Unforgotten stars react to shock return – and break down link to Nicola Walker's Cassie

In the closing scenes, we learn the identity of the human remains that were found in Whitney Marsh.

Sunny (Sanjeev Bhaskar) explains to Jessica (Sinéad Keenan) that the man in question, Gerard Cooper, disappeared in 2021, but the police investigation later concluded that, although a body was never found, Cooper had taken his own life by jumping into the Thames.

But Sunny delivers a major surprise when he reveals that the officer that was in charge of investigating Cooper's disappearance was none other than Ram Sidhu (Phaldut Sharma), who we last saw back in Unforgotten season 4.

Chatting exclusively to RadioTimes.com about Sidhu's shock return, Sinéad Keenan said: "It’s brilliant. I gasped, I audibly gasped."

Similarly, Sanjeev Bhaskar said: "I did too. I think the antagonism between Ram Sidhu and Sunny was more pronounced than any other character.

"And also, it harks back to season 4, when we met him, where Sunny emotionally feels as though he was part of the thing that killed Cassie.

"So there’s all sorts of dark claws from the past that are pulling at him within that. Plus the antagonistic relationship he had with him anyway. But yeah, the minute I read it, I did go: 'Wow, OK, that was unexpected.'"

Casting your mind back to season 4, DCI Ram Sidhu was at the centre of the drama as one of the enigmatic suspects, with a motivation for murder.

But ultimately, Ram wasn't the perpetrator. He was imprisoned, though, for preventing a lawful burial, accepting money for importing drugs and abusing his position as a police officer.

Read more:

• Unforgotten confirms release date for season 6 on ITV
• How vital Unforgotten moment paved the way for season 6

As Bhaskar explains, for Sunny, there will likely be lingering negative feelings towards Ram as Cassie (Nicola Walker) was overworked and tired from her time on the case, a sentiment that was referenced right up until her tragic car accident that led to her shocking death.

While some fans initially believed that one of the season 4 suspects could've purposely crashed into her after the show placed some hints, it was eventually found out that a car thief had been responsible for the fatal crash.

Seeing as Unforgotten has never brought a character back from past seasons, Ram's return is certainly one for the books.

But how will it unravel for Sunny? Something tells us that if and when the two do come face-to-face again, it won't be the warmest of receptions, seeing as they've already had quite the personal and fiery exchange in the interview room.

As for the main crux of the season, Unforgotten has once again delivered on quite the complicated case that has weaved in a group of new characters that are somehow connected.

The synopsis for the sixth season reads: "As the investigation unfolds, viewers are introduced to a diverse new cast of characters: Melinda Ricci (MyAnna Buring), an outspoken television commentator based in Ireland; Martin 'Marty' Baines (Max Fairley), an autistic man living with his mother Dot in Deal, Kent; Asif Syed (Elham Elas), an Afghan training for his UK citizenship test; and Juliet Cooper (Victoria Hamilton), a history lecturer and faculty head at a London university.

"While these characters live seemingly separate lives, they are intricately connected by their pasts. It’s up to Jess, Sunny, and their dedicated team to uncover these hidden links and ultimately expose the truth behind the cold case murder."

Unforgotten season 6 is now showing on ITV1 and ITVX.

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