UPDATE: |Grace star Zoë Tapper opens up ‘devastating’ scenes with John Simm in series 5 News

Grace is back on ITV this evening

Grace, the popular ITV crime drama, is set to return to our screens this evening (April 6), with some deeply moving scenes expected in the opening episode. Lead actor John Simm has spoken about a poignant storyline involving his character, Roy Grace, and his girlfriend Cleo Morey, portrayed by Zoë Tapper.

The first episode of season five, titled Dead If You Don’t, sees Grace taking a day off that doesn’t go as planned. The episode begins on a melancholic note, with Grace and Cleo grappling with the loss of their baby.

In the previous season, viewers saw the couple excitedly expecting a baby with Cleo just as Grace discovered his long-lost wife Sandy (played by Clare Calbraith) and learned he had a son named Bruno.

Tragically, Sandy took her own life, leaving Grace reeling from the shock of finding and losing his wife, while also adjusting to having a young son.

Speaking to media outlets including Express.co.uk about these heartrending storylines, 54 year old Simm explained that the baby’s loss occurred between seasons.

“You realise quite quickly what’s happened and they’re also trying to deal with Bruno, who is now kind of living with him,” said Simm.

“They both have to try and bond with Bruno through tragic circumstances, what happened to Sandy etc in the previous series.

“So, it’s quite heightened but great to play. You need some dramatic tension, so it’s much better to play something like that. It was really lovely challenge, actually.”

Tapper, aged 24, candidly shared insights into her character’s journey in the new series, revealing: “It was different coming into this series because you find out very early on she’s lost the baby, so that’s the first image you have of her and them is dealing with this devastating loss.”

She described the emotional weight of the scenes, saying, “They were really poignant, moving scenes to film and interesting in another way, because for Cleo her work is so integral to who she is as a person.”

Delving deeper into her role, Tapper said: “She’s on bereavement leave at the beginning of this series and Roy has had to go back to work, so they’re separated in their grief as well.”

She added, “I felt very isolated. She felt very isolated to me as a character in the beginning place where you first see.”

Despite the heavy start, Tapper hinted at significant developments throughout the season, suggesting her character would find momentum amidst the turmoil.

To prepare for the sensitive storyline, Tapper conducted research into baby loss, which she found to be “very personal” to each individual affected by such a tragedy.

In her quest for authenticity, she turned to the internet and a close friend who had experienced the late-term loss of a child and was willing to share their experience with her.

Tapper reflected on the depth of the narrative, stating: “We don’t delve enormously into what happened, it would have been so, so traumatic for them.”

She emphasized her commitment to the portrayal, concluding: “Ultimately, I obviously wanted to do justice to something as profound and as devastating as that. So I had to find my truth within it.”

Grace season 5 airs on ITV on Sundays at 8pm