Series synopsis
Dear England is a British drama television series that premiered on BBC One on May 24, 2026. It ended on June 1, 2026. It was created by James Graham. It stars Joseph Fiennes, Jodie Whittaker, Jason Watkins and John Hodgkinson.
Haunted by decades of failures, Gareth Southgate becomes England manager and uses psychology to confront fear and pursue victory.
Premise
Haunted by decades of failures, Gareth Southgate becomes England manager and uses psychology to confront fear and pursue victory.
Premise: The heart of a coach. The hope of a nation.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Joseph Fiennes as Gareth Southgate
- Jodie Whittaker as Pippa Grange
- Jason Watkins as Greg Dyke
- John Hodgkinson as Greg Clarke
- Daniel Ryan as Steve Holland
- Sam Spruell as Mike Webster
- Will Antenbring as Harry Kane
- David Shields as Jordan Henderson
Supporting cast
- Adam Hugill as Harry Maguire
- Francis Lovehall as Raheem Sterling
- Josh Barrow as Jordan Pickford
- Edem-Ita Duke as Marcus Rashford
- Abdul Sessay as Bukayo Saka
- Kasper Hilton-Hille as Young Gareth Southgate
- Gerard Monaco as Physio Phil
- Bobby Schofield as Wayne Rooney
- Lewis Shepherd as Dele Alli
- Hamish Frew as Eric Dier
- Jacob Greenway as Jude Bellingham
- Alfie Middlemiss as Phil Foden
Guest cast
- Nigel Farage as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 4 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 4 | May 24, 2026 | June 1, 2026 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 With the England team at an all-time low, Gareth Southgate becomes the new manager. Haunted by his own penalty miss, he transforms the squad’s mindset with a radical new approach. |
May 24, 2026 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 After a breakthrough World Cup reignites belief, the England team return to a tournament on home turf as Southgate’s squad strive to unite the country and finally bring it home. |
May 25, 2026 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 In the aftermath of the devastating defeat at Wembley, Southgate’s guilt weighs heavily on his conscience. When the fans then turn on Southgate, accusing him of prioritising politics over performance, he begins to doubt himself ahead of a controversial World Cup in Qatar. |
May 31, 2026 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | May 24, 2026 |
| Last aired | June 1, 2026 |
| Runtime | 57 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Sunday |