Identity CRISIS

Jill Halfpenny plays a mother seeking the truth about her missing child in a powerful thriller

- CAREN CLARK, STEVEN PERKINS.

Secrets, lies and questions of identity are at the heart of Channel 5’s explosive new thriller The Drowning, which explores a mother’s battle to prove that a teenage boy is really her missing son.

The drama, which is running over four nights this week, stars Jill Halfpenny as troubled gardener Jodie, whose life was shattered when her four-year-old, Tom, vanished during a family day out at a lake.

Jodie has spent the ensuing nine years trying to rebuild her life, but she’s forced to confront her tragic past when she spots a schoolboy, Daniel (Cody Molko), who bears a startling resemblance to Tom.

‘Jodie has considered Tom might be dead, but, during the police investigation, they dredged the lake and didn’t find him,’ says Halfpenny, 45, most recently seen in Liar and Dark Money.

‘Jodie has been trying to piece herself back together, but when she sees Daniel and notices he has the same scar as Tom, she desperately wants it to be her son. But there are so many questions unanswered.’