Grantchester's Tom Brittney: "Series five will introduce a Ross and Rachel romance"

The sleuthing man of the cloth, who replaced vicar Sidney Chambers (James Norton) last season, will meet his match in journalist Ellie Harding, a new character played by Lauren Carse.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Brittney said that his character didn't agree with Ellie "morally," but that the attraction is there from the beginning and "test[s]" Will's vow of celibacy.

"The way that she sorts of goes the tabloid element with crimes that I take very seriously, but I find her very attractive," Brittney said. "My [character's] moral compass starts to drift a bit and you know, there's some fun to be had there. It doesn't go quite the way that I think it should. It gets a bit more complicated than it should. But, it's fun to see my vow of celibacy tested."

He added: "Me and Ellie are going to be the Ross and Rachel of Grantchester... I want all Grantchester to be related to Friends, in some way!"

He continued: "Twitter doesn't exist, but with Ellie's character, the tabloids, the trial by media thing is, it's as big [as today]. And you know, that's my character's problem with her... that she takes a tabloid spin to these murders. These horrible things that have happened and [she] just trivialises them and scandalises them that messes up the way the cases are handled."

Will Grantchester's new will-they-won't-they couple find a compromise?

Grantchester series five, starring Tom Brittney, Lauren Carse and Robson Green, begins on ITV, Friday 10th January 2020 at 9pm