Adultery is the latest series landing on ITV that's set to get everyone talking, with the relationship drama coming from Brassic's Danny Brocklehurst who has sought to map out what he calls the "anatomy of an affair".
Following GP Tom Kirkman (Dominic Cooper) and working mum Beth Brookes (Romola Garai), the series charts the budding relationship of these two married strangers whose affair detonates across both their families.
Running in parallel is the tender teenage romance between Beth's son and Tom's daughter, with the cast featuring a mixture of recognisable faces from British TV and some newcomers.
But who's who in the new six-parter? Here's a guide to the actors and characters appearing in Adultery.
Adultery cast
- Romola Garai as Beth Brookes
- Dominic Cooper as Tom Kirkman
- Shelley Conn as Hannah Kirkman
- Matthew McNulty as Neil Brookes
- Leila Khan as Jess Kirkman
- Johnny Sanpher as Ollie Brookes
- James Murray as Paul Kirkman
- Charley Webb as Leah Kirkman
- Andrew Knott as Dave
Romola Garai as Beth Brookes
About the character: Beth is an ordinary working mum whose life is thrown into orbit when her closest friend, Ally, dies suddenly. As she struggles to cope with the loss, she crosses paths with Tom, a man who seems to be from a very different world but is actually the father of her daughter's boyfriend. Garai has described Beth as a woman who has simply "had enough of doing the right thing".
Where you've seen Romola Garai before: Garai recently starred in ITV's Betrayal but has played Briony Tallis in Atonement, Bel Rowley in the BBC's The Hour and Alice Haughton in Suffragette, with earlier roles in Emma, I Capture the Castle, Vanity Fair and The Crimson Petal and the White. In 2025, she won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Years.
Dominic Cooper as Tom Kirkman
About the character: Tom is a successful GP with a large house, a wife he has known since university and three daughters. His life may seem picture-perfect but there's more hiding beneath the surface than meets the eye and when he meets Beth by chance one day, he's pulled into a similar kind of affair that once wrecked his own parents' marriage.
Where you've seen Dominic Cooper before: Cooper broke through as Dakin in Alan Bennett's The History Boys on stage and screen, then played Sky in Mamma Mia! and its sequel. He starred as Jesse Custer in Preacher and Howard Stark in Marvel's Agent Carter, having introduced the character in Captain America: The First Avenger. You may also recognise him from TV roles in The Last Frontier, The Gold, Suspect and My Lady Jane.
Shelley Conn as Hannah Kirkman
About the character: Hannah is Tom's wife and is in the midst of recovering from a period of ill health. She can sense something is amiss in her marriage but cannot quite place it.
Where you've seen Shelley Conn before: Conn played Lady Mary Sharma in the second season of Bridgerton, DI Vanessa Harmon in Liar and Dean Indira Shetty in Gen V, having most recently starred in Paramount+ psychological thriller Little Disasters. Earlier roles include Ashika Chandiramani in Party Animals, plus Mistresses, Terra Nova and Strike Back.
Matthew McNulty as Neil Brookes
About the character: Neil is Beth's husband and is proud, hard-working regular type of guy. He runs his own business but is facing a court case that is placing the family under strain. His tendency to drink impacts those around him and he misses the warning signs that Beth isn't as committed to their marriage as she once was.
Where you've seen Matthew McNulty before: McNulty played Seth in Misfits, Lieutenant Edward Little in The Terror and Dave in Cleaning Up. His other credits include See No Evil: The Moors Murders, The Paradise, The Mill, Domina and The Rising. He was most recently seen in After the Flood and The Jetty.
Leila Khan as Jess Kirkman
About the character: Jess is Tom and Hannah's teenage daughter, who stepped up to help care for her younger siblings during her mother's illness. Now, through her relationship with Ollie, she is finding space to simply be a teenager again and enjoy all the feelings that come with first love.
Where you've seen Leila Khan before: Khan made her professional debut as Sahar Zahid in Netflix's Heartstopper, winning the part through an open casting call. She has also appeared in a Death in Paradise Christmas special, Crookhaven and returned to Heartstopper for its third season and concluding film.
Johnny Sanpher as Ollie Brookes
About the character: Ollie is Beth and Neil's teenage son who is embarking on his first serious relationship with Jess. He's head over heels but in the back of his mind is his father's looming court case.
Where you've seen Johnny Sanpher before: Adultery is Sanpher's first television role.
James Murray as Paul Kirkman
About the character: Paul is Tom's brother and whilst they may be related, Paul's own messy life starkly contrasts with Tom's more dependable lifestyle.
Where you've seen James Murray before: Murray is a familiar face on British television, with credits including Cucumber, Suspects, Primeval, The Crown and Masters of the Air.
Charley Webb as Leah Kirkman
About the character: Leah is Tom's sister-in-law, who is struggling within her own marriage. When she has suspicions of her own relating to Paul, she enlists Hannah for advice.
Where you've seen Charley Webb before: Webb is best known for playing Debbie Dingle in Emmerdale, a role she held across almost two decades on the long-running ITV soap. She has since featured in Better, The Long Shadow, McDonald & Dodds and Ellis.
Andrew Knott as Dave
About the character: Dave is the ex-husband of Beth's late friend Ally and is a thorn in Beth's side, with the pair constantly bumping heads over Ally's home.
Where you've seen Andrew Knott before: Knott began acting as a child, with early roles in The Secret Garden and Black Beauty, and later appeared in Alan Bennett's The History Boys. He is perhaps best known for his role as Dickie in Gavin & Stacey, but has had roles in Casualty, Time, Ackley Bridge, The Walk-In and Protection.
Adultery premieres on ITV1 on Sunday 25th October at 9pm, continuing on Monday at 9pm. All episodes will be available to stream on ITVX.
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