Betrayal on ITV: Filming locations include 'stunning' UK landmark in former European Capital of Culture
It's been a hard day's night for spy John Hughes...
Betrayal lands on ITV this weekend, and many viewers will no doubt recognise the metropolitan backdrop used for its filming locations. It was also once voted one of the friendliest cities in the UK!
The four-part spy thriller is a short-and-sweet fast-paced series. And, when we say sweet, we mean with a side-order of sour – murder, drugs, and threats to national security. Throw in a potential marriage breakdown, and you’re on the right path.
While some of the drama was filmed in the UK’s capital city, most of the series was filmed in and around a city famous for its football, music, and architecture. Have you guessed yet?
Here’s everything you need to know about the filming locations used in ITV thriller Betrayal.
Where is Betrayal set?
Betrayal is actually set in London. John and his wife Claire live in the UK capital, and his work base is the MI5 building on the embankment of the Thames. Other scenes see John visit Manchester’s Stockport.
However, although there are some outside shots of London, the series was mostly filmed more than 200 miles away in Liverpool.
In scenes supposedly set around the MI5 building, viewers will see famous London landmarks including Big Ben, and the Houses of Parliament. However, these are only the exterior shots. John Hughes doesn’t actually go to the real MI5 building on London’s embankment. It would be a massive breach of security for starters!
Almost all the inside scenes were filmed in Liverpool.
Betrayal on ITV filming locations: Pier Head and The Three Graces’ Port of Liverpool Building
In fact, the impressive interior shots were film inside the Port of Liverpool Building. The Port of Liverpool Building is an impressive building on the waterfront located as part of the Pier Head and The Three Graces. These icons buildings are made up of the Royal Liver Building, The Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building. They situate themselves on Liverpool’s Pier Head.The Port of Liverpool Building
The Port of Liverpool Building is Grade II listed. It was the first of the Three Graces to ‘grace’ the waterfront, with construction starting in 1904 and opening in 1907 as the headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. The MDHB housed here for 87 years right up until 1994.
In 2006 and until 2009, the Edwardian Baroque style building underwent a major £10m restoration, bringing many of its original features back to life.
The building’s central dome is the main focal point of the building – though it wasn’t actually part of the original design of the building. It was inspired by an unused design for Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral that was developed several year’s earlier. It is noted for its ornate architectural features and expensive decorative features that are reflective of Liverpool’s maritime links and importance in maintaining the British Empire.
The Port of Liverpool Building also features the stunning mosaic flooring we see in episode 1. It depicts the points of a compass. You can actually visit the building. While it’s primarily a working office, visitors can generally enter the ground floor to admire the interior.
What filming locations were used for Betrayal on ITV?
ITV’s latest thriller Betrayal was filmed in and around Liverpool with key landmarks featuring throughout the series. Eagle-eyed viewers will be able to spot the Merseyside Innovation Centre, the Liverpool Canal, and Royal Albert Dock among countless others.
Of course, the European Union selected the city as the European Capital of Culture in 2008. It was huge news for Liverpudlians, as it generated more than £800 million for the local economy within a year.
It’s famous for its music scene, not least being the birth place of The Beatles. Designated as a UNESCO City of Music, it has produced more No. 1 singles than any other city.
In 2025, a Condé Nast Traveller poll asked readers to vote for the friendliest corners of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. And Liverpool came in the top 10, with Glasgow winning top spot.
Liverpool is also famous for its sporting culture, including two Premier League teams Liverpool FC and Everton FC, and its Grand National steeplechase at Aintree Racecourse. Other highlights include its rich maritime history (Albert Dock, Mersey Ferry), and distinctive architecture and multiple iconic buildings.
Betrayal is by no means the first TV series to use Liverpool as a back-drop. Numerous popular shows have been filmed in the metropolis.
Top TV shows and movies also filmed in Liverpool
The Responder on BBC One. The gritty police drama was set and shot in Liverpool. Fans praised Martin Freeman for his authentic Scouse accent. It aired for two series between 2022 and 2024.
This City Is Ours. The 2025 BBC crime drama put Liverpool centre stage. Series 2 is coming in 2026, and continues to follow organised crime member Michael on his battle to the top.
The Irregulars. Netflix's 2021 supernatural crime drama was set in Victorian London, but actually filmed in Liverpool. The series followed a gang of troubled street teens who are manipulated into solving crimes for the sinister Doctor Watson and his mysterious business partner, the elusive Sherlock Holmes.
Peaky Blinders. The first four series of the gangster family epic set in 1900s England were filmed in Liverpool. Of course, fans know the BBC series kicked off in 2013 and centred on Tommy Shelby, and his gang of criminal misfits. The series used locations like Stanley Dock and Powys Street for 1920s Birmingham.
The Crown. Believe it or not, season 3 of the Netflix period drama in 2019 used Liverpool to double for Washington D.C.
Bread. Anyone over 40 should remember the classic 80s sitcom set in Liverpool. It followed the working-class family the Boswells. It ran on the Beeb from 1986 to 1991.
Liverpool filming locations used for Betrayal
If you’ve ever been to Liverpool – and, if you haven’t, why not? – you should recognise some of these other local sights. The following were all used as filming locations for the ITV thriller Betrayal.
Edge Hill Train Station, Tunnel Rd, L7 6NI
Edge Hill railway station serves the district of Edge Hill, Liverpool. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the world, after opening in 1830 as part of the Liverpool-Manchester line.
The world’s oldest active passenger station is often used for cultural, artistic, and historical filming. The site frequently hosts arts, film screenings, and television productions.
Cat and Fiddle, St Martins House, Stanley Rd, Bootle L20 3LG
The Cat and Fiddle is a small historic pub found in Bootle, about three miles from Liverpool city centre. Located in St Martins House, it was used for several scenes between Shaun Evans’ character John Hughes and Zahra Ahmadi’s Mehreen Askari Evans.
William Brown St, Liverpool L3 8EN
William Brown Street is a road that is known for its high concentration of public buildings. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘Cultural Quarter’. Originally known as Shaw’s Brow, it is now named after William Brown, a local MP and philanthropist. In 1860, he donated land in the area for the building of a library and museum.
Liverpool African Caribbean Centre, Amberley St, L8 1YJ
The African Caribbean Centre in Liverpool 8 is a “thriving hub, empowering a healthy, connected community”. The cast and crew of Betrayal used the location in episode 1 to pose as a Persian Temple.
Betrayal on ITV filming locations: ‘To be up north was brilliant’
Liverpool-born Shaun Evans, 45, was thrilled to be filming in his home city. Born to Irish parents, the Scouser actually lives in London nowadays. He plays the leading character of John Hughes in the show.
Talking about filming on home turf, he said: “It was incredible! I spend a lot of time in Liverpool, because my family are all there. So to be up north was brilliant. They were a really funny, hard-working crew. And to be seeing parts of Liverpool in a way that I hadn’t seen them, having access to certain parts of the city, that was just amazing. A very special time in my life.”
Romola Garai, who plays Shaun’s onscreen wife added: “I had a very nice little apartment right by the docks. So I’d go on walks and go to all the museums, which was great. It was a city I didn’t know very well, so it was a real treat to explore the food scene and galleries.”
Liverpool is a ‘beautiful city’ with ‘stunning architecture’
Mehreen Askari Evans’ Zahra Ahmadi revealed she “loved” filming in Liverpool. She gushed: “I’d worked in Manchester before for quite a considerable amount of time and I’m a big fan. But I had only ever been to Liverpool once (and only for a week) before Betrayal. And I was working that whole time, so I didn’t get to know it at all really. But what I do remember from that week was how every single Scouser I met was really engaged, eloquent and energised which I loved.
“This time round, however, I got more time to explore. And I’d never realised what a beautiful city it was. The architecture is stunning. And then of course there’s the musical history and the food scene too, which is incredible. I ate the most amazing cauliflower dish that blew my mind… Maray’s ‘Disco Cauliflower’, you need to try it.”
Actor and comedian Omid Djalili, who plays Qasem Asadi, believes the vibe of locations like Liverpool “seep into the filming”. He said: “The crew were fantastic. They had a certain no-nonsense spirit which I loved. At my hotel, I bumped into Philip Regan, this Instagram star called the Queen of Scotty Road. He goes, let’s do a video, and then he just hurled abuse at me! It got thousands of views on Instagram, and it was hysterical – the kindest and most enjoyable abuse I’ve ever had in my life. That’s the spirit up there. They’ll abuse you if they like you. It was tremendously enjoyable to film there.”
