Airing in September 2025 on BBC One and iPlayer, The Guest is shaping up to be a compelling four-part psychological thriller that examines the uneasy attraction between two women whose lives collide under unexpected circumstances. Here, we preview the series plot and take a look at The Guest’s BBC trailer, filming locations, cast lists, and interviews.
The story centres on the character Ria Powell, a cleaner whose life has long been defined by quiet struggle. When she begins working for Fran Sharp, a charismatic and confident business owner, Ria is drawn into a world laced with influence and possibility.
Their relationship, though initially alluring, soon evolves into a tense, manipulative bond where motivations blur and power dynamics shift. The suspense builds around the question of who truly holds the upper hand in this dangerous game.
The Guest BBC Trailer
The soundtrack to the above advert trailer for The Guest is the song “Welcome To My World”, which was recorded by the American country singer Jim Reeves and was released as a single in the UK in 1963.
Where was The Guest filmed for the BBC?
Filming for The Guest took place across Wales, primarily in and around the Welsh capital, Cardiff, between September and November 2024.
However, the country house filming location used for Fran’s House, called Maybury Court in The Guest series, is actually known as Whitson Court in real life and is located outside the Welsh city of Newport near the more rural village of Goldcliff, close to the River Severn coast. The quiet surrounding roads make for popular routes for local cyclists, and also as a route for sightseers visiting the nearby sea wall.
The Guest BBC Filming Locations: Maybury Court. Image Credit: BBC / Quay Street Productions / Jake Morley
Whitson Court was built in its current form on the site of an earlier building around 1791 as the home of the then High Sheriff for Monmouthshire, William Phillips.
When asked by the BBC to talk about some of the filming locations used in The Guest, the show’s executive producer Davina Earl said, “One of our key locations is Fran’s House- Maybury Court. This was one of the biggest tasks – how can we find a house that gives us everything we needed from the scripts, and we couldn’t believe it when we found Whitson Court. The house does everything we needed it to and it’s breathtakingly beautiful. It’s such a special place, not just the house but the grounds, the garden, all the land. It’s magical.”
Also, when asked what it was like filming scenes at Maybury Court, The Guest actress Gabrielle Creevy stated, “When you first see those gates open, it feels almost magical, like stepping into a fairy tale or a grand castle. It’s that feeling of wonder you get when you’re younger, imagining what it would be like to live in a place like that. That is exactly how Ria feels when she first sees it, it’s like her chance at a new life. The location is stunning; the grounds are vast, and the landscape of Wales looks beautiful. It really adds a layer of charm and mystery to the story.”
The Guest BBC Cast: Eve Myles as Fran Sharp. Image Credit: BBC / Quay Street Productions / Simon Ridgway
Actor Emun Elliott was then asked, “What was it like filming in Wales? What do you think the locations add to the drama?”, to which he responded, “Wales is fantastic, Cardiff is this brilliant urban city, but you step outside of it, and it’s a whole other world. We shot on Rhossili Bay, which is one of the most stunning locations I’ve ever seen. I think this series will have a sense of scale. Ashley Way, our director focused on not just the intricacies of the drama but also used the landscape and the city of Cardiff itself as another character in the plot.”
The Guest BBC Cast List – Season 1, 2025
- Fran Sharp – Eve Myles (Torchwood, We Hunt Together, Broadchurch, Keeping Faith, The Crow Girl, Victoria)
- Ria Powell – Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin, In My Skin, The Pact)
- Lee Mace – Siôn Daniel Young (Deceit, Keeping Faith, Lost Boys & Fairies)
- Richard Abbott – Emun Elliott (The Gold, Guilt)
- Simon Sharp – Julian Lewis Jones (Bregus)
- Helen – Catherine Ayers (Keeping Faith, My Petsaurus)
- Sharla – Bethan Mary-James (The Collection)
On the production side, the creative features Matthew Barry as writer, creator, and executive producer of the series. He leads a collaborative team featuring executive producers Davina Earl and Nicola Shindler from Quay Street Productions, alongside Rebecca Ferguson and Nick Andrews representing the BBC. Direction for all four episodes comes from Ashley Way, with Karen Lewis in the producer role, working in partnership with BBC Cymru Wales and Quay Street Productions.
When does The Guest start on the BBC?
The release date for The Guest has been officially set for 1 September 2025, with all four episodes of the series available in full on BBC iPlayer from 6:00am that day, while traditional television viewers can catch it on BBC One each Monday night at 9:00pm on BBC One and BBC One Wales.