Meet The Catch cast: who's who in the Channel 5 thriller

The Catch cast in a promotional image surrounded by water
The Cast has a great line-up of stars. (Image credit: Channel 5)

The Catch is now on Channel 5 and it's based on the novel of the same name by bestselling author T.M. Logan.

Four-part thriller The Catch follows Ed Collier, a proud husband, father, and local fisherman who is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his family together when a rich, handsome man Ryan Wilson arrives on the scene and threatens to take his daughter Abbie away because he's "fallen for her".

Not only that, a dark secret from Ed’s past returns to haunt him and he risks losing everything he’s worked so hard to achieve, so it definitely sounds like gripping stuff!

There's an excellent cast attached too, with the thriller bringing together many well-known stars to tell the gripping story. 

Here's what you need to know about The Catch cast...

The Catch cast: who's who in the new series

Jason Watkins plays Ed Collier

Jason Watkins as Ed in the catch, wearing a shirt and tie and sitting in a restaurant.

Jason Watkins as Ed in The Catch.  (Image credit: Channel 5)

Ed Collier is a husband, father and local fisherman, but although he has a seemingly normal life he's struggling a lot. His business is in a critical state and he’s under a lot of financial pressure, and on top of that, he finds himself disturbed by Ryan's arrival into his daughter's life. He's also got a dark secret... but what?

He's played by BAFTA-winning actor Jason Watkins who has starred in numerous dramas such as The TrickDes, and Being Human. He is also known for playing former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson in The Crown.

Aneurin Barnard plays Ryan Wilson

Aneurin Barnard as Ryan Wilson in The Catch, frowning and wearing a blue jumper

Aneurin Barnard as Ryan Wilson in The Catch. (Image credit: Channel 5)

Ryan is an outsider, who has served in the military in Afghanistan and lost both his parents so he's very much on his own. He's a very mysterious person and Ed doesn't seem to trust him, so we'll just have to wait and learn the truth. Who doesn't love an intriguing character?!

Aneurin Barnard plays the role of Ryan. He recently starred in the Netflix series 1899, the BBC One hit drama The Pact season 1 and has also had roles in films such as Dunkirk, Dead In A Week (or your money back), and The Goldfinch.

Poppy Gilbert plays Abbie Collier

Poppy Gilbert as Abbie Collier, smiling at someone and wearing a denim jacket

Poppy Gilbert as Abbie Collier in The Catch. (Image credit: Channel 5)

Abbie Collier is Ed's daughter and is now an only child after her brother died in a boating accident 15 years ago. This tragedy has definitely impacted the family, especially Abbie's father, which causes some conflict when Abbie finds herself falling in love with newcomer Ryan.

This role is played by Poppy Gilbert, who has starred in BBC One drama Chloe, Netflix drama Stay Close, and Prime Video's Leonardo.

Cathy Belton plays Claire Collier

Cathy Belton as Claire Collier, on the beach wearing a white shirt.

Cathy Belton as Claire Collier in The Catch.  (Image credit: Channel 5)

Claire Collier is Ed's wife and Abbie's mother, who finds herself caught in the crossfire following Ryan's arrival and all the drama that comes with it. But what exactly is her husband hiding from her?

She's played by Cathy Belton, best known for her work on Hidden Assets, Miss Scarlet & The Duke, A Little Chaos and Philomena.

Brenda Fricker plays Phyllis Doyle

Brenda Fricker as Phyllis Doyle sitting on a chair and looking stern

Brenda Fricker as Phyllis Doyle. (Image credit: Channel 5)

Phyllis Doyle is Claire Collier's mother and Ed's mother-in-law. We don't know a lot about this character yet, but she's obviously a big part of the family's lives and likely to have a role in the drama that unfolds.

She's played by Brenda Fricker who has starred in a number of films and TV shows including My Left Foot, Holding, Coronation Street and A Time to Kill.

The Catch airs on Channel 5 at 9 pm on Wednesday, January 25 and will air weekly in the same slot. For more listings see our UK TV Guide

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.


She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress