According to The Hollywood Reporter, the full cast for Dear England has been confirmed by BBC. This four-part drama is based on James Graham (Ink, This House)’s Olivier Award-winning play about the England men’s football team and Gareth Southgate. Jodie Whittaker (Dr. Who, Broadchurch), Jason Watkins (The Crown, The Game), and Daniel Ryan (The Bay, Cold Call) have been added to the cast. 

Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale, Risen), will take back his stage role as Gareth Southgate, the English manager who took charge of a team with a dismal record in penalty shoot-outs. Whittaker is playing Pippa Grange, the team psychologist, and Watkins will play Greg Dyke, the former Football Association chairman. Additionally, former assistant manager Steve Holland will be played by Ryan, THR notes.

A few of the cast members from the play are reprising their roles for TV, including Adam Hugill (Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Sherwood) who will play Harry Maguire, Josh Hodgkinson (Firelight, Thunderpants), Josh Barrow (Vera, 403 Forbidden), former FA chairman Greg Clarke, and Lewis Shepherd (10 Swords & The Moon, National Theatre Live: Dear England) playing Dele Alli, THR adds. 

THR states that Francis Lovehall (Champion, A Thousand Blows), playing Raheem Sterling, Jacob Greenway (Father Brown, Gritt) as Jude Bellingham, Will Antenbring (Mr. Loverman, The Bridges We Cross) as Harry Kane, Abdul Sessay (Doctor Who, Piglets) as Bukayo Saka, and Edem-Ita Duke (War of the Worlds, Vera), playing Marcus Rashford are also part of the cast. 

Dear England debuted in 2023 at the National Theatre, winning the Olivier Award for best play. It is a fictional account of real events, and based on profound research and numerous interviews, as mentioned by THR. 

The writer and executive producer is James Graham (Ink, This House), alongside director of the stage version and first episode Rupert Goold (Judy, Macbeth), and Paul Whittington (Hero, Innocent Pink), who is directing episodes two through four. Tina Pawlik (Top Boy, Ted Lasso) will produce alongside executive producers Graham, Goold, Sami El-Hadi (Breaking, Love Story) and Jo McClellan (The Last Panthers, The Tunnel) for the BBC, and Rebecca Hodgson (Sherwood, Free Rein) and Andy Harries (Dark River, The Lady) for Left Bank Pictures, THR says. 

THR finally adds that Dear England is produced by Left Bank Pictures, and is now being filmed in the South of England. The series will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2026, meanwhile Sony Pictures Television is handling international distribution.