Granchester newcomer Rishi Nair has officially commenced filming on season nine of the detective drama. Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, the actor shared photos from his trailer to commemorate his first week of filming, and judging by the flowers and card on his desk, the actor has received plenty of congratulations on his new role.
Set to play charismatic vicar, Alphy Kotteram, the character has "an instinctive distrust for authority and absolutely no desire to get involved in murder investigations," according to the PBS website. "But Alphy and Geordie will discover they have a lot more in common than they first think, and Alphy will find that in Grantchester, murder is never far away."
MORE: Grantchester: who is new lead Rishi Nair? Everything to know
READ: Grantchester star Tom Brittney shares major update on new season following exit announcement
Earlier this month, Grantchester alum Tom Brittney – aka Reverend Will Davenport – confirmed that he'll be stepping down from his role on the show after series nine. Releasing an official statement, he said: "I've had the most incredible time playing Will Davenport for the last five years.
"I got to solve crimes with my best friend, and work with the best cast and crew I could ever ask for. I'll miss it more than anything. But it's time for the baton to be passed, as it once was to me, and I'm so excited for Rishi to join the Grantchester family."
Following the news, Rishi said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining Grantchester. The welcome and support I've received from everyone has been overwhelming."
The 32-year-old continued: "The success of the show and the reason we are here for a ninth season is a testament to all the people that have previously worked on it. I'm really excited to get started and cannot wait for the Grantchester fans to meet Alphy and to see all that's in store for him."
DI Geordie Keating actor Robson Green has also addressed the change, explaining that while there's a "tinge of sadness" amid Tom's exit, he's "delighted" to welcome "the incredibly talented Rishi Nair to the Grantchester family!"
Already a familiar face on TV, Rishi has previously starred in Treason (2022), Brian and Charles (2022), Whitstable Pearl (2022) and Count Abdulla (2023). He is also well known for portraying Sami Maalik in Hollyoaks from 2017 to 2021.
So, what's in store for Tom Brittney now that he's exiting the series? As it turns out, the 32-year-old is set to appear in a Hollywood movie full of big A-List names; Netflix's upcoming action-comedy movie, Back In Action.
The new movie boasts a star-studded cast, including Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx, as well as Kyle Chandler, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott and Jamie Demetriou. Currently, the streaming platform is yet to confirm a release date, but we couldn't be more excited!