Jill Halfpenny leads the cast in brand new Channel 5 thriller The Holiday, following a woman who goes on holiday with her family and four of her closest friends, only to learn one of them is having an affair with her cheating husband. To make matters worse, one of the group winds up dead at the bottom of a cliff.
The drama series is based on Sunday Times bestseller The Holiday, although there will inevitably be differences between the book and the TV series, as Jill Halfpenny has explained, stating she is feeling ‘very realistic’ about viewer reaction.
The series remains “pretty close” to the novel, Halfpenny told RadioTimes.com: “Towards the end there are a few little changes here and there but other than that, I would say it was it was pretty close.”
She continued: “It’s always difficult when somebody loves a book that’s been adapted because you can’t get the amount of detail and nuance in a drama that you get in a 600-page book, otherwise it’d be a 20-episode drama. So I think people do always feel like, ‘Oh, you didn’t put the part in that was my favourite.’ But there just has to be a choice when you’re adapting something and the story has to keep moving.”
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast and characters in Channel 5 drama The Holiday.
Jill Halfpenny plays Kate
!["The]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/02/Jill-Halfpenny-The-Holiday-4ca4a7d.jpg?quality=90&resize=603%2C413" "\"The")
Who is Kate? A woman who discovers that her husband Sean is having an affair during a luxurious group holiday in the Mediterranean.
Where have I seen Jill Halfpenny before? She recently played the lead role in the TV series The Drowning, and has also starred in the series Dark Money, Babylon, Year of the Rabbit, Humans, and Three Girls. She also played Izzie Redpath in Waterloo Road.
Owen McDonnell plays Sean
!["TheHoliday_Episode1_Day18_1766_ReferenceImage_m37298"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/03/The20Holiday_Episode201_Day18_1766_ReferenceImage_m37298-b6cca7c.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"TheHoliday_Episode1_Day18_1766_ReferenceImage_m37298\"")
Who is Sean? Kate’s cheating husband, whom she begins to suspect during their group holiday abroad with their family friends.
Where have I seen Owen McDonnell before? The actor is best known internationally as Eve’s long-suffering husband Niko Polastri in Killing Eve, but he’s also starred in Silent Witness, Death in Paradise, The Bay, Three Families, and will star in the upcoming adaptation of Great Expectations alongside Olivia Colman.
Liv Mjones plays Jenny
!["TheHoliday_Episode2_Day06_1051_ReferenceImage_m37471"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/03/The20Holiday_Episode202_Day06_1051_ReferenceImage_m37471-16d8ed5.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"TheHoliday_Episode2_Day06_1051_ReferenceImage_m37471\"")
Who is Jenny? One of Kate’s long-standing friends.
Where have I seen Liv Mjones before? The Swedish actress played Ulla in the horror film Midsommar, and Frida in Kiss Me. She’s also known for Modus, A Serious Game, and Tigers.
Siobhan Hewlett plays Rowan
!["TheHoliday_Episode1_Day05_2964_ReferenceImage_m37259"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/03/The20Holiday_Episode201_Day05_2964_ReferenceImage_m37259-f428ac0.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"TheHoliday_Episode1_Day05_2964_ReferenceImage_m37259\"")
Who is Rowan? A member of the friendship group that goes on holiday together in The Holiday – before Kate learns that one of their number is having an affair with her husband.
Where have I seen Siobhan Hewlett before? She played Helen in the BBC One series Sherlock, and Tracey in Redemption, starring Jason Statham. She also starred in The Syndicate, the TV mini-series Parade’s End, and Penny in McDonald & Dodds.
Cat Simmons plays Izzy
!["TheHoliday_Episode2_Day06_0849_ReferenceImage_m37465"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/03/The20Holiday_Episode202_Day06_0849_ReferenceImage_m37465-96805c2.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"TheHoliday_Episode2_Day06_0849_ReferenceImage_m37465\"")
Who is Izzy? Another one of Kate’s long-standing friends.
Where have I seen Cat Simmons before? She played DC Kezia Walker in The Bill, and Becky Colter in Holby City. She’s also starred in Killing Eve (as Carleen), Silent Hours, Moving On, and Doctors.
Aidan McCardle plays Alistair
!["TheHoliday_Episode1_Day05_2118_ReferenceImage_m37250"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/03/The20Holiday_Episode201_Day05_2118_ReferenceImage_m37250-689d417.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C396" "\"TheHoliday_Episode1_Day05_2118_ReferenceImage_m37250\"")
Who is Alistair? Jenny’s husband, who also attends the group holiday.
Where have I seen Aidan McCardle before? Fans of the fantasy film Ella Enchanted will remember him as the elf Slannen, who helps Anne Hathaway’s titular character on her quest. He’s also starred in Sense8 (as Mitchell Taylor), the film The Duchess, The Mallorca Files, The Trial of Christine Keeler, and Endeavour.
Andrew Macklin plays Russ
!["TheHoliday_Episode2_Day20_0138_ReferenceImage_m37489"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/03/The20Holiday_Episode202_Day20_0138_ReferenceImage_m37489-c5748b5.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"TheHoliday_Episode2_Day20_0138_ReferenceImage_m37489\"")
Who is Russ? The husband of Kate’s friend, Rowan.
Where have I seen Andrew Macklin before? He played Troy Dowling in Fair City, and Michael in the Doctor Who episode ‘Ascension of the Cybermen’, and Tim Watkins in Doctors.
Lara McDonnell plays Lucy
!["TheHoliday_Episode1_Day05_3136_ReferenceImage_m37262"]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/03/The20Holiday_Episode201_Day05_3136_ReferenceImage_m37262-3ca8863.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"TheHoliday_Episode1_Day05_3136_ReferenceImage_m37262\"")
Who is Lucy? One of Kate’s children, who also attends the group holiday in the Mediterranean.
Where have I seen Lara McDonnell before? She’s known for Artemis Fowl, Ballistic, the film Love, Rosie (as the younger version of Lily Collins’ character), and the Oscar-nominated film Belfast, as Moira.
Catch The Holiday on 1st March at 9pm on Channel 5. Find out what else is on with our TV Guide, or visit our Drama Hub for all the latest news.
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