The Girl Before: Release date, cast, trailer and plot of BBC drama

The thriller comes to BBC later this month (Picture: BBC/42/HBO/Jason Bell)

The Girl Before is the latest drama set to grip millions of BBC viewers in the coming weeks – here’s everything you need to know about the psychological thriller.

The series was announced back in March of this year and features a cast full of recognisable faces.

First-look pictures were released back in September of the series based on the global bestseller, which has sold over one million copies since it was published in 2016.

Finally coming to the broadcaster later this month, here’s the details of the cast, plot, trailer and release date.

What is the plot of The Girl Before?

The series is based on a book of the same name by JP Delaney.

It follows a woman called Jane (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who starts to question her new – and restrictive – way of life in a mysterious house when she learns about the fate of a previous tenant.

Jane falls for the odd charm of the minimalist property (Picture: BBC/42/Amanda Searle)

The official plot synopsis from the BBC reads: ‘The Girl Before tells the story of Jane, who gets the chance to move into a beautiful, ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect (David Oyelowo).

‘There’s just one catch: the occupants must abide by his list of exacting rules. Jane starts to feel the house changing her in unexpected ways, but when she makes the shocking discovery about her predecessor, Emma (Jessica Plummer), she’s forced to confront unnerving similarities.

‘As the two women’s timelines interweave, Jane begins to question if her fate will be the same as the girl before…’

From what we can tell from the trailer so far, it’s set to be full of dark twists and turns, and sure to make the perfect sit-down evening whodunnit.

Who is in the cast of The Girl Before?

Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Jane

Jane is the new tenant in Edward’s mysterious property (Picture: BBC/42/Amanda Searle)

Jane moves into Edward’s house as his first tenant in three years after going through a personal tragedy, which prompts her to want to seek change in her life.

But as she starts to unravel the reasons for the property being empty for so long, she becomes encapsulated by owner Edward, who becomes increasingly obsessed with her.

Gugu, who also acts as an associate producer on the series, said: ‘I’m so excited to work with this amazing team on such a compelling story in my debut role as actor/producer.’

The star has featured in films such as Misbehaviour, Beauty and the Beast and Miss Sloane and fans of Black Mirror will recognise her from the starring role in San Junipero, back in 2016.

Jessica Plummer plays Emma

Jessica Plummer plays Emma in The Girl Before (Picture: BBC/42/Robert Viglasky)

Former EastEnders star Jessica plays Emma, who fans are yet to know much about – but she is confirmed as the ‘girl before’ who is referred to in the show’s title.

From the creepy trailer, it’s hinted Emma could end up having a similar outcome to Jessica’s previous character of Chantelle in the BBC soap, who was killed by her abusive husband Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith).

Since leaving her role on EastEnders late last year, Jessica appeared as a contestant on 2020’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and before acting, was part of the girl band, Neon Jungle.

David Oyelowo plays Edward

We’re pretty scared of Edward already (Picture: BBC/42/Amanda Searle)

Edward is the architect of the mysterious house, which forces its occupants to obey his very specific rules and minimalist ideas of life.

‘This story is mind-bending in its clever construction and intricacy. I can’t wait to see it, let alone be in it.

‘Plus, I’d go anywhere to work with my friend Gugu again,’ David said of the part.

David is more used to roles on the big screen, having famously portrayed Martin Luther King Jr in the film Selma, Louis Gaines in The Butler and Emerson in Jack Reacher.

Ben Hardy plays Simon

Ben Hardy plays Emma’s very insecure boyfriend Simon (Picture: BBC/42/Amanda Searle)

Simon is Emma’s boyfriend in the show, who is clearly very fond of her – but his insecurities soon shine through.

Not long into the drama, it becomes apparent the pair both have some issues of their own they will have to deal with, which could threaten their future together.

Ben also starred in EastEnders, playing a previous incarnation of Peter Beale between 2013 and 2015.

Since then, the actor has made it to Hollywood, having parts in X Men: Apocalypse as well as portraying Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Executive Producers are Eleanor Moran, Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh for 42, Ben Irving for the BBC, JP Delaney and Lisa Brühlmann.

Is there a trailer for The Girl Before?

Yes, the BBC has released the first-look trailer, which can be viewed above.

The trailer shows Jane being given a viewing of the house, where she’s told she can have ‘no ornaments, no pictures, no carpets or rugs,’ while someone is seen playing with a model of the interior.

It goes on to suggest both Emma and Jane end up romantically involved with Edward, but it’s not known the specific circumstances behind these.

When will the BBC drama be on TV?

The Girl Before premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday, December 19.

Luckily for the binge-watchers amongst us, the gripping drama will be available as a box set on BBC iPlayer following the first episode.

There are four episodes in total to get stuck into with the subsequent instalments airing on consecutive nights.

The mini-series will conclude on Wednesday, December 22.

The Girl Before begins on Sunday, December 19 at 9pm on BBC One and can be streamed in full on BBC iPlayer.