The Imposter on Channel 5: 5 clues 'Amanda' wasn't who she said she was in episode 1
She has a cunning plan - but will it work?
The Imposter is currently airing on Channel 5, and it’s the perfect soapy thriller for a cold night in, with episode 1 transporting us straight to Australia.
The four part series kicked off tonight (Monday, December 15) and introduced Helen O’Riley, general manager of a sprawling seaside hotel. While she’s in almost constant contact with her three adult children, Simon, Kate and Ian, she’s harbouring a secret.
Decades earlier, Helen gave her first child up for adoption in the UK before the other kids were born. In The Imposter, Helen’s daughter Amanda turns up out of the blue, and a vulnerable Helen believes she is the answer to all her problems. But is Amanda really who she says she is?
A Channel 5 synopsis teases: “The lucrative hotel is the ultimate prize and a twisted scheme soon spirals into betrayal and ultimately, murder…”
***Warning: spoilers from episode 1 of The Imposter ahead***
The Imposter episode 1: 5 Clues Amanda isn’t who she says she is
In episode 1 of The Imposter, viewers saw the dynamic between matriarch Helen and her children, who all worked in the family hotel in a Melbourne beachside suburb.
However, Helen’s not getting any younger and a diagnosis of advanced macular degeneration (AMD) means she won’t be able to run the hotel indefinitely. And what chance does she have of her passing the responsibility to her kids? Helen believes that eldest son Simon is lazy and can’t be trusted. While Kate and Ian are dedicated, Helen disapproves of their husbands, Todd and Lee. Real estate agent Todd wants the hotel sold, while Lee has a history of recreational drug taking.
So what convenient timing it is when Helen’s secret daughter Amanda turns up in Australia, looking for her real mum. Turns out Helen wrote to her a year earlier, but never heard back. Suddenly the daughter, Amanda, appears out of the blue… Red flag anyone?
Clue one: The show is called The Imposter
Well pardon us for stating for the obvious, but the show is called The Imposter. Now if that isn’t a pretty huge clue as to ‘Amanda’s’ real identity, then we don’t know what is.
Channel 5 thriller’s tend to tell it like it is. See The Feud, The Game, The Au Pair, The Drowning, and The Rumour for evidence.
Clue 2 after The Imposter episode 1: ‘Amanda’ is too good to be true
‘Amanda’ has turned up in Melbourne with nothing but compassion and love for her newfound ‘mum’. But surely there might be some residual resentment at having been abandoned decades ago? Especially as Helen went on to have three more children, whom she bought up, and still sees on a daily basis.
Instead, Kym Marsh’s character seems too nice, too forgiving, and too invested in worming her way into her mum’s life. If Helen doesn’t smell a rat, then her children sure do. Or at least Kate and Ian, who seem to want the best for their mum. Which brings us neatly to Simon…
Clue 3: ‘Amanda’ is in a relationship with ‘half-brother’ Simon
The biggest clue of all is that Amanda, who really is beginning to look a lot like someone else, is having a sexual relationship with her so-called half-brother Simon. In the closing scenes of The Imposter episode 1, Amanda and Simon locked themselves in a hotel room and started having passionate sex.
Either they are trying to recreate the sickening incest story from Brookside in 1996, or they aren’t related at all. The pair are clearly in cahoots. And we suspect Helen’s money is the prize.
Interesting that Simon was the only one of Helen’s children to demand a DNA test, too. Something tells us the results will be faked.
Clue 4: The timing
The timing of Amanda’s arrival sure seemed convenient. After years of no contact, why has she chosen to arrive now that Helen is becoming elderly and might have to sell the hotel?
We know that Helen’s greedy kids want her to sell, but Helen is against the lucrative deals they’ve been offered. Helen’s son-in-law Todd, aka Kate’s real estate agent husband, is also under pressure to secure a commission. Meanwhile, Simon is just a loser with no ambition, and Ian wants a loan to pay a surrogate to carry his child. The hotel is worth AUD 30 million (£15 million).
Looks like everyone wants a slice of Helen’s money pie, so the arrival of Helen’s angelic long lost daughter seems all too coincidental.
Clue 5: The appearance of Dannii Minogue’s character
Lastly, at the end of The Imposter episode 1, we saw a sneak peak of the upcoming episode – and crucially the appearance of Dannii Minogue’s as yet unnamed character. Doesn’t take a genius to guess she might well be the REAL Amanda. Scream!
We also saw the fake Amanda telling Simon: “It’s all a game babe. You keep doing your bit, and I’ll keep doing mine.”
‘She is the worst character I’ve played so far’
In fact, Kym Marsh’s character is actually called Claire. She’s pretending to be Amanda in order to get her hands on Helen’s money.
Talking about her role in The Imposter, the actress said: “I’ve played some dark characters, but I do think with Amanda/Claire it’s the way she goes about everything with all her trickery. She is probably up there as the worst I’ve played so far.
“I just knew this was going to be fun to play. There is so much depth to her. Clearly, bad things have happened in her life to make her the way that she is. What I really loved is that the script wasn’t that typical moustache twiddling, Scooby Doo-esque villain. She is much more complex than that.”
Talking about her character’s reasons for worming her way in to Helen’s affections, Kym explained: “Amanda/Claire has turned up and she’s the daughter that Helen always wanted to have. Her way in is becoming Helen’s friend and ally. She just sides with Helen on a lot of things and is very understanding.”
Claire and Simon ‘hatched a cunning plan to sure up both their futures’
So who is the fake Amanda really? Well, Claire was born and raised in the UK. She’s a survivor “by any means possible”.
Channel 5 describe her as “wily and resourceful”. Claire’s had to overcome a lot in her 40-something life, including a grim upbringing, thorny relationships, and failed dreams. Now, she believes that life owes her something, and is always trying to better her situation – even if she has to cross moral lines to get there.
We’re told: “Eight months ago, Claire was between jobs and working as a receptionist in an adoption agency in the UK. One quiet afternoon, an Australian man named Simon walked into the agency, seeking information about a child – now a grown woman – who his mother put up for adoption over four decades ago. The pair got talking, then went for lunch, which soon turned into dinner, and a week-long sexy tryst in a hotel room. Tortured souls and kindred spirits, they hatched a cunning plan to sure up both their futures.”
Claire subsequently arrives in Australia pretending to be Amanda, the long-lost daughter of Helen, Simon’s mother. It’s her most brazen grab for a better life yet…
When is The Imposter next on Channel 5?
The Imposter airs over four consecutive nights on Channel 5, starting on Monday, December 15, 2025 at 9pm.
- Episode 2 airs on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at 9pm on Channel 5.
- Episode 3 airs on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at 9pm on Channel 5.
- The final episode, episode 4, airs on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 9pm on Channel 5.
Read more: Missed Call on Channel 5 is a ‘powerful story’ about ‘every mother’s worst fear’ starring Joanna Scanlan
