Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Nicola Walker has fans sobbing in The Split series three trailer

It's going to be a bitter divorce for Hannah and Nathan

the split nicola walker
Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
Share this:

The BBC has released a brand new trailer for the highly-anticipated upcoming series of The Split - and fans are in tears. 

MORE: Nicola Walker's return to TV confirmed after Unforgotten replacement announced

The popular legal drama returns to the channel for its third outing next month and will see Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan reprise their roles as Hannah Defoe and Nathan Stern. 

WATCH: Nicola Walker has fans "sobbing" in new trailer for The Split season three

In the opening moments of the trailer, Nathan can be seen greeting new character Kate (Lara Pulver), before a distraught Hannah says: "He wasn't supposed to fall for someone else."

The high-flying lawyer is then comforted by her mother, Ruth (Deborah Findlay), who asks: "Why can't they ever just stick with meaningless sex?"

Seconds later, Hannah and Nathan can be seen sitting in a board room as the latter's lawyer states: "My client wishes to spend one night a week in the family home," before it cuts to Hannah confronting Nathan's new love interest. 

MORE: The Split third and final series: everything we know so far

MORE: Everything you need to know about The Split star Nicola Walker

"Tread carefully," she warns, with Kate responding: "Is that a threat?"

the split nicola s3© Photo: BBC

Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan star in the series

At the end of the clip, Nathan asks Hannah: "Somewhere you need to be?" before she tells him that her ex-boyfriend and colleague, Christie Carmichael, is in town. It cuts to the former flames sharing a passionate kiss. 

Following the BBC's sharing of the trailer on Twitter, fans were quick to take to the comments. One person wrote: "Hannah Stern you are going to break my heart," while another added: "I am sobbing."

The second season ended on a huge cliffhanger after Nathan came to learn that his spouse had been having an affair with Christie. After discovering Hannah's betrayal, Nathan left the family home and viewers watched as Hannah sobbed on the stairs, holding the wedding ring that he left behind. 

The new series is set ten months after Nathan and Hannah's marriage ended and we find the two lawyers negotiating their divorce.

the split s3© Photo: BBC

The Split returns to the BBC next month 

The synopsis teases: "As Hannah and Nathan begin to divide up their 20 years together, Hannah faces what she is about to lose and a shocking revelation dramatically changes the stakes.

"As the battle lines are redrawn, we wonder if their dream of achieving the 'good divorce' is even possible. Will they find a path through the wreckage, or is The Split simply too deep to repair?"

The Split returns to BBC One on 4 April 2022 at 9pm, and seasons one and two are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.