Dawn French stars as woman faking husband's death in BBC One comedy

Dawn French stars as Debbie in Can You Keep a Secret?, a BBC One comedy about a woman pretending her husband has died to claim an insurance payout. The episode is scheduled for 9.30pm.

Now the cat’s out of the bag: her police officer daughter-in-law Neha (Mandip Gill) knows that William (Mark Heap) is alive and demands they give the money back. Somebody else has also worked out the scam and has sent a blackmail letter in a “very uninspiring” font, but Debbie has zero intention of cowering to any threats. Reviewer Hollie Richardson described it as "Great fun."

Other tonight’s highlights include Landscape Artist of the Year 2026 at 8pm on Sky Arts; Digging for Britain at 9pm on BBC Two, featuring sites from an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Kent to finds in Herne Bay; and Grantchester at 9pm on ITV1, which raises questions about possible witchcraft and a partner’s suspected guilt.

Viewers can watch Can You Keep a Secret? at 9.30pm on BBC One. The outcomes of the scam and the various investigations in the other programmes will be revealed in their respective broadcasts.

Key Topics

Culture, Dawn French, Debbie, Neha, Mandip Gill, Mark Heap