Grace, starring North East's Laura Elphinstone, announces sixth series but what’s happening with series 5?

Actress Laura Elphinstone - who was born and raised in Sunderland- has so far starred as DS Bella Moy in four series of the ITV crime drama Grace.

The show has proven so popular with audiences that a fifth series was even given the go ahead in March 2024, months before the fourth series even aired on TV.

With the year anniversary of this commission approaching however, news of a fifth series hasn’t been very forthcoming.

That is until last week - when ITV, again demonstrating Grace’s popularity, announced it had commissioned a sixth series before the fifth had made it to screens.

Sharing an image of lead stars John Simm and Richie Campbell as their respective Grace characters, ITV said: “Grace is returning for a sixth series!

“John Simm will reprise his role as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace for four stand alone films. Filming is expected to begin in Brighton this summer.

“And there's more! Keep your eyes peeled for series 5 of Grace, coming to ITV1 and ITVX this spring!”

With that existing announcement in mind, we thought we’d give you the lowdown on what to expect form series 5.

What will the fifth series of Grace be about?

It has been confirmed that the next series of Grace will adapt four more of Peter James's novels – Dead If You Don't, Dead at First Sight, Need You Dead and Find Them Dead.

Although a series synopsis has not yet been released, you can look at the plot of those four novels for an idea.

Dead if You Don’t follows successful businessman and compulsive gambler Kipp Brown as his teenage son disappears and he receives a terrifying ransom note.

The book’s blurb says: "Roy Grace is brought in to investigate what seems to be a straightforward case of kidnapping. But, very soon, Grace finds himself entering a dark, criminal underbelly of the city, where the rules are different and nothing is what it seems..."

Dead at First Sight then simultaneously follows two men on opposite sides of the world who are scammed by invisible women online and then an apparent suicide back in Brighton.

As Grace investigates this woman’s suicide, he learns she too was a victim of a similar online scam when the face used to trick her comes forward after her death.

A woman “desperate to escape the marriage from hell”, is then the centre of Need You Dead but when the body of a woman is found, Grace finds what at first looks like an open-and-shut case turns out to have a “a darker, far more terrifying alternative..."

Finally, in Find Them Dead, Grace returns to Brighton after his secondment in the MET and he gets a tip-off about a drugs mastermind operating out of Brighton whilst also investigating a seemingly senseless murder.

This blurb says: "Gradually, Grace’s investigation draws him into the evil sphere of an utterly ruthless drug dealer on trial. A man prepared to order the death of anyone it takes to enable him to walk free from court.

"Sitting in the jury is Meg Magellan, whose daughter's life is being threatened by a stranger who tells her that if she ever wants to see her alive again, it is very simple. At the end of the trial, all she has to do is make sure the jury says just two words... Not guilty."

Who will star in season five?

Just as a synopsis has not yet been released, neither has a cast list.

Only one cast member has been announced as definitely not returning though - that being Blackpool star Craig Parkinson as - so we can assume the cast list will remain the same from series four, which as follows.

• John Simm as Roy Grace
• Richie Campbell as Glenn Branson
• Laura Elphinstone as Bella Moy
• Zoë Tapper as Cleo Morey
• Brad Morrison as Nick Nicholl
• Sam Hoare as Cassian Pewe

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Unfortunately ITV still has not confirmed an exact date.

As said above, they have promised it will be airing in Spring.

We will update this story when more details are revealed.