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Breathtaking cast: Who stars in the ITV drama?

The COVID drama stars a number of familiar faces.

Joanne Froggatt in Breathtaking, wearing a face shield and mask

ITV

Published: Monday, 19 February 2024 at 4:10 pm

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ITV drama Breathtaking stars Joanne Froggatt as Abbey Henderson, a doctor working on the NHS frontline during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The three-part series begins as the outbreak starts filtering into the hospital where she's working – but before the team can ready themselves for the fight ahead, it's too late.

A number of familiar faces appear alongside Froggatt, plus some you might not recognise. Read on to find out where you've seen the cast of Breathtaking before.

Breathtaking main cast

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Joanne Froggatt plays Dr Abbey Henderson

Abbey standing in a hospital ward, wearing her blue scrubs and stethoscope with red marks on her forehead and mouth area from a medical mask

Joanne Froggatt as Abbey in Breathtaking. ITV

Who is Dr Abbey Henderson? An NHS consultant in acute medicine. "Abbey is very caring with a husband and two children at home," said Froggatt. "She cares about her patients. She cares about the fact the NHS is already overstretched and is then catapulted into this horror that was the pandemic."

Where have I seen Joanna Froggatt before? She's best known for playing Anna Bates in Downton Abbey and appearing in a raft of British crime and mystery thrillers including Liar, Angela Black and Sherwood.

Bhav Joshi plays Ant

Close-up of Ant, stood in a hospital ward, with a stethoscope around his neck

ITV

Who is Ant? A medical registrar who works closely with Abbey.

Where have I seen Bhav Joshi before? You might have watched him in action-comedy Wedding Season. His credits also include Netflix's The Diplomat and ITV's Granite Harbour.

Donna Banya plays Emma

Emma stood on a hospital ward, with a stethoscope around her neck, looking over her shoulder

ITV

Who is Emma? A medical student who Abbey is responsible for.

Where have I seen Donna Banya before? She's had minor roles in War of the Worlds and Howards End.

Philip Arditti plays Metin

Metin Ozkul wearing hin scrubs, stood in a hospital corridor

ITV

Who is Metin Ozkul? A senior doctor.

Where have I seen Philip Arditti before? His credits include ITV drama No Return starring Sheridan Smith and BBC political thriller The Honourable Woman.

Mark Dexter plays Mike

Mike wearing his blue scrubs, in the hospital corridor, looking concerned

ITV

Who is Mike? A senior doctor who's responsible for keeping the staff updated on any key developments.

Where have I seen Mark Dexter before? He's appeared in The Bill, high finance drama Industry, and The Midwich Cuckoos starring Keeley Hawes.

Joseph Charles plays Archie

Archie sat in a hospital bed with a nasogastric tube

ITV

Who is Archie Williams? A patient whose health is deteriorating by the minute.

Where have I seen Joseph Charles before? He played a minor role in EastEnders.

Jodie McNee plays Jules

Jules at the hospital, wearing her scrubs, with mask marks on her face

ITV

Who is Jules? An ITU nurse.

Where have I seen Jodie McNee before? You might have watched her in ITV crime drama Hollington Drive, historical fantasy Britannia and ITV true crime drama Little Boy Blue.

Christopher Hatherall plays Nick

Nick looking at his phone

ITV

Who is Nick? Abbey's husband.

Where have I seen Christopher Hatherall before? His credits include ITV true crime drama The Long Shadow and BBC's Showtrial.

Additional cast includes:

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Breathtaking is available now on ITVX and starts Monday 19th February at 9pm on ITV1. Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage.

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Authors

A head and shoulders shot of Abby Robinson. She is in front of a grey background, looking at the camera and smiling. She wears a black zipped-up jacket with an elaborate gold and maroon design

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.

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