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BBC’s new murder mystery 'The One That Got Away': Full list of cast and character explored

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BBC's new crime drama, The One That Got Away, promises a mix of thrilling murder mystery and a complicated love story. Two detectives and former lovers team up once again to investigate a murder that echoes the series of murders that happened in their small town a year ago. With the original killer already behind bars, the suspenseful plot revolves around them finding the copycat killer that is rocking the entire town.

Created and written by Catherine Tregenna, who also worked on Law & Order UK, Doctor Who, and DCI Banks, the new BBC crime drama is set and filmed in the Pembroke Dock town of Pembrokeshire, Wales. Besides the authenticity of the show's filming location that captures the bleak and mysterious storyline, it also features an all-Welsh cast with familiar faces from other Welsh crime dramas. It stars Elen Rhys and Richard Harrington as the detective duo, among many others.

Main cast and characters in BBC's The One That Got Away

Elen Rhys as DI Ffion Lloyd

Elen Rhys plays Ffion (Image via BBC)
Elen Rhys plays Ffion (Image via BBC)

First on The One That Got Away's cast list is Panic Button star Elen Rhys, who plays the character of DI Ffion Lloyd. She's one of the two detectives tasked with investigating the case of a murdered nurse in Pembroke Dock.

It's not Rhys' first rodeo in the crime dramas and thriller TV shows, as she's worked in several throughout her career. She famously played Welsh detective Miranda Blake in Mallorca Files for three seasons from 2019 to 2024, Petra Brattle in FX's The Bastard Executioner, and Maddy Talbot in Trinity.

Richard Harrington as DS Rick Walters

Richard Harrington plays Rick (Image via BBC)
Richard Harrington plays Rick (Image via BBC)

Alongside Rhys' Ffion is her fellow detective and former lover, DS Rick Walters, played by Richard Harrington. They work together once again in the new murder case, but it's not a second-chance romance for the two as Richard is already married.

Harrington has also worked in his fair share of serial killer mysteries and cop dramas, like the noir crime series Hinterland, where he plays another detective role for three seasons, and Steeltown Murders. His other works include the period drama Poldark, Gangs of London, Casualty, Tree on a Hill, and more.

Rhian Blythe as Helen Sheldon

Rhian Blythe plays Helen (Image via BBC)
Rhian Blythe plays Helen (Image via BBC)

Keeping Faith star Rhian Blythe joins the cast of The One That Got Away as Helen, Rick's wife. She is also a nurse and the co-worker of the nurse who was found dead in Pembroke Dock.

Blythe famously played math teacher Grug Matthews in the school precinct drama Gwaith/Cartref for five seasons from 2011 to 2015. She won the Best Actress award from the BAFTAs in Wales in 2014 for it. She also worked with Harrington in Casualty and Hinterland.

Ian Puleston-Davies as Paul Harvey

Ian Puleston-Davies plays Paul (Image via BBC)
Ian Puleston-Davies plays Paul (Image via BBC)

Pennyworth actor Ian Puleston-Davies plays Paul in The One That Got Away. He's a convicted murderer, the original killer who was found guilty of murdering two nurses, the same case Ffion and Rick investigated years ago.

Puleston-Davis can be seen in several crime drama shows and police procedurals, including Silent Witness, DI Ray, The Bay, Tin Star, and The Responder. He's also part of Britain's longest-running soap, Coronation Street, which has been on air since 1960. The actor appeared in the soap as Owen Armstrong from 2010 to 2015.

Aled Pugh as DS Celyn Howells

Aled Pugh plays Celyn (Image via BBC)
Aled Pugh plays Celyn (Image via BBC)

Pobol y Cwm's Gerwyn Parri, Aled Pugh, returns to the small screen as DS Celyn Howells in The One That Got Away. He's one of the officers involved in the investigation of the new murder in the small town of Pembroke Dock.

Pugh appears in several TV shows, including Alys and Stella, and was also in movies like Canaries, Say My Name, and Royal Wedding.

Mali Ann Rees as DC "Mogsy" Morgan

Mali Ann Rees plays Mogsy (Image via BBC)
Mali Ann Rees plays Mogsy (Image via BBC)

Another officer working in the murder case in The One That Got Away is Mogsy, played by Mali Ann Rees. Her character appears in all six episodes of the BBC murder mystery.

Outside of the series, Rees can be seen as Kara in Tourist Trap and Megan in The Pact. She also previously worked with Blythe in Keeping Faith and Rhys in Hidden.

Other cast and characters in the series

Here are the other cast members who appear in The One That Got Away in recurring roles:

Watch all six episodes of The One That Got Away streaming on BBC iPlayer.

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