Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 3 hrs ago
ITV drama Adultery follows a secret affair between two married parents
ITV's six-part drama Adultery follows an affair between Beth and Tom, two married parents played by Romola Garai and Dominic Cooper.
Beth is a mother whose fitness-training business has fallen apart, while Tom is a GP married to Hannah, who has been struggling with her mental health.
Their relationship begins after Beth knocks Tom off his bike, and the two start meeting in secret.
Both have spouses and teenage children, and their children are also dating each other, raising the stakes for both families.
The series also touches on grief, as Beth mourns her friend, and on the different pressures in each marriage.
Its final episode leaves the central characters facing choices about whether to turn their affair into a life together.
A second season has not been confirmed, and the team says the series was intended as a complete story, though they have not ruled out a return.
ITV’s six-part drama Adultery follows married parents Beth and Tom as they begin an affair.
Romola Garai plays Beth, and Dominic Cooper plays Tom, a GP; both characters have teenage children who are in a relationship.
The series launched on 25 October, with all six episodes available to stream on ITVX.
A Radio Times report said a second season had not been confirmed and that the series appeared to have been designed as a limited series.
Reviews disagreed on the drama’s effectiveness: The Independent praised the leads’ chemistry, while The Guardian called the series clichéd.
- Who
- Beth, played by Romola Garai, and Tom, played by Dominic Cooper, are the married couple drawn into an affair.
- What
- ITV’s six-part drama Adultery follows the affair and its effects on both families.
- When
- The series launched on 25 October 2026.
- Where
- The drama is an ITV series, with all six episodes available on ITVX.
- Why
- The sources describe the attraction and obstacles that lead Beth and Tom into an affair, but do not state a single specific reason.
The Independent
The Guardian
Lead performances and chemistry
The Independent
Garai and Cooper create believable warmth and mutual attraction.
The Guardian
The actors give strong performances, but the characters and their actions are unconvincing.
Writing and originality
The Independent
The writing is smart and nuanced, presenting the people involved as complex and flawed.
The Guardian
The series is a clattering collection of clichés, delivered by underdeveloped characters.
Adultery launched with all six episodes available to stream on ITVX.
Radio Times reported that a second season had not been confirmed and that the series appeared to have been envisioned as a limited series.
- Episode count
- Six
- Launch date
- 25 October 2026
- Platform
- ITVX
- Beth
- Romola Garai
- Tom
- Dominic Cooper
- Season 2 status
- Not confirmed
5 sources
Can't get a doctor's appointment? Barge in and snog your GP instead: Christopher Stevens reviews Adultery
Will there be an Adultery season 2?
Adultery review – The chemistry in this steamy ITV drama is electric
Adultery review – a risible tale of middle-aged car sex, rat poo and rickety furniture
Adultery review: Romola Garai and Dominic Cooper lead middling midlife relationship drama
What people are saying
Our sense is that this is its complete story. But never say never.
The main thing is that an affair, no matter what kind of an affair it is, is essentially built on a fantasy.
You get drawn in by human stories. That is surprising.