All to know on ITV’s new drama Until I Kill You starring Anna Maxwell Martin

It will tell the true story of Delia Balmer (Martin), who survived a near-fatal relationship with serial killer John Sweeney (Evans).

The four-part series is based on Delia Balmer’s memoir, Living with a Serial Killer, which writer Nick Stevens has adapted.

As reported by the Radio Times, the official synopsis for the four-parter reads: “In 1991, Delia leads an itinerant and solitary life in London working as an agency nurse. When she meets fellow free-spirit John Sweeney in a local pub, it seems like the connection she has been searching for.

“As the relationship develops, Sweeney’s artistic, anti-establishment persona gives way to a darker side, culminating in a series of violent attacks on Delia, during which he tells her he killed his former girlfriend and disposed of her body in an Amsterdam canal.”

Discussing with ITV in a press pack for the series if she met with Delia before filming, Martin shared: “No, I’ve played quite a few real people and I have never met them before. I don’t choose to do that, that’s how I work.

“Our writer, Nick [Stevens], filmed a lot of footage of his meetings with Delia, which I had access to. I did meet her very briefly during filming, but only because she wanted to visit the set, and of course I was respectful of that.”

She continued: “I didn’t do lots of research into abusive relationships either, instead I just focused on the character, on who she was, how she responded to things, and what I could gauge about how she interacted with people.

“Then you go from there and you try to be as accurate as you can in terms of how that person would behave and respond.”

ITV Until I Kill You full cast list

  • Anna Maxwell Martin as Delia Balmer
  • Shaun Evans as John Sweeney
  • Stephanie Street as Janice Rainsworth
  • Amanda Wilkin as Leah
  • Sophie Ford as Imelda Dunning
  • Sallie Harmsen as Astrid De Vries
  • Lucy Thackeray as WPC Jane Barker
  • Dean Rehman as Dr Gavin Lane
  • Mitchell Mullen as Jack Halstead
  • Jack Franklin as Joshua Wilson
  • Kevin Doyle as David


  • Cory English as Stewart Balmer
  • Steve Edge as DC Collins
  • Gabriela Toloi as Manuela
  • Alice Barclay as Mrs Wilson
  • Clare Foster as Eloise Chapman
  • Laura Morgan as DC Christine Webb
  • Matthew Aubrey as DC Flynn
  • William Brand as Inspector Stilma
  • Gerald Tyler as Judge
  • Debbie Brannan as Paula Fields
  • Clarence Smith as DCI Howard Groves
  • Zita Sattar as DC Ruth Croft

Recommended reading:


When will Until I Kill You be on TV?

Until I Kill You will air its first episode at 9pm on Sunday, November 3 on ITV1.

After that, the remaining three episodes will air in the same timeslot over the following three days concluding on Wednesday, November 6.

All episodes will be available to watch on ITVX once they have aired.

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