We can never resist a soapy drama series, and The Wives brings together a string of EastEnders and Coronation Street icons in order to bring this story to life.

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Playing out over two weeks, The Wives stars Tamzin Outhwaite, Jo Joyner and Angela Griffin as three sisters-in-law who are bound together by marriage, a good glass of wine, and the tragic loss of a family member.

Set in the glamorous location of Malta, this family drama proves to be a killer… or so they believe, at least.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of The Wives.

The Wives cast: Who plays who in the Channel 5 whodunnit series?

Below is the main line-up for The Wives, which launches on Channel 5 on 16th September.

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Read on to find out more about the cast and characters.

  • Jo Joyner as Beth Morgan
  • Tamzin Outhwaite as Sylvia Morgan
  • Angela Griffin as Natasha Morgan
  • Christine Bottomley as Annabelle Morgan
  • Jamie Bamber as Charlie Morgan
  • Katie Clarkson-Hill as Jade
  • Ben Willbond as Frankie Morgan
  • Jonathan Forces as Sean Morgan
  • Louis Boyer as Luca Vella
  • Ajay Chhabra as Vinay Taneja

Jo Joyner plays Beth Morgan

Jo Joyner in The Wives wearing a blue suit with pink shirt
Jo Joyner in The Wives. Channel 5

Who is Beth Morgan? Married to Frankie, Beth is the wife most unnerved by the introduction of Jade, especially her uncanny resemblance to her close friend, Annabelle. So, naturally, she instigates the investigation determined to find out the truth.

Who is Jo Joyner? Jo Joyner is an Essex-born actress who became a household name in 2006, when she joined the cast of EastEnders as Tanya Branning. Prior to that, she had a starring role in BBC’s No Angels.

Joyner appeared on EastEnders as a regular until 2013, later returning in 2015, and again in 2017 to 2018. In 2017, she became a lead cast member of Ackley Bridge, with other credits including Netflix’s Stay Close, Riptide, For Her Sins and Peacock.

Tamzin Outhwaite plays Sylvia Morgan

Tamzin Outhwaite in The Wives wearing a white dress and holding sunglasses
Tamzin Outhwaite in The Wives. Channel 5

Who is Sylvia Morgan? Sylvia is recently divorced from Tom, the third Morgan brother, but that doesn’t stop her from being part of the family, especially with the other wives. Now she gets to enjoy the single life too - and it doesn’t take her long to find the locals quite alluring.

Who is Tamzin Outhwaite? Tamzin Outhwaite is a British actress who is best known for playing Mel Owen on EastEnders. She initially joined the cast in 1998 and stayed on the show for four years, before later returning to the series from 2018 to 2019. She’s since had main roles in shows including Red Cap, The Fixer, New Tricks, Ridley Road and The Tower.

Angela Griffin plays Natasha Morgan

Angela Griffin in The Wives wearing a brown outfit with her arms crossed
Angela Griffin in The Wives. Channel 5

Who is Natasha Morgan? Natasha appears to be happily married to Sean, with the couple spending more and more time in Malta. They also have a teenage daughter, Alice. However, behind closed doors there’s a secret they’re hiding from the family.

Who is Angela Griffin? Angela Griffin shot to fame as Fiona Middleton on ITV soap Coronation Street. She appeared on the show from 1992 to 1998, briefly returning in 2019. She then became a regular on Holby City, portraying Jasmine Hopkins, and had a leading role in BBC drama Cutting It from 2002 to 2005.

Her credits since then have included Mount Pleasant, Lewis, Ordinary Lies, Harlots and White Lines. She is currently starring as Kim Campbell in Waterloo Road.

Christine Bottomley plays Annabelle Morgan

Christine Bottomley as Rachel Crossley in Sherwood season 2 sitting down and looking up at someone with a shocked look on her face.
Christine Bottomley as Rachel Crossley in Sherwood season 2. BBC/House Productions,Vishal Sharma

Who is Annabelle Morgan? Annabelle is the centre of a family tragedy when she falls to her supposed death from a cliff while on holiday in Malta. Authorities ruled her death a tragic accident, although her body was never recovered.

Who is Christine Bottomley? Christine Bottomley is an actress born and raised in Manchester, who made her TV acting debut in an episode of EastEnders in 2001.

Since then, her credits have included regular roles in The End Of The F***ing World, Back to Life, The Nest and Domina. She’s also appeared in episodes of Torchwood, Heartbeat, Midsommer Murders, Vera and New Tricks.

Jamie Bamber plays Charlie Morgan

Jamie Bamber in The Wives.
Jamie Bamber in The Wives. Channel 5

Who is Charlie Morgan? Annabelle’s widowed husband, Sean and Frankie’s brother, and father to daughter Sky. He ruffles feathers by bringing his new girlfriend, Jade, to the family’s Malta retreat. Soon, he reveals a dark side, but is it a sinister one?

Who is Jamie Bamber? Jamie Bamber is a London-born actor who is best known for his role of Lee 'Apollo' Adama in Battlestar Galactica. His other credits include Band of Brothers, Law and Order UK, Beyond Paradise, Strike Back and Innocent.

Katie Clarkson-Hill plays Jade

Katie Clarkson-Hill in The Wives wearing a black dress
Katie Clarkson-Hill in The Wives. Channel 5

Who is Jade? Charlie’s new girlfriend is a yoga instructor who bears a striking resemblance to a younger Annabelle - even wearing her clothes. It doesn’t take her long to get on the wrong side of the wives in the family as they reunite for a holiday a year after Annabelle’s death.

Who is Katie Clarkson-Hill? Katie Clarkson-Hill is a British actress who landed her first major role in American drama series Guilt in 2016. She later appeared in the second season of Trust Me for the BBC. Other credits include Hanna and The Couple Next Door.

Ben Willbond plays Frankie Morgan

Ben Willbond in The Wives in a grey suit jacket and black shirt
Ben Willbond in The Wives. Channel 5

Who is Frankie Morgan? Frankie is the husband of Beth and devout brother to Sean and Charlie.

Who is Ben Willbond? Ben Willbond is a British dramatic and comedy actor, best known for playing The Captain in BBC sitcom Ghosts. His other credits include Horrible Histories, Bridget Jones’s Baby, A Kind of Spark, There She Goes and Inside No. 9.

Jonathan Forbes plays Sean Morgan

Jonathan Forbes in The Wives wearing a white shirt with arms folded
Jonathan Forbes in The Wives. Channel 5

Who is Sean Morgan? Natasha’s husband and Alice’s dad with a chip on his shoulder about something he can’t bear to bring up to his brothers, Frankie and Charlie.

Who is Jonathan Forbes? Jonathan Forbes is an Irish actor who trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His credits include Titanic: Blood and Steel, Black Mirror: The National Anthem, Catastrophe and Fearless.

Louis Boyer plays Luca Vella

Who is Luca Vella? Luca is a dashing local businessman in town who is very easy on the eyes – but is he as nice as he looks?

Who is Louis Boyer? Louis Boyer is an actor who trained at RADA and Italia Conti drama schools. He got his first role on a major production in The Witcher in 2019. He’s since appeared in Grace, Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, and Wreck.

Ajay Chhabra plays Vinay Taneja

Who is Vinay Taneja? Vinay is a consulate official who finds himself embroiled in the family drama. But is there more to him than meets the eye?

Who is Ajay Chhabra? Ajay Chhabra is an Indo-Fijian British actor best known for playing Anil in CBBC series The Basil Brush Show. His other credits include Tom and Jerry: The Movie, This England, Rough Diamonds and Phoenix Rise.

The Wives begins on Channel 5 and My5 on Monday 16th September at 9pm.

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