Secret Service ending explained: Was there a Russian asset in the UK government and if so, who?

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*Warning – contains full spoilers for all five episodes of Secret Service.*

I just finished watching all five episodes of the new ITVX thriller, Secret Service, and it was gripping! It follows Gemma Arterton as Kate, an MI6 agent, and she uncovers some really concerning evidence suggesting a prominent British politician might be working for Russia. It’s a total rollercoaster!

The Labour Party is currently choosing a new leader, and two candidates are leading the race: Imogen Conrad, supported by Amaka Okafor, and Ryan Walker, backed by Mark Stanley.

For viewers who finished the entire season, the big question is: was one of the characters secretly working for Russia? Also, where did the story leave Kate, her husband Stuart (Rafe Spall), and everyone else at the season’s end?

Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of Secret Service on ITV.

Who won the leadership election?

So, it turned out Ryan Walker actually won the Labour leadership race, which was a surprise to a lot of people, and then, incredibly, he became Prime Minister! I honestly didn’t see that coming, but it’s a fascinating turn of events.

A private video of Imogen Conrad engaging in a sexual act with someone other than her husband was made public. This significantly harmed her public image, allowing Ryan to gain the upper hand.

Kate initially suspected Zak was the man Imogen had an affair with, the one whose face was hidden in the video. However, she later discovered the man’s face hadn’t just been obscured – it had been digitally altered, likely to conceal his identity.

In the end, she found out why…

Who was the Russian asset in the UK government?

It turned out that Kate’s husband, Stuart, was the man in the video – the one having an affair with Imogen, and revealed to be a Russian agent working within the UK government!

Kate discovered Igor Borodin was in Prague at the same time as her during a trip she was taking. It was during this trip that Borodin brought Stuart on board.

Once Kate discovered the truth, she persuaded Stuart to meet her in Finland. It was there, near the Russian border, that she told him she knew about his affair with Imogen in Montenegro.

Stuart was shown the video while in Prague, and the Russians promised to remove him from it if he provided them with information.

Initially, they were simply interested in hearing rumors about the government, but their curiosity soon shifted to Kate – they wanted to know details about her work and where she was going. The more he fabricated, the harder it became to stop and be honest.

This doesn’t rule out connections between Ryan Walker and powerful, politically-connected Russians. While he wasn’t the one directly sharing secret information, he could have been acting on behalf of Russian interests.

Kate arranged to meet Stuart near the Russian border because she’d made the difficult decision to allow him to start a new life in Russia. She believed this was better than forcing him to face a treason trial in the UK, which would have been deeply upsetting for their children to watch.

What happened to Kate at the end of the season?

During the season’s closing moments, Kate mourned Rav at his funeral and informed Sir Alan of her intention to resign from MI6. She expressed her desire to establish a way for her children and Stuart to visit her in a neutral country once everything calmed down.

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She went to talk to Zak, who admitted he still wanted her to continue working at SIS, even though she hadn’t noticed Stuart’s betrayal. He explained that he needed her assistance in monitoring Ryan, implying he also suspected Ryan wasn’t fully trustworthy.

Kate was temporarily assigned to the Cabinet Office to monitor potential threats. She welcomed the new Prime Minister as he began his work at Downing Street.

Secret Service is available to watch in full now on ITVX.

Don’t miss ‘Secret Service’! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV recommendations and exclusive content.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at the TV production company Fremantle. He has a bachelor’s degree in English and Theatre Studies, as well as a journalism diploma.

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2026-04-28 00:37