomason as DS Jenn Townsend

Who is DS Jenn Townsend? Jenn joined the MIU team after moving from Manchester in season 3, and now she has well and truly settled into her new life in the Bay.

This season sees Jenn return to the MIU after taking some compassionate leave following the death of her father from Alzheimer's. Her mother moves in and, with added tension in her family, Jenn turns more to work.

Where have I seen Marsha Thomason before? Thomason made her debut on The Bay in 2022, but before her leading role in the ITV crime drama, Thomason has also starred in COBRA, NCIS: Los Angeles, Castlevania and Magnum PI.

Daniel Ryan as DI Anthony 'Tony' Manning

Who is DI Anthony 'Tony' Manning? DI Manning is back again as the formidable officer at the helm of the investigation, and this time around, he's having to balance overstretched resources and staff with trying to solve Hannah's case.

Where have I seen Daniel Ryan before? Ryan has most recently starred in ITV's Passenger and Litvinenko, but has also had roles in Death in Paradise, Innocent, Vera, Doc Martin and the 2008 'Midnight' episode of Doctor Who, to name a few.

Erin Shanagher as DS Karen Hobson

Who is DS Karen Hobson? Fellow FLOs (family liaison officers) Karen and Jenn can often be seen working closely together and make a strong team, although their approaches may be a little different.

Where have I seen Erin Shanagher before? Shanagher reprises her role in The Bay, a character she's played since 2019. She has also starred in Ridley, Viewpoint and Dark Money, as well as lending her voice to The Family Pile and video game Total War: Warhammer III.

Andrew Dowbiggin as DS James 'Clarkie' Clarke

Who is DS James 'Clarkie' Clarke? Clarkie is a mainstay of Morecambe MIU and has been known to get into a confrontation or two in his time as a dedicated police officer. He may be a bit of joker in the station, but there's no denying just how much he takes his job seriously.

Where have I seen Andrew Dowbiggin before? Prior to his regular role in The Bay, Dowbiggin has also starred in COBRA and a slew of soaps including Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Casualty.

Olwen May as DC Louise 'Lou' McClaren

Who is DC Louise 'Lou' McClaren? A new addition to Morecambe's MIU team in light of Eddie's (Thomas Law) move to Preston, Lou has recently been seconded from Lancaster. She loves her job and, in her 20 years as an officer, has seen it all.

Where have I seen Olwen May before? May is known for her roles in Coronation Street, Slow Horses and Happy Valley. She has also starred in Emmerdale, Doctors, A Very British Scandal and Brassic.

Barry Sloane as Chris Fischer

Who is Chris Fischer? Ever the optimist, deputy headteacher Chris is facing increased pressure at his school with an impending Ofsted inspection. With a house full of teenagers and his relationship with Jenn under strain, he starts to look for support elsewhere.

Where have I seen Barry Sloane before? The English actor has been in a variety of different roles including in Pleasureland, Hollyoaks, DCI Banks and ABC drama series Revenge. He is perhaps best known for also lending his voice to the Call of Duty games Modern Warfare and its sequel.

Suzanne Packer as Anne Jackson

Who is Anne Jackson? Anne is Jenn's mother and has recently lost her husband to Alzheimer's. She has watched her husband deteriorate for years, and so is at a different stage of grief to Jenn, who thinks her mother is moving on far too quickly.

Where have I seen Suzanne Packer before? Packer is best known for her role in Casualty as Tess Bateman, but has also starred in The Pembrokeshire Murders, The ABC Murders, In My Skin and The Night Caller.

Leanne Best as Julie Ashworth

Who is Julie Ashworth? An office cleaner who works in Morecambe, Julie's world is turned upside down when her daughter Hannah is found murdered. During the investigation, she has to confront the fact that she may have not known exactly who Hannah was.

Where have I seen Leanne Best before? Best is known for her roles in Ripper Street, The Walk-In, Line of Duty and Young Wallander. She has also starred in G'Wed, A Town Called Malice, Cold Feet and Home Fires.

David Troughton as Tommy Campbell

Who is Tommy Campbell? Tommy is Julie's father who lives just up the road and is close to the family. He was incredibly close to his granddaughter Hannah and so, when she's found dead, he loses his sense of purpose.

Where have I seen David Troughton before? Troughton is known for his roles in New Tricks and in Doctor Who alongside his father, Second Doctor Patrick Troughton. He has starred in The Archers, Call the Midwife and Life.

Neil Maskell as Steve Dawson

Who is Steve Dawson? Steve is Julie's ex-husband and still harbours a lot of anger about the way their relationship ended. Because of his own actions, Hannah didn't trust her father, and so their relationship was strained.

Where have I seen Neil Maskell before? Maskell is known for a number of roles over the years, including in Football Factory, Hijack, Peaky Blinders and Litvinenko. He has also starred in King Gary, No Offence, Utopia and Bull.

Stephen Wight as Craig Ashworth

Who is Craig Ashworth? Craig and Julie met after her divorce when he was fitting carpets at one of the offices she cleans. He's not great with money and this leads to plenty of tension in the household, particularly with Hannah, who didn't think Craig was perfect for her mother.

Where have I seen Stephen Wight before? Wight is known for his roles in I May Destroy You, Screw, Manhunt and The Paradise. He has also starred in Threesome, Silent Witness and Andor.

Ceallach Spellman as Bradley Dawson

Who is Bradley Dawson? The quiet one of the family, Bradley is Julie and Steve's son and Hannah's younger brother. He struggles to vocalise his feelings relating to his sister's death and has to learn to come out of his sheltered bubble in the wake of Hannah's murder.

Where have I seen Ceallach Spellman before? Spellman has starred in Better, Cheaters, White Lines and World on Fire, as well as Cold Feet, Waterloo Road and presenting various CBBC shows.

The Bay will return to ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 2nd March at 9pm.

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