Can You Keep a Secret? cast: Full list of actors in new BBC sitcom

by

Dawn French stars in a new BBC One and iPlayer sitcom as a determined woman caught up in a dangerous crime.

Okay, so I just heard about this movie called Can You Keep a Secret? and the premise is wild. It’s about this woman, Debbie, played by French, who everyone thinks is a widow. But here’s the twist: her husband, William – played by Mark Heap – is actually still alive, and she’s been hiding him in the attic! Seriously, the whole movie revolves around that crazy secret.

She planned to collect his life insurance money, hoping to finally live the comfortable life they’d always dreamed of, but the scheme turned out to be much harder to execute than she thought.

The series begins with Harry (Craig Roberts) discovering a major family secret, leaving him conflicted about whether to tell his wife, Neha (Mandip Gill), who is a police officer.

Can You Keep a Secret? cast: Full list of actors in new BBC sitcom

Want to know who’s in Can You Keep a Secret? This provides a look at the main characters and the actors who play them, with details about where you might recognize the cast from other projects.

  • Dawn French as Debbie Fendon
  • Mark Heap as William Fendon
  • Craig Roberts as Harold ‘Harry’ Fendon
  • Mandip Gill as Neha Fendon
  • Paul Chahidi as Clive
  • Heather Seymour as Jean
  • Geraldine McNulty as Pamela
  • Shola Adewusi as Billie
  • Gregory Gudgeon as Pigfish
  • Sam Battersea as PC Susan

Dawn French plays Debbie Fendon

Debbie Fendon is a woman who tells people her husband recently died. However, William isn’t actually dead – he was incorrectly declared so, and Debbie is pretending he is in order to collect his life insurance money. She justifies her actions by seeing herself as a modern-day Robin Hood, fueled by anger over the denial of William’s health coverage after his Parkinson’s diagnosis. While she believes she’s doing what’s right, her actions sometimes cross the line.

French described her recent character as someone who firmly believes she is always correct. She noted that she herself rarely feels that level of certainty, usually assuming she might be mistaken. Unlike her character, French explained, she generally approaches situations with a degree of self-doubt, while this character lacks that hesitation or internal check.

Acting impulsively, she made a quick decision, and now, facing serious consequences like potential jail time, she realizes she has to take responsibility and handle the situation, no matter how difficult.

Dawn French is a hugely popular British comedian who first became famous with Jennifer Saunders. They currently co-host the ‘Titting About’ podcast and previously starred together in the film ‘Death on the Nile’. French is also well known for her role in the beloved sitcom ‘The Vicar of Dibley’, and has appeared in other TV shows like ‘Psychoville’, ‘Roger & Val Have Just Got In’, and ‘The Trouble with Maggie Cole’.

Mark Heap plays William Fendon

William Fendon is Debbie’s husband, and they share one son named Harold. Harold believed his father had died recently, but William has actually been secretly hiding in their attic. They’ve been doing this so Debbie could collect on William’s life insurance. However, William might not want to continue with the deception forever, which could jeopardize their plan. To make things even more difficult, William is also living with Parkinson’s disease.

Mark Heap is a well-known British comedy actor. He’s appeared in many popular shows, including Brass Eye, Big Train, Spaced, Green Wing, and Lark Rise to Candleford. Many fans recognize him as Jim Bell, the nosy neighbor he created for Channel 4’s Friday Night Dinner in 2011. He’s also recently had roles in Upstart Crow, The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, and Piglets on ITV1.

Craig Roberts plays Harold ‘Harry’ Fendon

Harry Fendon is the son of Debbie and William. He’s been struggling with his mental health since his father’s supposed death, and has been deeply grieving. However, Harry is shocked to learn his father is actually alive and that his mother has been keeping this secret from him! This is incredibly difficult for Harry, who now has to decide if he’ll help his parents maintain their deception.

I’m really enjoying his new role! Apparently, his character’s mum, Debbie, is constantly on his case – she doesn’t give him a moment to breathe, which is hilarious! A lot of the funny bits come from him just messing up, even when he’s trying to be funny. But it’s also really sweet to watch him get closer to everyone else, especially when they’re all facing a tough time and have to work together to solve it. It’s a great dynamic!

Craig Roberts began his acting career as a child, appearing in popular CBBC shows like The Story of Tracy Beaker and Young Dracula. He later gained recognition for his role in Richard Ayoade’s film Submarine, which won him a BAFTA Cymru award. He then worked on several projects in the US, including Bad Neighbours, 22 Jump Street, and the Prime Video series Red Oaks. Currently, he’s starring in the Apple TV comedy Still Up.

In addition to acting, Roberts has directed several British films, including Just Jim, Eternal Beauty, and The Phantom of the Open.

Mandip Gill plays Neha Fendon

Neha Fendon is Harry’s wife and works as a police officer. Because of her job, she poses a threat to Debbie and William, who have been successfully running a scam without being detected. The question is, can they continue to get away with it?

Gill described her new character as down-to-earth and optimistic, always looking for the best in others, even when they’re a bit unusual. She’s not focused on simply making arrests, but on connecting with the community and understanding people’s motivations.

As a big fan, I’ve been looking into what else Mandip Gill has been up to! Most people probably first noticed her on the British soap Hollyoaks, where she played Phoebe McQueen for around three years. Then, of course, she became hugely popular as Yasmin ‘Yaz’ Khan in Doctor Who – she was fantastic as a companion to Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor, and they had a really great dynamic! Since leaving Doctor Who, she’s kept busy, appearing in the Apple TV+ series Suspicion, and also had roles in the dramas Curfew and Cooper & Fry.

Paul Chahidi plays Clive

Who is Clive? Clive is the manager of the local bowls club.

Paul Chahidi is known for his role as Reverend Francis Seaton in This Country, where he helped the Mucklowe family. He previously worked with the creator of Can You Keep a Secret? on that show. Currently, he’s appearing in season two of The Night Manager as Basil, a supporting character to Tom Hiddleston’s agent, Jonathan Pine.

Heather Seymour plays Jean

Jean lives near the Fendons and is part of a group known as the ‘widow club’. Debbie has falsely claimed membership in this group. Jean is also blind.

Geraldine McNulty plays Pamela

Who is Pamela? Another of the Fendons’ nosey neighbours, who could well pose a threat to their con.

Besides her current role, Geraldine McNulty is also known for playing the character Mrs. Raven, the villain in the BBC One sitcom My Hero.

Shola Adewusi plays Billie

Billie is a friend of Debbie and part of a group Debbie calls the ‘widow club’. Debbie has narcolepsy, so she often falls asleep when Billie visits.

Besides her current work, Shola Adewusi has appeared in shows like Sky’s In The Long Run and Channel 4’s Chewing Gum, as well as the popular movie Paddington 2.

Gregory Gudgeon plays Pigfish

Pigfish is a local man known for his strange behavior, which often leads to run-ins with the police. It’s a nickname people use because of his troubled life and unusual actions.

Gregory Gudgeon has recently starred in several popular projects, including the Prime Video series The Wheel of Time, the Disney+ drama A Small Light, and the critically acclaimed films Nosferatu and All Quiet on the Western Front.

Sam Battersea plays PC Susan

Who is PC Susan? She is Neha’s colleague on the local police force.

You might know Sam Battersea from her role as Lady Barragan in Bridgerton. But what other projects has she worked on?

Can You Keep a Secret? premieres on BBC One and iPlayer on Wednesday 7th January 2026.

Don’t forget to add “Can You Keep a Secret?” to your watchlist on the TopMob “What to Watch” app! Download it today for daily TV suggestions, articles, and more.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about television and streaming dramas and comedies for TopMob. Before joining TopMob, he worked at Starburst Magazine, hosted the podcast ‘The Winter King’ for ITVX, and earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Sheffield.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-01-07 22:08