Jo Joyner

Little Disasters is a gripping Channel 5 drama series that has been keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

Channel 5 audiences have been gripped as they follow the compelling series Little Disasters, starring EastEnders‘ Jo Joyner, Bridgerton’s Shelley Conn and The Office’s Patrick Baladi.

The six-part drama chronicles the lives of four friends who have been close for a decade. Yet their bond faces its ultimate test when a single incident transforms everything.

When one of the women, Jess (Diane Kruger), brings their baby daughter to hospital with an unexplained head injury, her close friend and A&E doctor Liz (Jo) finds herself with no option but to alert social services.

This triggers a devastating domino effect as the pressures of motherhood, hidden truths and feelings of guilt are all laid bare in the Channel 5 drama.

Meanwhile, the central question persists: what truly happened to the baby to cause her injury?

The concluding episode of the series is scheduled to broadcast this week, with revelations that could potentially shatter the group completely unveiled, reports the Express.

Last year, actress Jo posted some behind-the-scenes photographs from her time filming the programme, including shots of her alongside castmates wearing prosthetic pregnancy bumps in a flashback sequence.

Another image captured Jo wearing a pink wig, which was donned by Emily Taaffe in one episode. Further snaps featured the cast relaxing during breaks, sharing meals and enjoying games.

Others show Jo smiling at the camera sporting various hairstyles. She captioned the post: “What I did last summer…! After three months in Malta, I had two weeks at home before heading off to Budapest to film the first half of #littledisasters an adaptation of the gripping novel by @svaughanauthor. It was just long enough for me to change my hair from blonde to dark brown with the help of Tracy @westgate_salon & @racoonintl”.

“Filming in 38 degrees in the bustling city surrounded by a wealth of talent. Sitting next to a beautiful and talented Chanel model every morning in makeup, whilst having broken veins and dark circles painted on me, did nothing for my ego.

“But getting to play the down-to-earth, capable and witty Liz more than made up for it. Blessed to have spent the hours off set having great meals, hikes and conversation, and not to forget, crosswords- with the best of cast mates, glad and grateful for the visits from friends and family @n1cky00.

“Yes, we did all try the pink wig on! Choosing baby bumps is harder than you’d think. After spending the first half of the year away, it was a joy to come home and film the remainder in Richmond last summer.”

Little Disasters is currently available to stream on Channel 5.

The EastEnders actress leads the cast in the six-part psychological thriller

A gripping mystery drama featuring an EastEnders icon is now available to watch for free.

Little Disasters, previously described as a “complex psychological thriller with a mystery at its heart”, lands on Channel 5 tomorrow (June 14), after initially premiering on Paramount+ last May.

EastEnders favourite Jo Joyner, widely recognised for her iconic portrayal of Tanya Branning, heads up the cast alongside Hollywood star Diane Kruger.

Based on Sarah Vaughan’s bestselling novel of the same title, the series charts the decade-long bond between Jess (Diane Kruger), Liz (Jo Joyner), Charlotte (Shelley Conn) and Mel (Emily Taaffe).

The story follows four expectant mothers who were brought together with little in common beyond their due dates, yet have supported each other throughout the journey of motherhood, reports Wales Online.

As the synopsis reveals: “The world of seemingly perfect stay-at-home mother Jess begins to unravel when she brings her baby daughter Betsy to the hospital with a head injury she can’t explain.

“Her close friend and on-duty AandE doctor, Liz, must make the excruciating decision of whether to call social services.”

This pivotal moment sets off a chain of events that threatens to tear apart both their friendship circle and their individual families.

The Little Disasters cast also features Ben Bailey Smith from The Split, alongside Patrick Baladi (Line of Duty), Stephen Campbell Moore (The Gold), and JJ Feild (The Peripheral).

Discussing the programme, Jo previously revealed that this style of storytelling not only inspired her to accept the role, but is unlike anything she had previously encountered on television.

She said: “I know somebody who suffered with postnatal OCD and I had only recently found out about it myself. So, I thought it was a really great topic to explore actually.

“Any kind of postnatal depression must be horrendous, I was lucky I didn’t suffer from it myself. I can’t imagine having such intrusive thoughts about your own child and I think that was another brilliant thing to bring up but also serves well for a thriller, doesn’t it?”.

The six-part series remains available for streaming on Paramount+, but will also broadcast on Channel 5 from this weekend, with the opening episode debuting in the 9pm slot on Sunday, 14 June.

Predictably, viewers have wasted little time making their feelings known, with one writing: “Worth the binge! #littledisasters.”

Another commented: “#littledisasters is everything I needed…” Meanwhile a third added: “Good show, oh my days, the suspense got me.”

Little Disasters premiered on Paramount+, and will air on Channel 5 on Sunday, 14 June.