The Rumour is a new five-part thriller, based on the bestselling novel by Lesley Kara, and is set to have you on the edge of your seat from the very first epsiode.
The story follows Joanna, played by Rachel Shenton (All Creatures Great And Small), who has uprooted her life in London for a fresh start in the quiet suburbs of the functional town of Flinstead.
However, when a chilling rumour about a convicted child killer spreads throughout a small town, a wave of suspicion and paranoia is unleashed.
Here's everything you need to know about The Rumour...
The Rumour release date
Five-part series, The Rumour, starts on Channel 5 on Wednesday, September 10 at 9 pm. Episodes two and three air on Thursday, September 11 and Friday, September 12 at the same time.
The remaining two episodes air on Wednesday, September 17 and Thursday, September 18.
As soon as we get a US release date, we will update this guide.
The Rumour plot
On her first day in a new job, Joanna stumbles across a post on an online forum that claims a woman called Sally McGowan, who was convicted of murder when she was a child, is living there under a new identity.
However, when Joanna brings up the rumour with a group of school mums, there are devastating consequences for the community and Joanna herself as the whispers grow louder and suspicions spiral.
"I loved the ordinariness of Joanna," says Rachel Shenton, who plays her. "You see these shows all the time on TV where a character will be brilliant at something, a brilliant detective, a brilliant doctor, but with Joanna what I found intriguing was there is none of that. She doesn’t have a particularly good job, house, wardrobe or lifestyle. She is just trying to make her life work like everybody else, she’s very relatable.
"You see her becoming completely obsessed trying to work out the truth. It’s like an itch that she can’t help but scratch. Her relentless pursuit of the truth becomes a major part of the story. People get hurt and lose their lives because of hearsay. The story shows just how much damage gossip can do."
The Rumour cast
A who's who of the chilling crime thriller...
Joanna - played by Rachel Shenton
Joanna has recently moved to the suburbs and is desperate to fit in with the new community and make new friends.
Bea - played by Joanne Whalley
Bea is Joanna’s mum, who has a close but sparky relationship with her daughter and who Joanna moves to be near.
Michael - played by Sam Anderson
Sam is the father of Joanna’s son Alfie, who is shocked when she decides to uproot her life from London.
Debbie - played by Emily Atack
Debbie is the queen bee school mum who is an influencer, lives in a huge fancy house, and loves to gossip.
Rachel - played by Lucy Speed
Rachel is a prison guard and also the school mum whom Joanna forms the closest connection with.
The Rumour trailer
The trailer for The Rumour sees Joanna arriving in her new town and starting to make friends, only for things to spiral out of control as gossip spreads...
Behind the scenes and more on The Rumour
Much of the series was filmed in Budapest, Hungary which doubles as Flinstead.
"It was my first time there and I wish I’d had some more downtime to explore," says Rachel. "On the occasional day off I had a wander along the Danube, which was very beautiful. I was pregnant with my son at the time and so was probably a bit more tired than usual but I was lucky that I wasn’t suffering from morning sickness. The cast managed a couple of dinners out together."
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