Fern Britton in white shirt © S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock

Fern Britton's brother is a Hollywood star – and has a major role in Apple TV+'s Hijack

Jasper Britton stars opposite Idris Elba in the thriller series

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TV and film writer
July 5, 2023

Fern Britton is a household name across the nation thanks to her long-standing career as a television presenter. The star is perhaps best known for hosting ITV's This Morning, a role she held for ten years from 1999 to 2009. 

But did you know that Fern isn't the only famous face in her family? Her brother is a Hollywood actor who is currently starring alongside Idris Elba in Apple TV+'s new drama, Hijack

WATCH: Idris Elba: Filming sequences inside a plane for six months was ‘claustrophobic’

Who is Fern Britton's brother?

Fern Britton's half-brother is actor Jasper Britton. While Fern was born in 1957 to parents Tony and Ruth Britton, Jasper is Tony's son from his second marriage to Eva Castle Britton and was born in 1962. 

Jasper, who grew up in London, began his acting career on the stage when he portrayed the King of France in a production of King Lear at the Old Vic. 

© Alastair Muir/Shutterstock

Jasper Britton and Finty Williams performing in Pack of Lies at the Menier Chocolate Factory Theatre in London

He went on to appear in various stage productions and spent a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in The Beggar's Opera and Antony and Cleopatra. He even replaced Eddie Izzard in the title role in Brian Cox's 1995 production of Richard III and garnered rave reviews for his performance.

MORE: Fans have the same complaint about Idris Elba’s new drama Hijack

More recently, he portrayed the role of Johnny 'Rooster' Byron in the revival of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury in 2018.

As for his on-screen roles, Jasper has appeared in a range of TV shows and films, including the 2005 historical romance drama, The New World, which starred Colin Farrell, Jonathan Pryce and Christian Bale.

Jasper plays Marcus in Hijack

He has also popped up in episodes of Midsomer Murders, Heartbeat and the BBC sitcom Carrie & Barrie. 

Jasper is currently starring in Apple TV+'s thriller series, Hijack, playing the role of one of the hijackers, Marcus. 

READ: Inside Idris Elba's love life history from past relationships to marriage

Fern is clearly loving watching her brother in the drama and shared her support on Twitter. "I'm off to bed to catch ep3 of Hijack! The Apple TV drama starring my brother Jasper Britton with some bloke called Idris Elba," she wrote.  

© Getty

Jasper is Fern's half-brother

Fern opened up about her childhood while starring in an episode of the new Channel 5 series, No Place Like Home, earlier this year. 

She revealed that she didn't know that her parents had split up when she was a child and that she only learned about her brother Jasper when she was 15 years old. 

Jasper stars alongside Idris Elba in the series

"I didn't know what was going on in the family at that stage," she said. "I just knew that it was me and my mum and my sister here and that my father didn't live here.

"It was odd. In those days, people didn't tell you things."

What is Hijack about? 

Hijack landed on Apple TV+ at the end of last month and has had viewers gripped ever since. 

Idris Elba stars in Hijack

The series, which stars Idris Elba, follows the journey of a hijacked commercial plane on a seven-hour flight from Dubai to London. Idris plays business professional Sam Nelson who uses his negotiating skills to try and save himself and the passengers. 

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