Forever Home on Channel 5: Cast of 'twisted', darkly comic drama led by stars of Emmerdale, Shetland, and Lewis
This is the thriller we've been waiting for...
Forever Home is the Channel 5 thriller we’ve been waiting for, with chilling plot twists, an amazing cast, and enough clues being thrown around to keep us guessing.
The six-part drama, based on the novel of the same name by Graham Norton, stars some of the UK’s most bankable stars. These include two memorable Emmerdale actors, a Shetland legend, and a veteran of TV crime dramas.
The series is “a darkly emotional story about marriage, family and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her children”. It follows the story of a second ‘wife’ dealing with the memories of the woman who went before her.
The synopsis tells us: “When Carol discovers a long-dead body hidden in the basement of her home, the horrific realisation is undeniable – she’s living with a killer. The story that her husband’s first wife ran away never to be seen again now looks like a lie. And the fact he’s insisted on never selling the house suddenly makes sense. But one dark family secret is soon to be replaced by another…”
Here’s who plays who in the cast of Channel 5 thriller Forever Home…
Forever Home on Channel 5 cast: Douglas Henshall stars as Robert Barrie
Glaswegian Douglas Henshall plays Robert Barrie in the cast of Forever Home on Channel 5. He should need no introduction to Shetland fans. The now 60-year-old actor played DI Jimmy Perez in the Scottish crime drama from 2013 to 2022. But the BAFTA award-winning actor has a career spanning over three decades across television and film.
Between 2007 and 2009, Dougie portrayed Nick Cutter in the BBC One drama Primeval. He went on to star in Collision, The Silence, and South Riding.
More recently, he’s appeared as Daniel Lang in Netflix thriller Who Is Erin Carter?, Major Horton in Agatha Christie’s Murder Is Easy, and Petur in The Darkness (currently available to watch on Channel4.com if you like a bit of Nordic Noir).
In 2025, he portrayed retired military Steve Williams in the brilliant comedy drama The Revenge Club.
Amy Nuttall plays Carol Crottie
Former soap star Amy Nuttall stars as Carol Crottie in the Channel 5 thriller, Robert’s partner but crucially not his second wife. Lancashire-born Amy, 44, is probably most famous for portraying Chloe Atkinson in Emmerdale, a role she played from 2000 to 2005.
After leaving the ITV soap, she starred as Melanie Hughes in Hotel Babylon, before winning the role of Ethel Parks in popular period drama Downton Abbey.
In 2020, she portrayed Winnie Peterson in ITV thriller Liar and, more recently, Lisa Castleton in the brilliant drama Mr Bates vs. The Post Office.
Other notable roles include Caitlin Standing in New Tricks, Phyllis Dalby in All Creatures Great & Small, Sylvia Bassington-ffrench in Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, and Grace Strachan in Chemistry of Death.
In 2024, she appeared in the Tim Burton film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as Jane Butterfield. We hope a role in a film as big as that helped ease the torment in her personal life… Amy Nuttall and her actor husband Andrew Buchan split up before Christmas in 2021 after his reported affair with Better co-star Leila Farzad.
More recently, Amy played a crucial role in another Channel 5 thriller. She had an affair with Rupert Penry-Jones character in The Feud.
Forever Home on Channel 5 cast: Denise Welch portrays Carol’s mother Moira Crottie
Tynemouth-born Denise Welch, 68, portrays Carol’s mother Moira Crottie in the ensemble cast of the Channel 5 thriller. Of course, TV fans know her as an actress and presenter, but she recently quit Loose Women to commit full time to her “first love acting”.
Aside from her role as a panellist on Loose Women, she’s no stranger to soaps, having appeared in all four of The Big Ones. Denise portrayed Natalie Barnes in Corrie, and was the reason fan-fave couple Sally and Kevin split up! She also played Alison Slater in EastEnders, Trish Minniver in Hollyoaks, and a juror in Emmerdale when Belle faced her abusive husband Tom in court.
Waterloo Road fans will know her as Steph Haydock in Waterloo Road, a role she recently returned to. Other notable roles include Polly in Byker Grove, Frances Spender in Spender, Marsha Stubbs in Soldier Soldier, and Jackie Murphy in Down to Earth.
This year, she popped up as a guest in an episode of Benidorm is Murder.
Lewis Cope portrays Kaden Barrie
Actor and now dancer Lewis Cope stars as Kaden Barrie in the cast of Channel 5’s Forever Home. The 31 year old from Hartlepool impressed judges and audiences alike when he took part in Strictly last year. Before that, he was famous for portraying Nicky Miligan in the ITV soap Emmerdale.
Lewis found fame in London’s West End at just 11 years old when he was cast as Michael, Billy’s best friend, in Billy Elliot: The Musical. He moved to London for the role. A year later, young Lewis returned home to the North East and joined street dance group Ruff Diamond. They went on to become runners-up on Sky’s Got To Dance in 2013.
In 2022, Lewis landed his breakout TV role as Nicky Miligan in Emmerdale. He earned a nomination for the National Television Awards’ Rising Star the following year. Forever Home is his first big TV role since leaving Emmerdale, and taking part in Strictly.
Forever Home on Channel 5 cast: Jenny Walser stars as Sally Barrie
London-born Jenny Walser, 31, stars as Sally Barrie in the creepy crime drama. She is a relative newbie compared to her co-stars, but is best known for portraying Tori Spring in the coming-of-age romantic comedy Heartstopper.
The queer actress made her television debut as Louise Wrigley in 2021, playing Louise Wrigley in Call the Midwife. The next year, she joined the cast of Heartstopper as the elder sister of Charlie Spring. Jenny reprised the role in the 2026’s sequel Heartstopper Forever.
She’s also appeared in Star City, and The Next Level.
Shane Zaza plays Dan Evans
Actor Shane Zaza, 42, stars as Dan Evans in the latest Channel 5 thriller. Shane has been on our screens for two decades, ever since he played a police technician in the 2005 Messiah: The Harrowing.
He’s probably most famous for playing Shafiq Shah in the cast of unparalleled detective drama Happy Valley, a role he played between 2014 and 2023. He’s actually one of the few actors to have been in all three series of the BBC drama (without being killed off). Shafiq was a Police Constable, who became a Sergeant in the final season.
Since the end of Happy Valley, actor Shane has subsequently played Fred in the heartbreaking Best Interests, Tariq in comedy series Big Boys, and Nikhil Kapur in sci-fi thriller Invasion.
Shane is also known for portraying Simon in Everything I Know About Love, Raz in Press, and Autolycus Brewit in Will. Other notable roles include Chuck in the 2016 Black Mirror episode Nosedive, Sami Rashid in Silent Witness, and Rakim in Mouth to Mouth.
More recently, he played Hari in the cast of The Couple Next Door series 2 on Channel 4.
Kevin Whately portrays Silent Dave, aka Carol’s dad
Kevin Whately stars as Silent Dave and, like Amy Nuttall and Shane Zaza, it’s not his first time in a Channel 5 thriller. In 2023, he starred as Michael in the Channel 5 thriller The Inheritance. It’s arguably one of the best C5 dramas, as is Forever Home.
Cumberland-born actor Kevin Whately, 75, is a respected star of huge TV hits including Inspector Morse, and its subsequent spin-off Lewis.
From 1987 to 2000 (on and off), Kevin starred as Detective Sergeant Lewis opposite John Thaw in Inspector Morse. Then, between 2006 and 2015, he reprised the role in Lewis.
Peak Practice fans will know him for playing Dr. Jack Kerruish between 1993 and 1995. Before that, Kevin made his name portraying Neville Hope in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. The series ran from 1983 to 1986, and led to a brief reprisal between 2002 and 2004.
In 2025, Kevin played a pivotal part in the last ever Vera episodes on ITV. His film roles have included the leading role in 2010’s Joe Maddison’s War, and Hardy in The English Patient.
Forever Home on Channel 5 cast: James Baxter stars as Patrick
Sunderland-born actor James Baxter portrays Patrick in Forever Home on Channel 5. He is perhaps most famous for playing deputy head teacher Joe Casey in Waterloo Road from 2023 until the present date.
He also famously played Leroy in BBC One drama Still Open All Hours between 2013 and 2019. Soap fans will know him for playing Jake Donald in Emmerdale in 2008 and 2009.
Other notable roles include Anthony in Alma’s Not Normal, Jesus in Red Dwarf, and Gavin Bradbury in Death in Paradise.
James is engaged to former Emmerdale star Chelsea Halfpenny, who was the original actor to play Amy Wyatt in the soap. The couple share a daughter.
Samantha Bond plays Joan Barrie
London-born Samantha Bond, 64, stars as Joan Barrie. She previously appeared opposite Forever Home co-star Kevin Whately in the cast of Channel 5 thriller The Inheritance.
Of course, she is perhaps most famous for playing Miss Moneypenny in the Bond films, specifically the Pierce Brosnan films between 1995 and 2002.
More recently, she’s become cosy-crime-famous leading the cast of her very own murder mystery The Marlow Murder Club. Other notable roles include Diana in Election Spy, Frances Barden in Home Fires, Lady Rosamund Painswick in Downton Abbey, and Angela Morrison in Outnumbered.
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Is Alfie Cope related to Lewis Cope?
Young actor Alfie Cope portrays young Kaden in the cast of Forever Home, and it’s his very first TV role. And if the surname sounds familiar, it’s with very good reason. No, he’s not one of Lewis Cope’s 13 siblings. He’s actually Lewis’ nephew.
Talking to us about little Alfie, Lewis said: “The young actor Alfie Cope, who is playing young Kaden, is my nephew! I was on set one day and someone from production came over and asked if I could send them some photos of me when I was younger. They wanted to find someone who authentically could look like me as Kaden.
“I told them that my nephew was already acting and performing and that he was a similar age to young Kaden. So, Alfie did the self-tapes and the audition and then he managed to get the job. It’s a lovely thing. I went and watched the monitor for a little bit. I was sat there with a big smile on my face from ear to ear.”
Meanwhile, Douglas Henshall described young actors Alfie Cope and Hallie Pringle (who plays young Sally) as “lovely wee people” who were “very easy” to work with.
Who else is in the ensemble cast?
Aimée Kelly stars as Kaden and Dan’s surrogate mother Martha. She’s a BAFTA nominated actress best known for her debut leading role in the 2011 film Sket.
She’s also led the cast of CBBC’s hit drama Wolfblood (2012) as Maddy Smith. Other notable roles include Elise Larkin in Boris Johnson drama This England, baddie Jamie Constantinou in Hijack, and Sasha in Platform 7. In 2025, Aimée played Judith Morden in NTA-winning I Fought the Law.
Anna Leong Brophy plays Anna Tanner. She’s known for portraying Louise Chiu Jones in Traces, Tamar Kir-Bataar in Shadow and Bone, and Laura in Last Tango in Halifax.
Newcomer Sol Taibi stars as Sally’s keen work colleague Sam. This is his second TV appearance, having played a date in Smoggie Queens in 2024.
Dani Arlington stars as Dan’s colleague Davina. She previously played Aileen Peters in The Dumping Ground.
Lastly, Ricky Shah portrays DCI Isaac Taylor. It’s a rare TV appearance, having previously popped up in smaller roles in Casualty, and Silent Witness, and Silo.
Main cast list of Forever Home on Channel 5
Amy Nuttall stars as Carol Crottie.
Douglas Henshall plays Robert Barrie.
Denise Welch portrays Moira Crottie.
Lewis Cope is Kaden Barrie.
Jenny Walser plays Sally Barrie.
Shane Zaza portrays Dan Evans.
Kevin Whately is Silent Dave.
James Baxter stars as Patrick Tanner.
Samantha Bond portrays Joan Barrie.
Read more: Shetland’s Alison O’Donnell to leave the series after 13 years
