The Au Pair: cast, plot and everything we know

Sir David Suchet
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Au Pair sees Sir David Suchet make a return to our TV screens in a new Channel 5 drama.

The Poirot legend, whose most recent credits are His Dark Materials and Press, is teaming up with Beyond Paradise's Sally Bretton and Vera's Kenny Doughty. The four-part series is about a woman who seems to have it all until everything changes when she hires a mysterious young French au pair. It's billed as a "compelling series" that "delves deep into the complexities of family, trust and hidden truths amidst the backdrop of the picturesque countryside".

Here's everything we know about the suspenseful drama set in England…

The Au Pair release date

Ludmilla Makowski

Ludmilla Makowski plays Sandrine, the 'beguiling young French woman,' at the heart of the story (Image credit: Getty Images)

With the drama only recently announced and filming not yet taking place, a 2025 release date looks likely but this is still to be confirmed.

The Au Pair

Sally Bretton as Martha Lloyd in Beyond Paradise, standing in her café which can be seen out of focus behind her

Sally Bretton in Beyond Paradise (Image credit: BBC)

Sally Bretton, of Not Going Out, Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise fame, is leading the cast as mother-of-two Zoe Dalton. David Suchet plays her father George. Vera's Kenny Doughty plays Zoe’s husband Chris. Lupin's Ludmilla Makowski is Sandrine, the "beguiling young French woman", who Zoe hires as an au pair.

Plot

Zoe is a woman who appears to have everything: a handsome and successful husband, two adorable stepchildren and a stunning home in a beautiful English town. But, you guessed it, everything is about to go wrong for Zoe. Yes, Zoe makes the unwise decision to hire Sandrine as an au pair. She's described as a young French woman who "triggers an unsettling shift in the household, as instincts and suspicions arise, hinting at hidden agendas and long-concealed truths". 

The makers also hint that not everything is as it seems in Zoe's marriage. And that the couple are facing marital issues, while Zoe's dad George moving in next door further complicates life. The series is written by Michael Foott (Desperate Measures) and Andy Bayliss (The Good Ship Murder).

Is there a trailer?

No, not yet.

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David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!