How Dawn French sitcom Can You Keep a Secret? tackles illness stories in a very different way

The cast of Can You Keep a Secret? have praised the value of the sitcom's distinctly light-hearted depiction of living with illness, explaining why it's just as "truthful" as darker approaches to the topic.

The high-concept sitcom follows longtime married couple Debbie (Dawn French) and William Fendon (Mark Heap), who attempt to pull off lucrative life insurance fraud after the latter is mistakenly declared dead.

A key motivator in this risky decision is William's Parkinson's disease, which the family has struggled to cope with after their health insurance provider declined to cover the condition.

The latter part of the story hits close to home for creator Simon Mayhew-Archer, whose father Paul (a fellow screenwriter known for The Vicar of Dibley) is currently living with Parkinson's – but keeping a comical outlook on his experience.

In an interview with RadioTimes.com, Heap explained: "Paul makes light of it himself as a way of coping and just because he's a nice bloke and finds the humour in things.

"It's a strange thing to have in a comedy," he acknowledged, "but it's not the main thing. It's incidental. I suppose, comedically, the good thing about it is that William does use [his illness] for emotional blackmail."

Can You Keep a Secret? co-star French interjected: "[But] Debbie doesn't let him get away with much of it."

In her eyes, the "brutal" candidness Debbie reserves for William is a result of being "comfortably married for a long time", but Heap suggests that it's also a truthful reflection of Simon's relationship with his father.

Co-star Mandip Gill, who plays daughter-in-law Neha, added: "He's telling it in a really truthful way for what he sees happening at home... There's so many layers to these health conditions that it would be unfair to say it's all doom and gloom."

In addition to Parkinson's, Can You Keep a Secret? also touches lightly on mental health through the character of Harold (Craig Roberts), the long-suffering son of Debbie and William, who is diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

Similarly, Roberts praised the show for depicting mental health issues in a realistic way that acknowledges how life can still be "fun" (as well as mundane).

"Comedy is just a great vehicle to get into more serious issues, which we are more accustomed to now – talking about stuff like anxiety and mental health," he explained. "If we can have that layer in there, while also having a bloody good time, then I guess it's important."

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

Add Can You Keep a Secret? to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.