ITV Code of Silence star confirms reason ITV drama wasn't actually filmed in Canterbury

A gripping new six-part thriller, Code of Silence, featuring former EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, is set to premiere on ITV on Sunday evening (May 18).

The Strictly Come Dancing champion takes on the role of Alison, a staff canteen worker at Kent and Canterbury police station, who also holds down a second job at a cafe. However, her life is turned upside down when she is recruited to assist in a high-stakes undercover operation.

Alison is tasked with surveillance of a gang of criminals, utilising her remarkable lip-reading skills to gather vital information for the police detectives.

Initially, the officers are uncertain about her capabilities due to her lack of formal training, prompting Alison to prove them wrong.

As the tension escalates, Alison faces perilous challenges while navigating a world of secrecy and deception, becoming embroiled in a criminal case set in Canterbury, Kent. However, the series was actually filmed at various locations miles away from the setting, reports .

In an interview with Wales Online and other media outlets ahead of the show's launch, producer Bryony Arnold revealed: "We wanted to film in Canterbury, but it actually just became logically difficult for us to get down there and film."

"So we doubled up with some amazing places, like St Albans, Hertfordshire, Hemel Hempstead, and Buckinghamshire, all sorts of different places.

"Sadly, it just wasn't quite right with the schedule and various other reasons".

Catherine Moulton, writer and executive producer, elaborated: "Canterbury felt like somewhere we hadn't seen on screen before, and also Rose is from Kent, aren't you, so it felt like a natural place for it to be."

Rose Ayling-Ellis herself confirmed her personal connection to the location saying: "We did research and I haven't told many people but I went to college in Canterbury."

The 30-year-old Kent native gained notoriety in 2020 as she assumed the role of Frankie Lewis, Mick Carter's long-lost daughter, in EastEnders, captivating soap audiences with her portrayal.

A year thereafter, Rose graced the Strictly Come Dancing stage as its first deaf contestant and, alongside Giovanni Pernice, danced her way to victory.

The upcoming six-part thriller, Code of Silence, sees former Call the Midwife actress Charlotte Ritchie play DS Ashleigh Francis against Andrew Buchan's DI James Marsh.

Ex-EastEnder Joe Absolom portraying Braden Moore and Kieron Moore as Liam Bayne.

The series promises to keep viewers riveted with Catherine Moulton at the helm of storytelling and Diarmuid Goggins directing.

Code of Silence airs Sunday, May 19, at 9pm, on ITV and ITVX