Sanditon star Maxim Ays has joined the cast of ITV's popular comedy-drama, The Larkins, which has been renewed for a second season.
MORE: Sanditon has a mindblowing connection to Bridgerton season two
ITV announced that filming for the series has begun in the Kent countryside, with six new episodes landing on the broadcaster later this year.
WATCH: Have you caught up on season one of The Larkins yet?
Maxim, who played Captain William Carter in the latest series of Sanditon, will play the handsome Reverend Candy, a new arrival to the village who sets hearts aflutter and catches the eye of Primrose Larkin.
While Bradley Walsh and Joanna Scanlan will be reprising their roles as the iconic Pop and Ma Larkin in the drama, Mariette actress Sabrina Bartlett will not be returning to the series, with newcomer Joelle Rae taking her place.
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Sabrina's exit from the show was reported by the Daily Mail back in February. The publication reported that the Bridgerton star had left the show due to "scheduling conflicts" but a source claimed that a disagreement on set was to blame for her departure, according to the same paper.
Sanditon's Maxim Ays has joined the cast
Comedian Morgana Robinson is also new to the cast and will be playing Pinkie, the mother of a new family that moves into the village and immediately dislikes the Larkins. Hector Bateman Harden will be playing her son Gilbert and Lucy Allix will take the role of her daughter, Blanche, with the casting of husband and father Cuthbert yet to be announced.
The second series of the drama, which is based on the novels by H.E. Bates, will also welcome the return of Peter Davison as the Vicar, Kriss Dosanjh as Brigadier, Amelia Bullmore as Miss Edith Pilchester and Seeta Indrani as Miss Chand.
Joelle Rae is taking over from Sabrina Bartlett
Robert Bathurst (Johnny Delamere), Francesca Wilson Waterworth (Libby Fothergill), Barney Walsh (PC Harness), Tony Gardner (Alec Norman) and Selina Griffiths (Norma Norman) will also be reprising their roles.
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