Jill Halfpenny and Sally Lindsay confirmed for “two very surprising roles” in dramatic new thriller

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If you enjoy the dramas shown on Channel 5, you’ll likely recognize Jill Halfpenny and Sally Lindsay – both have appeared in many of the channel’s popular series. Now, these two talented actresses are teaming up for a new thriller coming later this year.

Halfpenny and Lindsay will star in “Number One Fan,” a new four-part thriller. The show is set behind the scenes of a morning television program and centers around a presenter who is rescued from an attack by a woman who claims to be her biggest admirer.

Actor Ben Halfpenny, known for his roles in shows like The Holiday, The Cuckoo, and The Feud, stars as Lucy, a popular TV presenter described as the country’s best friend and the host of ‘Lucy Live’. The show’s description reveals Lucy is honest and cheerful, but also driven, hardworking, and secretly very competitive.

I’m really excited to see Lindsay play Donna in the new series! She’s amazing in everything she does – I loved her in The Madame Blanc Mysteries and Love Rat. Apparently, Donna seems like a really quiet, unassuming person at first, but she actually ends up being the one who rescues Lucy from a terrible attack. It’s a surprising role for her, and I can’t wait to see how she pulls it off.

I’m totally hooked on this story! It starts with Lucy being so thankful for Donna’s support, but things quickly turn creepy. Donna’s fandom gets way too intense, and it starts messing with Lucy’s life – her work, her family, everything. Then, Lucy finds out Donna is somehow connected to a secret from her past, and it feels like everything she’s worked for could be ruined. It’s seriously suspenseful!

When the series was announced, Mike Benson, the executive producer and managing director for Clapperboard, shared his excitement about working with both Sally and Jill, two incredibly talented actresses, together for the first time in one show.

Viewers are going to be just as thrilled as we are to see these two actors together, playing such unexpected characters.

Paul Wilmshurst, the director known for films like The Day of the Jackal and a BAFTA nomination, will direct the new drama. Rachel Kilfeather, who worked on Vikings: Valhalla, will be the lead writer, alongside Marcus Fleming from the series Smother.

Currently, we don’t have a firm release date for Number One Fan, but filming has finished in Spain and the show is expected to premiere on Channel 5 in 2026.

I just finished watching ‘Girl Taken’ on Paramount+, and it was intense! It’s based on Hollie Overton’s book ‘Baby Doll,’ and it really gets you hooked. The story centers around a mom whose twin daughter is kidnapped and held for five years, then somehow manages to escape. It’s a really emotional ride watching her deal with everything.

Hearing from people who’ve experienced sudden attacks reveals that recovery is a long-term journey. It involves understanding what happened, avoiding self-blame, grappling with why it occurred, and considering if different actions could have changed the outcome.

She continued, saying it’s hard to even picture untangling five years of someone’s life. It would take a really skilled therapist, and a long time in therapy, for Lily to move past feeling defined by what happened.

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Number One Fan will air on 5 later this year.

Authors

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack writes about TV and streaming drama for TopMob. Before that, she was an Entertainment Writer at Stylist. She also has experience in content marketing and freelancing, and holds a degree in English Literature.

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2026-01-13 14:34