Gemma Arterton lauds ITV Secret Service over female spy lead: 'Usually lone rangers with no families!'

Olivia Gantzer
Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:06:32 +0000

Gemma Arterton has applauded upcoming thriller series Secret Service, which was is based on the novel written by ITV broadcaster Tom Bradby.

Ms Arterton stars as MI6 agent Kate Henderson, who is working against the clock to expose potential connections between a UK politician and the Kremlin, with her career and personal life hanging in the balance as both a killing and an election approach.

Discussing her character with GB News and other media, Ms Arterton talked about why Kate differs from spy agents in other dramas.

"The stakes are so high because of her day to day life," she explained.

She continued: "You know, sometimes with these in the spy genre, the spies are lone rangers, and they don't have relationships, or can't, and don't have families.

"And actually, the fact that she has a life and a marriage and children makes everything so much more dangerous for her and high risk.

"And I think that's what gives her in her job, is that it matters so much to her to get this right, because the stakes are so high, because she has things that matter in her life."

Mr Bradby, who serves as both ITV broadcaster and creator of the source material, conceived the story amid growing concerns about Russian interference in Western democracies.

"I just thought, 'Well, imagine if you were actually what would that really be like? How would your bosses react? How would the politicians react?'" he explained.

"Obviously it did have to evolve, because the world was evolving," he said.

"But as I said, the slightly scary thing is, it never felt any less relevant.

"It just seems to get more and more relevant, which is great for the drama, but possibly not for democratic societies," he noted.

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Mr Bradby's extensive journalism career proved invaluable in crafting an authentic portrayal of the intelligence world.

Having spent decades at ITN, he covered virtually every specialism, including a stint as UK editor with responsibility for security and intelligence services, followed by a decade as political editor.

"I've been in journalism for 1,000 years," he quipped.

This background granted him regular access to the MI6 building and established relationships with those working in espionage.

When crafting scenes, Mr Bradby could consult genuine intelligence contacts about operational credibility.

"You're talking to people who are like, 'Okay, interesting challenge. And think about this,'" he explained, noting they would devise plausible alternatives rather than revealing actual tradecraft.

He added: "The truth about turning anything from a novel into a film, and obviously lots of novelists don't like to do that themselves, but I love doing it."

Secret Service will be available to watch on ITV from April 27.