Meet the cast of Trigger Point season 2

This is England star Vicky McClure is back as explosive officer Lana Washington (Vicky McClure) as she’s thrown into another terrifying case, which begins with the targeting of a power station.

Speaking to press including RadioTimes.com, McClure opened up about the 'frightening' reality behind the new season.

"I think the one thing that frightens me the most – it is quite triggering – is just the ease in which a device can be made," she said.

She continued: "And it can be just things that we can all have in our cupboards at home. And the destruction that that can bring to people's lives. And so, when [the real expos] talk about it, and they explain it in simple terms, I'm fascinated."

Alongside McClure, other returning cast members include Nabil Elouahabi (Blue Lights, Unforgotten) as Hass, Eric Shango (Suspicion) as Danny and Mark Stanley (Happy Valley, The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe) as DI Thom Youngblood.

The Trigger Point season 2 cast also includes some new additions, including Natalie Simpson (Outlander) as DS Helen Morgan, Julian Ovenden (Bridgerton) as Commander John Francis and Tomiwa Edun (Young Wallander) as informant Alex.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast and characters of Trigger Point season 2, and keep scrolling to read about the cast of season 1.

Trigger Point season 2 cast

The full cast list for Trigger Point season 2 is as follows. Be sure to scroll down to find out more about the characters and where you may have seen them before.

• Vicky McClure as Lana Washington
• Nabil Elouahabi as Hass Rahim
• Eric Shango as Danny
• Natalie Simpson as DS Helen Morgan
• Mark Stanley as DCI Thom Youngblood
• Julian Ovenden as Commander John Francis
• Kerry Godliman as Sonya Reeves
• Tomiwa Edun as Alex
• Kris Hitchen as John
• Kevin Eldon as Jeff
• Tamzin Griffin as Val
• Os Leanse as Hugo
• Bethan Cullinane as Hope
• Thom Ashley as Nick Hood
• Maanuv Thiara as DI Amar Batra
• Dan Whitlam as Tim

Vicky McClure plays Lana Washington

Who is Lana Washington? Lana is a bomb disposal operative for the Metropolitan Police in Trigger Point, who has just returned from secondment in Estonia where she was training Ukrainian bomb disposal teams.

One day before Lana is officially due to return to active duty, she is thrown back into her high-stakes work at the deep end when a London power station is targeted – and she happens to be the closest to the scene.

Lana will have to overcome the psychological scars left by the traumatic first season, in which her colleague Joel and brother Billy were killed, with her lover Karl ultimately being found responsible.

What else has Vicky McClure been in? McClure is best known these days for playing DI Kate Fleming in BBC One thriller Line of Duty, a role she has portrayed since 2012.

Prior to that, she collaborated with Shane Meadows on This Is England and its three television sequels. Most recently, she has appeared in ITV's Without Sin, Channel 4 one-off drama I Am Nicola and Prime Video's young adult series Alex Rider.

Kerry Godliman plays Sonya Reeves

Who is Sonya Reeves? Sonya is an employee of the Bomb Data Centre, a department of the counter-terrorism unit at New Scotland Yard, whose expertise lies in the chemicals and equipment used to manufacture explosives. Her work is centred around data and she works closely with Lana, who she counts as a friend.

What else has Kerry Godliman been in? Godliman is known for her collaborations with Ricky Gervais, having played supporting roles in both Derek and, more recently, After Life. Though she began her career in comedy, Godliman has taken on dramatic roles before, appearing in Lennie James crime thriller Save Me and Channel 4's Adult Material.

Nabil Elouahabi as Hass Rahim

Who is Hass Rahim? Hass was a member of Lana's team in season 1, who replaced her as leader during her extended leave of absence. The two of them trust and like each other, although there could be some friction between them as they clash over certain strategies for tackling a dangerous new threat.

What else has Nabil Elouahabi been in? Elouahabi has appeared in several films like Ali G Indahouse and The Sum of All Fears, but Eastenders viewers will recognise him as Tariq Laroussi, a role he had from 2003 to 2005. He has also more recently starred in Our Girl, Breeders, Time, The Tower and Blue Lights.

Eric Shango plays Danny

Who is Danny? In season 1, Danny was a relatively new recruit to the Metropolitan Police and was becoming accustomed to the intense nature of the job.

This time around, according to Shango, "he’s much more secure within his job and with the people he’s working alongside, so you get the opportunity to see a more rounded version of Danny and find out more about him".

In his personal life, we learn that he has recently become engaged.

What else has Eric Shango been in? Trigger Point was Shango's television debut, but the actor has also since featured in Apple TV+'s Suspicion.

Mark Stanley plays DCI Thom Youngblood

Who is DCI Thom Youngblood? Thom is a senior member of the Metropolitan Police, who was in a somewhat secret relationship with Lana in season 1. Alas, it didn't work out, with Lana ultimately rebounding into the arms of Karl Maguire, who later was exposed as the very terrorist her unit had been hunting.

When we return to the characters in season 2, they haven't spoken in months and Thom is now in a new relationship with colleague Helen Morgan. However, a love triangle starts to develop as it soon becomes clear he hasn't entirely gotten over his earlier feelings for Lana.

What else has Mark Stanley been in? Stanley is best known for playing Grenn on HBO's epic fantasy drama Game of Thrones, as well as appearing in the third season of Happy Valley as Rob Hepworth. Viewers may also recognise him from ITV true crime drama The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Dickensian, Criminal: UK, Sanditon and Elizabeth Is Missing.

Julian Ovenden as Commander John Francis

Who is Commander John Francis? John is Lana's demanding new boss, who works closely with not just Lana but also Thom and Helen.

Actor Julian Ovenden said of his role: "There's that trope of overbearing police chief and kind of maverick cop – and we tried to inject some more nuance into it. And I think that there's a certain amount of dependency between the two of them. They both have weaknesses, and they both have strengths."

He continued: "What I like about Jed’s shows is that they're very plot-driven and high octane, but they're also quite real. And it's very easy in these kinds of shows to play the obvious, to play the cliche. So, to try and make it both entertaining, but also real, is what I tried to do. So yeah, he is a bit of a w****r, but he’s also trying to save everyone's lives."

What else has Julian Ovenden been in? The actor and singer has starred in numerous stage productions, but in terms of TV, is perhaps best known for his five seasons in Foyle's War, in Downton Abbey as Charles Blake, in Bridgerton as Henry Glanville and, more recently, in Channel 4's Adult Material as Tom Pain.

Tomiwa Edun as Alex

Who is Alex? Alex is a mystery informant who emerges from the shadows with information for Lana and her team on the terror cell that is taunting authorities.

What else has Tomiwa Edun been in? Edun is perhaps most recognisable for his role in Merlin as Sir Elyan and in Bates Motel as Marcus Young. He has also featured in Doctor Who, The Capture, Young Wallander and The Chelsea Detective.

Kris Hitchen plays John Hudson

Who is John Hudson? John is a member of Lana's squad who was deemed a suspect in the terror campaign of the first season, due to his extreme far-right views and outbursts of racism and Islamophobia. Ultimately, he was not the true bomber, but was suspended from the Met after being radicalised.

What else has Kris Hitchen been in? Hitchen appeared in BBC One's hard-hitting factual drama Four Lives, where he portrayed Tom, the father of Anthony Walgate. His other projects include Channel 5's Anne Boleyn, Netflix's The Letter for the King and Ken Loach drama Sorry We Missed You.

Natalie Simpson as DS Helen Morgan

Who is DS Helen Morgan? A brand new addition for season 2, Helen is a detective for the Metropolitan Police, who actor Natalie Simpson describes as a "straightforward type of person" and "very ambitious and professional in her job". She is in a romantic relationship with colleague Thom Youngblood and feels slightly threatened by the sudden return of his ex-girlfriend, Lana Washington.

What else has Natalie Simpson been in? Aside from her stage roles, Simpson has starred in Outlander, the TV miniseries adaptation of Les Misérables and in North Sea Connection.

Trigger Point season 1 cast

Adrian Lester plays Joel Nutkins

Who is Joel Nutkins? Joel is Lana's close friend and colleague. The two of them have known each other for years, becoming experts in bomb disposal during their time in the military and later putting that knowledge to good use in the Metropolitan Police. Tragically, he is killed in a terrorist attack depicted in the first episode.

What else has Adrian Lester been in? Lester recently wowed audiences in the cast of Mike Bartlett's Life, which aired on BBC One in late 2020. Previously, he was a main cast member on crime drama Hustle and appeared in the first season of Sky's Riviera.

Manjinder Virk plays Samira Desai

Who is Samira Desai? Samira is a member of the Met's Specialist Operations squad.

What else has Manjinder Virk been in? Last year, Virk appeared opposite Cush Jumbo in BritBox's first ever original drama series The Beast Must Die. Previously, she had played Dr Kam Karimore on ITV's long-running Midsomer Murders.

Cal MacAninch plays Lee Robins

Who is Lee Robins? Lee is the leader of the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Firearms Command, who is on the scene when a bomb scare is called in from a London apartment.

What else has Cal MacAninch been in? MacAninch has appeared in several smash-hit dramas recently, bagging key roles in BBC One thriller Vigil, prison drama Time and ITV's factual miniseries Des.

Warren Brown plays Karl Maguire

Who is Karl Maguire? Karl is an old friend of Joel's and one of the guests at his funeral. He completed some basic police training many years ago with an eye to joining the force, but ultimately found that he wasn't suited for that career path. Instead, he built a career as a mechanic, who specialised in working on motorbikes.

In the season 1 finale, he was exposed as the architect of the terror campaign that had been plaguing London for weeks – and was killed in a detonation of one of his own devices.

What else has Warren Brown been in? Brown has previously portrayed DS Justin Ripley in acclaimed thriller Luther and Sergeant Thomas 'Mac' McAllister in the action-packed Strike Back. He'll soon be seen opposite Martin Freeman in BBC One drama The Responder.

Ralph Ineson plays Commander Bregman

Who is Commander Bregman? Bregman is the commanding officer of SO19, a specialist division leading the investigation into co-ordinated bomb threats occurring across London.

What else has Ralph Ineson been in? Ineson may never fully shake off the role of Chris Finch in The Office (UK), but recently he's made quite a name for himself on more dramatic projects. On the big screen, he appeared in the final two Harry Potter films as well as acclaimed indie flicks The Witch, The Green Knight and The Tragedy of Macbeth. Avid telly watchers may also recognise him from Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, Chernobyl and The Capture.

Ewan Mitchell plays Billy Washington

Who is Billy Washington? Billy is Lana's younger brother, whose inability to find stable employment had led him astray. He had started to show signs of radicalisation and expressed intolerant views towards other cultures, which alarmed and angered Lana. Sadly, he was tricked by the sinister forces that were seducing him, and killed in a car that was rigged with an explosive device.

What else has Ewan Mitchell been in? Mitchell will be familiar to fans of Netflix drama The Last Kingdom, where he plays one of Uhtred's most trusted allies, Osferth. He is also known for war dramas World on Fire and The Halcyon.

Nadine Marshall plays Marianne Hamilton

Who is Marianne Hamilton? Hamilton is a Detective Superintendent in the Metropolitan Police and one of the leading figures in fighting back against the terrorist cell that has London in its sights.

What else has Nadine Marshall been in? Marshall has recently appeared in several critically acclaimed television shows, including prison drama Time, Steve McQueen anthology Small Axe, and Windrush scandal film Sitting in Limbo. Viewers might also recognise her as DS Shola O'Halloran on Sky Atlantic thriller Save Me.

Trigger Point season 2 will premiere on Sunday 28th January on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm. Season 1 is available to stream on ITVX.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.