The Split season 3: Cast, plot, air date and everything you need to know about the return of the BBC divorce drama

BBC divorce drama The Split has returned for a third and final series.

Set in the complex and cut-throat world of London’s high-end divorce circuit, the drama examines modern marriage and the legacy of divorce – both for the big-name clients and for the lawyers themselves.

Find out all you need to know about the new series…

Plot: What will happen in The Split season 3?

The third season will continue to follow the messy lives of the Defoe sisters – and in particular the separation of Hannah and Nathan.

In season two, the pair’s relationship broke down as Hannah’s affair with Christie was revealed. Ten months later, the two divorce lawyers have been respectfully negotiating their separation and seem to have reached an amicable agreement – until a shocking revelation changes everything and completely redraws the battle lines.

According to the BBC, creator Abi Morgan - who is also making her directorial debut for the third and final season - “is set to conclude proceedings with the most dramatic and heartbreaking series to date, as we watch a divorce lawyer confronted with her own divorce”.

Who is in the cast of The Split?

Defoe sisters Hannah (Nicola Walker, above), Nina (Annabel Scholey) and Rose (Fiona Button) return alongside their formidable mother Ruth (Deborah Findley). Stephen Mangan continues as Hannah’s husband Nathan, Chukwudi Iwuji reprises his role as Zander, and Barry Atsma, below, also returns as Christie.

A new arrival on the scene is Nathan's new girlfriend Kate. A successful author and child psychologist with a particular interest in the effects of divorce on children, Kate is much younger than Hannah and her appearance changes the divorce lawyer's attitude towards her amicable split with Nathan.

Kate is played by Lara Pulver, below. Her previous TV roles include Erin Watts in Spooks, Irene Adler in Sherlock, Clarice Orsini in Da Vinci's Demons and Isabella in the BBC series Robin Hood.

In 2016 she won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role as Louise in the West End production of Gypsy.

The Split season 3 release date

Season 3 of The Split began on Monday 4 April on BBC One. The series will continue at 9pm every Monday, and all six episodes are already available to watch on BBC iPlayer. 

Will there be a season 4 of The Split?

No - the BBC has said the latest season is the “third and final series”. Creator Abi Morgan previously said the show “has always been conceived as three”.

A new episode of The Split airs every Monday at 9pm on BBC One, or watch seasons 1-3 of The Split on BBC iPlayer.