Line of Duty was back on our screens on Sunday night, and fans were surprised and delighted to spot a character who hadn't been seen since season one of the popular police procedural drama. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot Ryan, who played a young delinquent who participated in Steve Arnott's capture in the early days of the show, as a teenage member of the crime organisation ran by John Corbett, who also shocked fans when it was revealed that he was actually an undercover officer.
Ryan first appeared in season one
Gregory Piper, who plays Ryan, tweeted the good news, writing: "Balaclavas off, news is out, look who's back and all grown up...it's Ryan. So honoured to be asked back, what an experience to say the least. Roll on the rest of the series!" Fans were shocked by the revelation, with one writing: "If you watched Season 1 of #LineofDuty: Remember Ryan? The kid who was *not* very nice. Ryan is a character in Season 5. He's back!" Another person joked: "Please tell me he's been promoted from phone delivery lad! He must have got some sort of career progression even on the dark side."
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Speaking about the return of some old faces, Adrian Dunbar said: "There might be a couple of surprises, but maybe not The Caddy," while Martin Compston added: "I think the machine gun to the chest was pretty final! But with Jed's writing, nothing's ever as it seems. So there's a few surprises." Vicky Fleming also teased: "If you've watched from series one, or if you've gone back and watched from the start, and if you look hard enough, you'll find a lot more in this series – returns of things and people. So keep your eyes peeled!"
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