Gossip girls

A malicious rumour has fatal consequences in a tense thriller

- WORDS: TESS LAMACRAFT, ALISON SLADE PHOTOS: 5, BBC, ITV

Soon to return as vet's wife Helen Herriot in the new series of All Creatures Great and Small, Rachel Shenton takes on a very different role in 5’s five-part drama about a community that’s rocked by a vicious rumour.

Shenton plays Joanna, who moves to the quiet town of Flinstead with her son, Alfie, to make a fresh start. 'Joanna has uprooted her life from London and moved to the suburbs where her mum lives,' says Shenton. 'She doesn’t have a very strong sense of self and is desperate for her and Alfie to fit in and make new friends.'

As the drama begins, it’s Alfie's first day at a new school and Joanna is starting a job as an estate agent. But while scouring an online forum to get some insights into the local neighbourhood, Joanna stumbles across a disturbing rumour.