Unforgotten star reveals surprise real-life family link to storyline – as hit ITV crime drama returns
The One Show host Roman Kemp was left stunned as he branded it a 'mind boggle moment'
UNFORGOTTEN star Sinead Keenan has revealed her surprise real-life family link to the show’s storyline.
Sinead, 47, who plays DCI James in the ITV crime drama, made the revelation during an appearance on The One Show this week.
The actress discussed the personal challenges her character faced in the previous series as she plugged its return for series six.
Viewers will recall the turmoil Jessie endured after discovering her husband had been unfaithful with someone close to home.
In a surprising twist, Sinead revealed that her on-screen sister, Debbie – the woman involved in the affair – is actually played by her real-life sister, Grainne Keenan.
Host Roman Kemp was left stunned, saying: “This is such a mind boggle moment but, in the last series, your character Jess finds out that her husband is having an affair with her sister but your sister in the show is played by your actual sister in real life.
“Safe to say, not real-life husband? That would be horrendous! But how fun is it to play this out with her?”
Sinead replied: “Oh it’s great, it’s great. Thankfully that has never happened in real life so it was lovely.
“We’ve been in the same shows through our careers but our characters never met, crossed paths, so yeah that was real good fun.”
Written by Chris Lang, critically acclaimed Unforgotten is coming back to the small screen in just a matter of days.
The show stars Sanjeev Bhaskar and Sinéad Keenan as DI Sunny Khan and DCI Jessie James respectively, as they solve cold cases concerning murder and disappearance.
Fans will be thrilled to know Unforgotten will be back on screens from Sunday, February 9.
Meanwhile, the duo are called in to investigate when suspected human remains are uncovered on Whitney Marsh.
Analysis from Dr. Balcombe reveals the remains to be relatively recent and point to a grim circumstance.
It would suggest the body had been placed there having already been dismembered.
Armed with this knowledge, Jess and Sunny ramp up their search, convinced other body parts may not be far away.
An eclectic cast of characters also populate the story – including Melinda Ricci (MyAnna Buring), an outspoken Ireland-based television commentator.
Marty Baines (Max Fairley) is an autistic man living with his mother Dot in Deal, Kent while Asif Syed (Elham Elas), is an Afghan training for his UK citizenship test.
Elsewhere, Juliet Cooper (Victoria Hamilton), is a history lecturer and faculty head at a London university.
Although these characters live seemingly separate lives, they share intricate connections through their pasts.
Jess, Sunny, and their dedicated team are tasked with uncovering these hidden links to expose the truth behind the cold case murder.
Other returning stars include Andrew Lancel – who formerly played Coronation Street villain Frank Foster – as Jess’ husband Steve.
Meanwhile, actress and singer Kate Robbins returns to play Jess’ mum Kate.
Additional newcomers to the cast include established actors Jan Francis and Damien Maloney.
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Crime dramas on ITVX
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.
- Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
- The Beast Must Die: This series follows a mother’s grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake’s novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
- Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
- The Twelve: This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
- Manhunt: Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.
