Christopher Chung reveals the former Slow Horses star he would most like to see return for a future season

Not only has season 6 featured the much-publicised return of Olivia Cooke as Sid Baker, who was last seen in season 1, but Rosalind Eleazar has reprised her role as Louisa Guy, after leaving at the start of season 5, and both Hugo Weaving and Joanna Scanlan are back as Frank Harkness and Moira Tregorian, who last appeared in season 4.

Additionally, another season 1 figure, Struan Loy, as played by Paul Higgins, made a brief and fatal return at the start of the season - however, Christopher Chung wants more.

Speaking exclusively with Radio Times, the Roddy Ho star addressed the returning stars, saying: "You know what’s so extraordinary about doing a show like this for six seasons is that there's such a history built in throughout now, that the audience can reference back to.

"You can watch these seasons as stand-alones, but then you get a real payoff if you're with it from season 1. Seeing Paul come back as Struan after season 1 is so brilliant. When I heard that he was coming back, I'm like, ‘Oh my god, that's so amazing.’ And then you think about all the other characters that have been with us since season 1 that could potentially pop back up."

Chung then gave his pick for who he would most like to see back, saying: "It'd be amazing if they figured out a way for [Ingrid] Tearney to come back in. I'd love to work with Sophie [Okonedo] because I never got any scenes with her."

Ingrid Tearney was the First Desk at MI5 between seasons 1 and 3, although she was ousted at the end of that last run after being outmanoeuvred by her Second Desk, Diana Taverner.

She was initially replaced by James Callis's Claude Whelan for seasons 4 and 5, but he left at the end of that latter run and Taverner finally took her place at the top of the organisation, getting the prize she had so desperately wanted across the whole series.

Chung concluded: "Olivia's said as well, she's been jealous of all of us because she obviously left in season 1 and she's just had to watch us for five seasons until she got to come back on board. It is the best job in television, so every actor wants to be there. I guess that they feel quite blessed to have gotten the opportunity to come back to Slough House."

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Currently, there would still be time for Tearney to pop back up. The seventh season of Slow Horses has already finished filming, while production on season 8 is underway.

However, it is unclear where the show will go from there, as while Mick Herron's novel series is set to continue, the adaptation will have exhausted all of the mainline books which have currently been published.

Slow Horses is available to watch on Apple TV, with new episodes of season 6 arriving weekly on Wednesdays. You can sign up to Apple TV for a seven-day free trial.

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Authors

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.