CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

SECRETS, BETRAYAL AND MURDER... RACHAEL DAVIS HEARS WHAT'S TO COME IN SERIES THREE OF GANGS OF LONDON FROM STARS SOPE DIRISU AND JOE COLE

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AT THE start of Gangs of London's third series, Sope Dirisu’s Elliot Finch is top dog.

He's leader of the London gangs, but things go awry when fentanyl - the powerful synthetic opioid that can be lethal even in tiny doses - turns up in the drugs they've been shifting.

People start dying across the city, including in the family of a key gang member. Who is to blame for tampering with the cocaine?

Secrets, betrayal, isolation, murder and violence abound as we delve deeper into the dark underworld that the show inhabits.

Ahead of series three coming to Sky Atlantic and NOW, we hear from stars of the show Sope, 34, and Joe Cole, 36 - who plays rival Sean Wallace - about the thrills and brutality to come.

Where do we find both of your characters this series?

Sope: I think the biggest difference is, obviously, we left Elliot at the end of season two with him entering the fray as a bona fide - I wouldn’t say head or lead gangster - but he’s there at the table. His access and participation in the activities have increased.

After the tragedy of losing his father towards the end of season two, we're left with the question of: ‘Who is this guy now?’

We've gone on this journey with him over two seasons already, we've seen some of the heinous behaviour that he’s demonstrated, and the combination of that and the loss of his moral compass leaves a massive question mark as to whether or not this guy is still our protagonist, still our hero. Has he devolved into an anti-hero?

Joe: Season one is sort of (about) the insecurities that (Sean)’s grown up with because of his father, and not being able to live up to his father's view... Having a very tough upbringing and wanting to prove himself.