BBC's spin-off of beloved Nicola Walker series releases first look at cast in key roles

We now have our first peek at BBC’s The Split Up, the anticipated spin-off of The Split – and from the looks of it, it’s set to be just as juicy and tense as the original series.

In the clip, we see Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) take the lead as Aria Kishan.

Described as “a fast-rising star of Kishan Law, poised to step up and take the mantle from her father Dhruv”, we see Ritu embracing her partner Neal (Danny Ashok), who explains that he just wants to marry her “before he gets senile”.

But as she makes him promise that there won’t be anymore surprises in store, she spies someone coming into the building. Luke (Dimitri Leonidas) walks through and following him, Aria presses Luke why he’s there. Before he can answer, Aria’s father Dhruv (Sanjeev Bhaskar) appears and is confused that the pair have already met at a conference, according to Luke.

We know that’s a lie, though, as we see flashbacks of Aria and Luke sharing a bed together so there’s clearly a romantic past there.

Asking again why Luke’s there, Dhruv then reveals that Luke is actually their new senior associate at Kishan Law – an announcement that clearly disarms Aria who needs to take a moment to herself.

You can watch the clip below.

Set within the charged world of Manchester’s high-net-worth divorce circuit, things are only set to get even more dramatic as the show delves deeper into Kishan Law and this powerhouse British-South Asian family firm.

The synopsis for The Split Up reads: “The death of Aria’s mother has cast a new light over succession plans for Dhruv, who has begun to wonder if his daughter can, or should, take on this responsibility single-handedly. Aria’s relationship is placed under scrutiny too with the wedding to long-term partner Neal on the horizon, but with their personal and professional lives so entwined it’s unclear if their relationship can withstand any more pressure – a problem further compounded when a former secret flame (Dimitri Leonidas) arrives in Manchester unexpectedly.

“Alongside her siblings Maya and Kav, whose own relationships and loyalties are far from straightforward, Aria must navigate the splits that divide family and those we love – and ask herself: who should you live your life for?”

Kaamil Shah, one of the writers on the series, previously teased to Radio Times for a Pass the Mic interview that the show will be “really sexy”.

He said: “I think it’s really sexy. I’m really proud to be working on a show that’s genuinely got heart-stopping moments of British Asians being messy, having relationship dramas, affairs and all of these fun things. So I’m really excited to be working on that.”

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As well as Arya, Ashok, Bhaskar and Leonidas starring, The Split Up also stars Aysha Kala (Virdee) and Arian Nik (Film Club) as Aria’s siblings, Maya and Kai. The rest of the cast includes Mawaan Rizwan (Juice), Sindhu Vee (Matilda the Musical), Shalini Peiris (The White Lotus) and Tom Forbes (Queenie).

Guest stars for the series also include Lenny Henry (Three Little Birds), Jane Horrocks (Bloods) and Jameela Jamil (The Good Place).

Based on Abi Morgan’s The Split, The Split Up has been created by Ursula Rani Sarma (Bodkin) and is being produced by SISTER in association with Little Chick. As of now, a release date for The Split Up is yet to be confirmed but it is due to land on our screens later this year.

The Split Up is coming soon to the BBC.

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