Tom Brittney has said that the upcoming Grantchester season will be his last. ITV will soon name his substitute.
Since 2019, the 32-year-old has played Reverend Will Davenport. Before that, James Norton, who played Reverend Sidney Chambers on Happy Valley, played the vicar role.
Robson Green, who used to be on Casualty, played Detective Inspector Geordie Keating. The popular crime drama followed priest Davenport as he looked into strange crimes with the help of Keating.
But the Humans star has chosen to leave Grantchester after the ninth season comes out late this year so he can work on other projects.
Tom explained: ‘I’ve had the most incredible time playing Will Davenport for the last five years.
‘I got to solve crimes with my best friend, and work with the best cast and crew I could ever ask for.
Referring to James Bond favourite James’s stint on the show, he continued: ‘I’ll miss it more than anything but it’s time for the baton to be passed, as it once was to me.’
Tom will be replaced by Hollyoaks actor Rishi Nair, who will play vicar Alphy Kotteram. Tom said he was “so happy” for his replacement to join the “Grantchester family.”
Rishi, 32, said: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Grantchester. The welcome and support I’ve received from everyone has been overwhelming.
‘The success of the show and the reason we are here for a ninth season is a testament to all the people that have previously worked on it.
‘I’m really excited to get started and cannot wait for the Grantchester fans to meet Alphy and to see all that’s in store for him.’
Emma Kingsman-Lloyd, the executive director for TV production company Kudos, said that Alphy will be “charismatic, witty, and give Geordie a run for his money.”
‘I think the audience will love our new addition,’ she added.
Paying tribute to Tom, Emma continued: ‘It’s the end of an era as we say an emotional farewell to Tom Brittney.
‘He’s been extraordinary in the past five series and we’ll miss him very much, but audiences can look forward to a new and fantastically entertaining chapter as we welcome Rishi Nair to the series.’
Set in 1961, the ninth series will see Davenport be approached with a ‘life-changing offer’ which could persuade him to leave Grantchester.
Robson will be back in this series, along with Charlotte Ritchie as Bonnie, Al Weaver as Leonard Finch, Tessa Peake-Jones as Mrs. C, Kacey Ainsworth as Cathy Keating, Oliver Dimsdale as Daniel Marlowe, Nick Brimble as Jack Chapman, Bradley Hall as DC Larry Peters, and Melissa Johns as Miss Scott.
The show is based on the books by James Runcie called The Grantchester Mysteries.
Grantchester is available to stream on ITVX.
