Doctor Who icon and more cast confirmed for BBC's Gareth Southgate drama Dear England
Joseph Fiennes was previously announced as Gareth Southgate, but who else joins him in the BBC drama's cast?
It's been some time since we've had any updates regarding James Graham's upcoming BBC adaptation of hit play Dear England, but now, we finally know who will be joining Joseph Fiennes in the anticipated drama.
It was previously announced that Fiennes would be reprising his stage role as Gareth Southgate for the BBC series, with it now being confirmed that he will be heading up the cast alongside Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker, who is set to star as England men's team psychologist Pippa Grange.
Whittaker most recently led the cast of Netflix's Toxic Town, having also made a surprise cameo as the Thirteenth Doctor in the finale of Doctor Who season 15.
As for the rest of the cast of Dear England – well, there are plenty of familiar British TV names joining the mix.
Jason Watkins (The Game) joins the cast as former FA chairman Greg Dyke, Daniel Ryan (The Bay) is former assistant manager for the England men’s team Steve Holland, Sam Spruell (The Gold) is fictional coach Mike Webster and John Hodgkinson reprises his Dear England stage role as former FA chairman Greg Clarke.
The rest of the cast has also taken shape, with many of the anticipated footballer roles now having been revealed.
Adam Hugill (Sherwood), Josh Barrow (Hostage) and TV newcomer Lewis Shepherd all reprise their original stage roles as footballers Harry Maguire, Jordan Pickford and Dele Alli.
It's also been confirmed that Will Antenbring (Mr Loverman) will star as Harry Kane, while Edem-Ita Duke (Mr Loverman) is Marcus Rashford, Francis Lovehall (A Thousand Blows) is Raheem Sterling, Abdul Sessay (Piglets) is Bukayo Saka, Jacob Greenway (The Dream Lands) is Jude Bellingham, David Shields (Masters of the Air) is Jordan Henderson and Hamish Frew (Generation Z) is Eric Dier.
Alfie Middlemiss (Waterloo Road) also stars as Phil Foden, Riess Fennell (The Football Fantastics) is Jadon Sancho, Daniel Quincy Annoh (The Recruit) is Ollie Watkins and Bobby Schofield (Unforgivable) is Wayne Rooney.
Newcomer talent Dom Rayner and Alexander Parsons will also take on the roles as Cole Palmer and Jesse Lingard respectively.
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On the announcement of the cast, writer and executive producer James Graham said: "Bringing the national game to the National Theatre over two years ago was one of the most rewarding moments of my writing life.
"Getting to tell this inspiring story of Gareth's quiet revolution, and its themes of redemption, resilience, kindness and compassion in sport.
"To kick off its journey on screen now, and on our national broadcaster, is a huge opportunity, and I'm so grateful to world-class cast and creative team we've assembled."
Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, also said: "We’re so thrilled to announce such a fantastic cast for Dear England and it has been a joy to witness the comradery within this top team as they start filming.
"With Joseph Fiennes and Jodie Whittaker leading the cast, Rupert Goold and Paul Whittington directing and Left Bank Pictures producing, BBC viewers are in for a real treat."
The four-part drama is based on the stage production which originally ran at London's National Theatre and then transferred to the West End due to demand and critical acclaim.
It was announced last year that The Handmaid's Tale star Fiennes would be heading up the series as Southgate, with the synopsis for the series stating: "With the worst team track record for penalties in the world when he takes over as manager, Gareth knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take England back to the promised land.
"The country that gave the world football has delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t the England team win at their own game?"
Dear England is a fictionalised account of the struggles and successes of England’s football teams, based on extensive research and interviews.
And with a successful theatre run under its belt, it's safe to say that many will undoubtedly be counting down the days until football fever is brought to the screen, especially now that a star-studded cast has been assembled to bring it to life.
While an exact release date has not yet been confirmed, we do know that it is set to air on BBC One and iPlayer sometime in 2026, with filming having now kicked off in the south of England.
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Dear England will be coming to BBC One and iPlayer.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
