Jill Halfpenny and Sally Lindsay in Number One Fan

Number One Fan follows a famous morning show presenter whose obsessive supporter reveals a hidden link to her secret past

alling all thriller fans! 5 has announced a new “suspenseful” drama is on the way – and with leading duo Sally Lindsay and Jill Halfpenny at the helm, it’s set to be the perfect binge.

Told in four parts, Number One Fan is set in the world of daytime TV and follows the tumultuous relationship between a famous presenter and an obsessive fan.

The new series comes from Clapperboard, the creative studio behind compelling thrillers like The Rumour, The Game, The Madame Blanc Mysteries and Cuckoo, with Brett Wilson (Murder Most Puzzling, Sherwood, Catch Me A Killer) producing and Paul Wilmshurst (The Day of the Jackal, The Last Kingdom) directing. Meanwhile, writers include Rachel Kilfeather (Vikings: Valhalla, Small Town, Big Story) and Marcus Fleming (Smother, Blackshore).

woman standing in front of microphones© Clapperboard TV/Paramount Global
Jill Halfpenny played Eve Riser in Girl Taken

While this project is by no means a first for 5, working with actresses Jill Halfpenny (The Cuckoo, The Feud, Girl Taken) and Sally Lindsay (The Madame Blanc Mysteries, Love Rat), it is the first on-screen collaboration between the two British powerhouse actresses, and we can’t wait to see the finished product.

What to expect from Number One Fan

According to 5’s synopsis: “Morning show presenter Lucy is saved from an attack by a strange woman named Donna, who claims to be her ‘number one fan’.”

Jill Halfpenny plays Lucy, the nation’s sweetheart and presenter of Lucy Live. Not afraid to speak her mind with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, Lucy is “ambitious, hardworking and beneath it all, thoroughly ruthless”.

Meanwhile, Sally Lindsay plays Donna, an obsessed fan who appears as a “mousey, non-threatening nobody”, but steps in to save Lucy from a horrific attack.

Despite Donna’s heroism, Lucy’s gratitude quickly sours when Donna’s fandom turns into a darker obsession, which begins to infiltrate Lucy’s career, family and friends.

To Lucy’s horror, she realises that Donna actually has a link to a hidden secret in her past, which “threatens to derail the career she has so carefully curated”.

blonde woman looking shocked standing on roof top. Sally Lindsay in The Madame Blanc Mysteries© Channel 5/PA
Sally Lindsay also stars in 5’s The Madame Blanc Mysteries

What have the creatives said about Number One Fan?

Speaking of the new series, executive producer and MD for Clapperboard Mike Benson said: “We’ve obviously worked numerous times with two of the most talented actresses in the country in Sally and Jill – but never before in the same show.

“Seeing them both together on screen – and in two very surprising roles – is something I know viewers will be every bit as excited about as we are.”

Number One Fan has officially wrapped production in Spain and is set to air on 5 in 2026.