Cancel your plans! Four-part psychological thriller Cheat starts tonight The four-parter airs throughout this week on ITV at 9 pm. Death and deception are central to new psychological thriller Cheat, which begins on ITV tonight and will air each evening until its conclusion on Thursday. Advertisement Described as "cat and cat" by its director, the show focuses on Coronation Street's Katherine Kelly portraying a university lecturer, Leah, and her student Rose, played by Molly Windsor. A surprisingly good essay sets the alarm bells ringing for the sociology tutor and things quickly spiral out of control, with fatal consequences. The screenplay is written by Gaby Hull, who has previously penned episodes of ITV sitcom Benidorm, with Louise Hooper directing. On the show, she said: “We wanted to make sure that it was cat and cat the whole time, not cat and mouse." Cheat opens with the two main characters talking to each other through prison glass before the clock is turned back and events unravel. Tom Goodman-Hill plays Leah's husband Adam and he recently told Radiotimes: “We’re so happy with it. It was such a lot of fun to do and, usually, there’s a weird law where the more fun you have, the worse the project turns out!” That said, Cheat is set to be a dark psychological thriller that takes place over four parts, showing Monday through to Thursday this week at 9pm on ITV. "There's more going on than meets the eye," say ITV. "As Rose takes the challenge as a personal affront, and what begins as a seemingly open and shut case of academic deception soon spirals out of control." Catch the trailer below. Advertisement<doc-sep>Pay based on use Get Started Purchase a Team or Enterprise subscription for per week You will be billed per month after the trial ends<doc-sep>The first instalment of new ITV psychological thriller Cheat hit screens last night, and while we knew things might be getting pretty steamy due to the nature of the plot, it seems many people weren't quite prepared for the graphic scenes that went down. As we learnt from the programme synopsis ITV released, the show follows university lecturer Dr Leah Dale, who has always 'prided herself on her academic integrity'. "When final year student Rose, submits a suspiciously top-grade essay, Leah is quick to call her out," the description explains. "But there's more going on than meets the eye as Rose takes the challenge as a personal affront, and what begins as a seemingly open and shut case of academic deception soon spirals out of control." Advert 10 The show's creators weren't easing us in gently with the sex scenes, and even threw in a fairly graphic masturbation scene early doors. In the scene, it looks as though Leah is having sex with somebody, but we later find out she's actually alone. Fantasising about the person with her, she is actually masturbating in a toilet cubicle, breathing heavily. Initially, we think Leah is having sex with someone. Credit: ITV Advert 10 Credit: ITV The camera cuts to the sinks on the other side of the cubicle door, where Leah's left her bag and ID badge - and where someone is also washing their hands, much to her horror... and theirs, I'd imagine. We then realise Leah is actually alone and is masturbating. Credit: ITV Credit: ITV Advert 10 When Leah hears the tap running, she stops what she's doing, which is when she sees a pair of feet wearing red trainers appear right by her cubicle door. Leah then realises she's not alone. Credit: ITV Over on Twitter, viewers were 'cringing' over such scenes, with one writing: "Thought this would be some good dramatic viewing for me and my mum and five mins in someone's wanking in the loos, ideal #Cheat." Another commented: "Watching #Cheat on @ITV few minutes in, two sex scenes, sitting next to me my 12 year-old Christ where do I look. Ermmm maybe son you should go on ya Xbox." Advert 10 A third tweeted: "Sex & masturbation on #Cheat it's only been on for 10 mins haha." Someone else added: "Watching 'Cheat' on the telly and the woman was giving herself a good time in the toilet and my mum heard it in the next room and came in and asked who had been having a panic attack." Another said: "Said to Ange that we should watch that new programme 'Cheat' on ITV together so of course there's Becky from Corrie going at it in the toilets in the first 5 minutes!"<doc-sep>
Fans of psychological thrillers have been spoilt for choice with Dirty John and You both landing on Netflix recently and now, not to be outdone, ITV is about to air its very own binge-worthy offering Cheat, promising to keep viewers hooked right from the get go. The four-parter, which kicks off tonight and will be shown over consecutive nights, tells the tale of university professor Dr Leah Dale (played by Katherine Kelly) who suspects student Rose Vaughan (Molly Windsor) of cheating. But as she digs a little deeper Leah and Rose are launched into a 'devastating sequence of events that threaten to engulf them both'. Sounds good, eh? But where's Turnitin when you need it? According to a synopsis from ITV: "University lecturer Dr Leah Dale has always prided herself on her academic integrity so when final year student Rose, submits a suspiciously top-grade essay, Leah is quick to call her out. Advert 10 "But there's more going on than meets the eye as Rose takes the challenge as a personal affront, and what begins as a seemingly open and shut case of academic deception soon spirals out of control." ITV went on to say the new show will 'keep audiences guessing from the start'. With director Louise Hooper revealing: "We wanted to make sure that it was cat and cat the whole time, not cat and mouse." Heaping praise on the two main stars, she added: "It's two amazing actresses with amazing parts and we wanted to pit them against each other so it's like two boxers in a ring." Advert 10 The new show promises to have viewers hooked right from the start. Credit: ITV Cheat is set a fictional university in Cambridge during a long-hot summer. "We wanted to not have a Scandi-noir or a dark noir," Louise explained. "What we wanted to do is have this hot, lovely summer. "I like that idea of being slightly counter intuitive with the thriller, so it feels hot and hazy and there's lovely lazy days - but actually the underbelly of it is completely dark and dangerous, because of all the horrible emotions that are bubbling there." Advert 10