Channel 4’s new series The Couple Next Door has had tongues wagging ever since it aired last week – and for good reason. Set in an unassuming street in the suburbs, it follows two couples whose lives implode after they become "sexually entangled in a way that will change their lives forever".
The story itself has been adapted from a Dutch series, and promises to add some spice over the Christmas season. But who’s playing who in this swingers-tastic drama? We break down the cast list.
Danny, played by Sam Heughan
The mysterious Danny is a traffic police officer (surely the least sexy job ever), living in Leeds with wife Becka. The pair are in an open marriage (hence the plot of the entire show), but he might also be keeping a few more secrets of his own.
"He's got a lot of baggage," Heughan has said to Radio Times. "He comes across in the first few episodes as being quite a good guy, but we begin to realise that underneath it all, there are a lot of secrets that he's keeping.”
Where you’ve seen him before
Is Heughan’s face conjuring images of Scottish forests and passionate sex scenes? That might well be because of his starring role in the hit series Outlander. Heughan plays Jamie Fraser, an 18th century Jacobite rebel who becomes entangled with time-travelling Forties nurse Claire (Caitriona Balfe). It’s a role he’s played since 2013, and will be reprising for the last time in 2024 for the final series. "That man is a Scot to the bone and Jamie Fraser to the heart,” Outlander author Diane Gabaldon has said of Heughan. “Having seen Sam Heughan not just act, but be Jamie, I feel immensely grateful to the production team for their painstaking attention to the soul of the story and characters."
In addition, Heughan has also appeared in 2021 film To Olivia, gun-toting film SAS: Red Notice and in the BBC thriller Suspect.
Becka, played by Jessica De Gouw
Australian Becka is Danny’s wife and works as a yoga instructor. The pair share an open marriage, but they are very different people: while Becka is open, Danny prefers to keep his feelings to himself.
"While everything looks picture-perfect, there's something about them as a couple that feels, particularly for Becka, that they don't fit," De Gouw has said.
Where you’ve seen her before
Hailing from Australia, De Gouw has carved out careers in her home country, America, and the UK. She’s starred in TV series The Secrets She Keeps as main character Meghan Shaughnessy; in recent Sky film The Portable Door and in horror show Dracula opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers, playing his reincarnated wife Mina Murray (we’re not sure either).
Evie, played by Eleanor Tomlinson
Evie is one of the most troubled characters on the show – a primary school teacher who recently married Pete. Her night of passion with Danny sparks a crisis in her marriage and in her friendship with Becka.
Tomlinson told the Radio Times that playing Evie was a “great challenge”. “She navigates devastating trauma, which isn't helped by unresolved issues from her past,” she added. "Evie is a complicated soul… she's very curious about exploring herself and exploring boundaries, both with her friends and with her partner. She's been with one guy for most of her life, but as the series progresses, she finds her confidence with Danny and Becka.”
Where you’ve seen her before
Tomlinson’s credits are long, but she’s probably best known for her turn as Demelza in the BBC drama Poldark. Playing the love interest to Aidan Turner’s eponymous character, it was her breakout role – but she’s also appeared in cult favourite Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, played suspect Mary Durrant in the 2018 Agatha Christie adaptation Ordeal By Innocence and even appeared in 2023’s Anne Frank drama A Small Light opposite Bel Powley.
Pete, played by Alfred Enoch
Journalist Pete is husband to Evie, who moves with her to their new house in the hopes of making a better life for them. The pair have been together for a long time, but of course, when they meet Danny and Becka, that might be about to change.
Where you’ve seen him before
He’s probably best known for playing Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter film series (fun fact: he also voiced Dean in the video games), but Enoch has been working steadily for the past few years, racking up roles in Sherlock, How To Get Away With Murder and medical drama Trust Me. The son of actor William Russell and Etheline Lewis, a Barbadian Brazilian doctor, Enoch holds both British and Brazilian citizenship and speaks four languages fluently. He's also appeared regularly on the stage.
Alan, played by Hugh Dennis
Could he be any creepier? Alan, who lives on the same street as the two couples, seems innocent enough but is in reality obsessed with Becka. He uses his telescope to spy on her, and even goes so far as to break into the house she shares with Danny to find sex tapes she’s made with her husband and partners.
Where you’ve seen him before
Alan is played by national icon Hugh Dennis, who has been knocking around the British TV scene for decades. Starting his career on BBC Radio 1, he’s a regular on comedy shows like Mock the Week, QI and Taskmaster, but has also appeared in his fair share of dramatic roles. Between 2007 and 2014, he starred in the BBC series Outnumbered as long-suffering father Pete Brockman and even appeared in Fleabag (he also made a cameo in the 2021 Bond film No Time to Die).
Jean, played by Kate Robbins
Poor Jean. The wife of neighbourhood creep Alan, she is confined to the ground floor of the house as a result of her disability, which means that she is unaware of his penchant for spying on next door neighbour Becka. Will this end badly? Um, absolutely.
Where you’ve seen her before
Actor, singer and songwriter Kate is a mainstay of British TV. Starting her career on the iconic ITV soap Crossroads, she’s worked as a singer for years, penning the theme tune to Surprise, Surprise, which was sung by Cilla Black. She’s part of a star-studded family – her daughter is Emily Atack, she is the older sister of actor Amy Robbins, sculptor Jane Robbins and singer Emma Robbins, and her older brother, Ted Robbins, is a broadcaster and actor.
Sophie, played by Ioanna Kimbook
Sophie is Pete’s friend: the pair work at his local newspaper together. Are they better matched than he and Evie? Quite possibly.
Where you’ve seen her before
A relative newcomer, Kimbook graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2018. She starred opposite John Malkovich in David Mamet’s play Bitter Wheat in 2019, and last year played Suji in the Disney+ crime thriller Wedding Season as well as starring as Hero in Much Ado About Nothing at the National Theatre.
Gary, played by Joel Morris
Gary also works at Pete’s newspaper, but oddly, has a rather criminal side-hustle that he asks Danny to get involved in.
Where you’ve seen him before
Morris has previously appeared in everybody’s favourite lesbian period drama, Gentleman Jack, where he played William Hardcastle for season one. He also appeared in ITV drama The Long Shadow (about the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe), in blockbuster movie Wonder Woman 1984, and in police drama Sherwood.
Lena, played by Deidre Mullins
Lena appears part way through the show. She has history with Danny: the explosive kind.
Where you’ve seen her before
Irish actor Mullins is best known for her work as series regular Naomi in Channel 4’s show Man Down, in which she appeared opposite Greg Davies and Rik Mayall. She won a Scottish BAFTA in 2017 for her work in The Dark Mile, and has played several theatre roles, including as Rosalind in As You Like It at the Globe.
