Trust Me season 2: What it's about, new cast and why Jodie Whittaker has left

The first episode of season 2 of Trust Me will air on BBC One on 16th April.

Trust Me was one of the standout Scottish dramas of 2017, following the story of a nurse who stole the identity of a doctor to make a new life in Edinburgh with her daughter.

It starred Jodie Whittaker, and is back on BBC One for a second series this week (16 April)... except Whittaker won't be on board.

A new cast and a new premise means Trust Me season 2 will be a little bit different from the first, but it's still set to be just as thrilling as before.

And it’s still set in Scotland, of course - but this time the action has moved to Glasgow.

Here's everything you need to know about the show...

What is series 2 of Trust Me about?

With the departure of its star Jodie Whittaker, it would be hard for Trust Me to return to the premise of the first season, so the programme's writers have come up with a brand new one.

John Hannah (The Victim) stars as doctor Archie Watson.

Series 2 is set in the neurological unit of a Glasgow hospital, with Corporal Jamie McCain - a survivor of a shock enemy attack - recovering from a spinal injury which has left him temporarily paralysed.

The hardships of battle are close behind. His recovery is slow, and fellow patients in the ward begin unexpectedly dying around him.

He starts to obsessively search for the truth, but his investigation drags him and the staff into some extremely difficult situations.

As his behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, is the threat real or imagined, and is Jamie someone we can trust?

Harry Potter's Alfred Enoch replaces Jodie Whittaker in Trust Me season two.

"I just thought it was a really interesting idea to have someone who was previously really strong and fit and sort of physically defined themselves to become completely kind of broken and unable to do anything," writer Dan Sefton told Radio Times.

“And then the idea of them trying to, you know, investigate — getting a zest for life back, or a reason to live back, just because they have to do something to stop somebody else being killed.”

Who stars in it?

Replacing Jodie Whittaker as the star of the show is Alfred Enoch.

Best known for his role as Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter films, Enoch has also appeared in How to Get Away with Murder and Troy: Fall of a City, as well as numerous stage performances for the National Theatre.

“It’s great to be on board," Enoch told the BBC. "It’s a cracking cast and Dan [Sefton, writer] has done a great job crafting something that’s really invested in the characters. It has a psychological concern that is dark and thrilling."

The new series also stars East Kilbride actor John Hannah (The Victim) as Archie Watson, a doctor whose awkward persona hides something more sinister.

Dumfries and Galloway’s own Ashley Jensen (Catastrophe) plays fiercely committed physiotherapist Debbie, who is seemingly unimpeachable but there is a vulnerability to Debbie which makes her perfectly susceptible to being manipulated by a close colleague.

Outlander's Richard Rankin is neurologist Dr Alex Kiernan who's a fun and dedicated professional on the surface but hides his steely ambition. We sense an implicit undercurrent of threat beneath his professional exterior.

Also in the cast line-up are Katie Clarkson Hill (The Innocents), Jamie Michie (who can also been seen in BBC Three's post-prison comedy Back to Life), Chloe Harris (Wanderlust), Amiera Darwish (Shetland), and Saskia Ashdown (Clique).

Who wrote it?

Trust Me has again been written by Dan Sefton, who said he was "over the moon to be working with such fantastic actors on the new series of Trust Me."

"It’s great to write a series that stars established talent like John and Ashley, while also bringing young actors like Alfred and Katie to leading roles for the BBC."

Gaynor Holmes, Commissioning Executive for BBC Scotland said: "It’s very exciting to start filming Trust Me again in Scotland and to be welcoming the drama back to BBC One with such a fantastic new cast.

"The second series is an even more thrilling story and Dan Sefton’s scripts are page turners; I can’t wait for viewers to see what is in store."

Why did Jodie Whittaker leave?

Jodie Whittaker's star turn in the first series of Trust Me was met with praise, and helped the show towards its consolidated series average of six million viewers in August 2017.

So why is she not returning?

Simply put: Jodie is the star of Doctor Who.

Since Whittaker has become the thirteenth iteration of the legendary Time Lord, her ability to pursue other projects has become limited, and the Yorkshire actress is currently filming the show's twelfth series.

Trust Me will begin on Tuesday 16 April on BBC One Scotland at 9pm.