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- The Madame Blanc Mysteries season 5 teased by cast including Jean and Dom's future – and Claudie's shock pregnancy
The Madame Blanc Mysteries season 5 teased by cast including Jean and Dom's future – and Claudie's shock pregnancy
RT visits the Maltese island that doubles up as Provence for The Madame Blanc Mysteries.
Laura Rutkowski
- Laura Rutkowski
Published: Monday, 26 October 2026 at 5:00 pm
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This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
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To find a French crime-solver, head to Malta. After flying to the small Mediterranean island, I take a 25-minute ferry to its sister island, Gozo — the same journey made by the cast and crew of The Madame Blanc Mysteries, who have filmed there for three months each year since the show began in 2021.
Although the series is set in the fictional Sainte Victoire in southern France, early production made clear that real French locations were not working. When co-creators and writers Sally Lindsay and Sue Vincent first visited Gozo, they looked at each other and agreed: “This could be France, couldn’t it?”
The island has been home to 5’s cosy crime drama ever since. I’m far from the only visitor making the pilgrimage: fans travel from as far afield as Tanzania and New York to see the locations where antiques dealer Jean White (Lindsay) helps Police Chief André Caron (Alex Gaumond) solve murders with her specialist knowledge. The cast affectionately calls them “Blanc-heads”.
During my two-day stay – and a sneak peek at filming for series five – one such group stops to photograph Gharb’s main village square and its baroque church, the Basilica of the Visitation.
Sue Holderness (Judith), Robin Askwith (Jeremy) and Steve Edge (Dom). Laura Rutkowski
A stone’s throw away are La Couronne, the pub owned by Judith and Jeremy Lloyd James (Sue Holderness and Robin Askwith, who has lived on Gozo since the 1980s), and the exterior of the Gendarmerie. In reality, that exterior is a local woman’s house; she casually comes and goes during filming. The station interiors, meanwhile, are shot in a real Gozo police station.
“A few times over the years, the phone has rung and the real police on standby have answered it, so we’ve had to stop a scene,” explains Gaumond. “But there’s not much crime in Gozo, so it doesn’t happen very often.”
The exterior of the fictional Gendarmerie – usually a house belonging to a local resident. Laura Rutkowski
Other kinds of ringing, as I discover first-hand, are more disruptive. Filming often stops and starts because of church bells – the Maltese islands have more than 500. When the cameras roll, however, a historic-looking fountain built for the show takes centre stage in the square, where Mayor Stephanie Arquette’s body is found. And yes, the mayor is deliberately a woman.
“If you naturally think it’s a man, we always make them female,” says Lindsay – whether the role is a builder, security guard or car mechanic such as Gloria Beauchamp (played by Vincent).
“We write unapologetically for women and the over-40s,” adds Vincent. Lindsay agrees: “If I have a hot flush, I leave it in so you can see it. We want to make female stories feel as true to life as possible.” Holderness says of Judith and Jeremy’s relationship:
“It’s good to see older people still making the most of every aspect of life. Robin and I think it’s important to show that sex doesn’t stop at 70!”
Sue Vincent – co-creator of the show - in hair and make-up. Laura Rutkowski
Older romance is, of course, central to the new episodes. In the series four finale, taxi driver Dom Hayes (Steve Edge) proposed to Jean after a romance they had kept quiet for some time — although everyone in town already knew.
“When you fall in love at that age, you can take your time,” says Lindsay. “You rarely see it on television without an issue – someone dying, someone being widowed, all that b***ocks.” Edge adds: “The fireworks are simply different; they’re more like sparklers.”
RT’s Laura Rutkowski (centre) with series writers and stars, Sally Lindsay (left) and Sue Vincent. Laura Rutkowski
Dom’s daughter Claudie (Ella Dale, taking over the role from Alaïs Lawson, who last appeared in series one) also turns up at Jean and Dom’s door, heavily pregnant.
“Jean is child-free and knows she’ll be second in command,” says Lindsay. “When I met my husband [musician Steve White], he had two children, aged seven and ten, and I knew I came third. That was a big adjustment, but rightly so. What kind of idiot would I have been falling in love with if he hadn’t put them first?”
“I understood that dynamic with Dom. Jean has a good heart, but sometimes she thinks, ‘Hang on – are we still getting married?’”
Steve Edge (Dom, left) and Tony Robinson (Uncle Patrick) prepare to film the pub quiz. Laura Rutkowski
Whether they tie the knot will be a major storyline this series. Guest stars include Jason Manford, Lesley Joseph – who asked to appear – Brian Capron, Su Pollard, Debbie Lyons and David Gower, who features in a cricket-themed episode.
Gozo is an undeniably charming setting for a murder mystery – featuring “nice murders”, Lindsay adds – and, despite everyone being at work, the atmosphere feels distinctly holiday-like. Visitors have even been recruited as extras while filming is under way. So Sally and Sue, count me in next time: I’m ready for my close-up.
RT's Laura outside the village pub. Laura Rutkowski
The Madame Blanc Mysteries returns to 5 at 9:05pm on Thursday 29 October.
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Laura Rutkowski
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