Tom Durant-Pritchard, Miss Scarlet Season 6 | MASTERPIECE Studio
Released January 19, 2026 26:39
WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Miss Scarlet Season 6.
For actor Tom Durant-Pritchard, Eliza Scarlet and Alexander Blake’s new relationship is delightfully complicated. In this conversation, we hear about Blake’s side of this relationship and how he maintains a level head while keeping his romance with brilliant private detective Eliza a secret.
This script has been lightly edited for clarity.
Jace Lacob: I’m Jace Lacob and you’re listening to MASTERPIECE Studio.
For Eliza Scarlet and Inspector Blake, the will-they-won’t-they of last season has finally come to an end — the two detectives are now romantically involved. The stakes are high for this secretive couple, as announcing their romantic relationship publicly would have dire consequences for their working partnership. Eliza has been steadfast in her efforts to keep their relationship under wraps, and Blake does his part to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. He even goes so far as to reassign a case he originally offered to Eliza.
CLIP
Blake: I have to use other agencies as well as yours, otherwise I will be accused of favoritism.
Eliza: But it's not favoritism. It's pragmatism. I would have solved that case in a heartbeat
Blake: There's also the matter of... (sighs) Let's not discuss work in our personal time.
Eliza: The matter of what?
Blake: Your expenses have been quite excessive on the last few cases.
Eliza: Well, they were big investigations. I needed lots of resources.
Blake: I'm just reminding you that budgets are tighter than ever. It's something to be aware of in the future.
Eliza: Perhaps you're right. We should not discuss work. Let's talk of something else.
As the pair try to navigate the murky waters of their love life, working life, and keeping this huge secret, tensions inevitably arise. Both parties want to keep this idyllic bubble from popping, which is particularly tricky in their line of work, an environment where one’s senses are tuned to spot clues.
CLIP
Clarence: Have you fallen out with the inspector?
Eliza: Not at all.
Clarence: You just seemed rather officious and to the point.
Eliza: Inspector Blake is a client of mine, and that's how I am with clients.
Clarence: No, you’re not.
Eliza: Well, I shall be from now on.
By the end of Episode 2, Blake and Eliza enjoy a quiet dinner in a part of town far away from prying eyes. In their own company, they digest the most recent case, but quickly remind themselves of their rule to not discuss work during their private time, a rule that seems like it was meant to be broken.
CLIP
Blake: Did you hear about that robbery that went wrong in Blackfriars?
Eliza: No.
Blake: Does that breach our rule?
Eliza: Oh, it does a little, yes. What if we amend the rule? We're allowed to discuss work that doesn't directly concern us.
Blake: I'm about to take over the case.
Eliza: Hm.
Blake: Oh, to hell with it. When I say the burglary went wrong, I mean it went spectacularly wrong.
Eliza: Do tell.
Blake: So, it all started in the most bizarre way…
Today, we’re joined by Miss Scarlet star, actor Tom Durant-Pritchard to discuss Blake’s side of the relationship, and how he maintains a level head while keeping his romance with brilliant private detective Eliza a secret.
Jace Lacob: And this week we are joined by Miss Scarlet star Tom Durant-Pritchard. Welcome.
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Thank you very much.
Jace Lacob: Miss Scarlet begins Series 6 with the surprising twist that the will-they-won't-they has been properly resolved — they most definitely are. Were you surprised that writer Rachael New began the sixth series with Alexander Blake and Eliza Scarlet as a couple?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Well, I guess as an actor, I wasn't too surprised. But I think it was a really nice way to start, because we've done the will-they-won't-they kind of narrative. And I always thought it was just going to be a really interesting way to see how they navigate their work and private lives together. And yeah, it was just a really fun and interesting dynamic to bring to the two characters.
Jace Lacob: Blake and Eliza’s scenes at the start of Episode One reflect a different sort of tension. They’re arguing over Eliza's methods and then secretly canoodling. The tension isn't whether they will get together, but rather that their relationship must remain a secret. Does that add a different sort of pressure or pleasure to that dynamic?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: I think it just makes it a really fun thing to play because you have to hide what's going on publicly. And it means that you get to have these really special little moments together where you get to be a couple who are at the start of a relationship. So it's still very exciting, and they're learning a lot about each other. And the risk of being caught is always very close to the surface, which keeps it fresh and exciting.
Jace Lacob: That level of secrecy extends also to Ivy and Barnabas, who were living with Eliza.
CLIP
Eliza: We need to be careful. You cannot simply kiss me in the middle of my hallway, Alexander.
Blake: You didn’t seem to mind.
Jace Lacob: These two are investigators who traffic in secrets. Could this secret blow up in their faces?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: I think it could, and especially for Eliza. Her entire professional career is based on reputation and with a relationship that she has with Scotland Yard. So by starting a relationship with Blake, the stakes are very high for her. So it could blow up in their faces, which is why it is such a difficult relationship for them to navigate. And with all the issues that they both have as characters, it makes for a sort of interesting dynamic between the two of them, to say the least.
Jace Lacob: There is a tenderness to these early scenes between Alexander and Eliza that's really sweet to see. They seem happy, and they're there in that kind of idealized bubble of an early relationship. What does the bubble mean for Alexander? Is it a fantasy that could go on endlessly?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: I think for Alexander, it's fraught with all the complications of the fact that he had previously been in a relationship and his wife had died. So the idea of embarking on a new relationship with somebody when he has a daughter that he's trying to raise by himself, means that the stakes are so incredibly high for him. So while he enjoys it, he's still very pragmatic and mature about the whole experience. So while it's incredibly enjoyable and exciting and all of those things that you get from a new relationship; it's sexy, it's fun, it's also dangerous. And I think he's aware of all of those things playing out at once.
Jace Lacob: Eliza expresses a concern about working with Blake now that they are a fully realized couple. There's a danger in mixing business with pleasure. She's turning down work with Scotland Yard as a result, because she doesn't want to ruin how perfect everything is at the moment. Does Blake see their working together as similarly risky?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Yes, he sees it as risky. But I think the thing that he notices is that Eliza is being overly cautious, and the stakes for her are much higher than they are for him because he will continue to be employed by Scotland Yard. Whereas, the consequences for Eliza are incredibly high and he's aware of that. And he's aware also that by telling people about his relationship is not going to affect him potentially as much as it would her.
So he's trying to protect her. He's protecting himself and his family. But the implications that it might have on his work are, they're not minimal, but they're just different, and it's complicated because now he cares for somebody deeply. So I think on a personal level, he just doesn't want her necessarily putting herself in harm's way. He'd rather that she was safe at all times.
Jace Lacob: At one point he does chastise her. He says, “You're so intent on keeping our relationship secret that you're in danger of broadcasting the very thing you're trying to conceal.” Yes, I mean there is much more risk for her than for him at Scotland Yard, but why do you think he's perhaps better at compartmentalizing their relationship than Eliza is?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: I think his background with the military, this and that and the other, he's traveled the world and I guess there's a sort of element of him where he's had to compartmentalize. He's had to keep his private life and his work life separate, and has always managed to kind of keep those two things very separate entities. And also when he's got a daughter that he doesn't want to involve in the sort of murky world of his police work, he's become very good at compartmentalizing those parts of his life. And yeah, this relationship is muddying the waters and proving to be much more complicated than he first imagined.
Jace Lacob: You've now played Chief Inspector Blake for two full series. Did your appreciation or understanding of him as a character change at all after that first series?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Well, it definitely changed a little bit after the first series. It's always daunting going into a well loved show. But after getting the first series done, it was nicer because it was a bit of a relief that it went well. And Rachael and Ben have written the most wonderful character. And yes, I got to know the character better. And yeah, we got to see different aspects of Blake coming out, which has been really enjoyable. And that's been one of the lovely things about coming back to something for a second season in my case, that I get to explore other facets of his personality that might not have been necessarily visible in the first season I did. And yeah, that's just one of the treats of being able to work on really well written stuff.
Jace Lacob: And having put in that groundwork, do you feel like you and Kate Phillips have developed a sort of shorthand together for your scenes?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Yeah, completely. I mean, we spend so much time together and we get on so incredibly well that there is a shorthand. And she's so incredibly quick and fast, and I just love being in scenes with her. And I think that kind of dynamic is just really fun because you're playing off each other. You get on really well. So it just keeps everything fresh and exciting. And we both have the same kind of interests in TV shows and films that we've loved. So we're kind of drawing on the same loves and passions. So when it comes to doing these characters, I hope it translates from real life onto the screen because it feels like such a wonderful job to do. So yeah, I think some of that hopefully comes out.
Jace Lacob: It does, it does. Evan McCabe's Oliver Fitzroy is gone, having been promoted to a senior officer position in Birmingham, replaced by George Willows as Blake's new right hand man. How is Blake's rapport with the working class DS Willows different than with Fitzroy?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: I think with Fitzroy, the dynamic was quite tender and supportive in a kind of fatherly, sort of big brother kind of role. And he was sort of training him up and really wanting the best for him. Whereas his relationship with Willows is slightly different in that Willows has come in with past experience, and Blake just expects him to be a good officer and there is an expectation put on him, and he proves himself pretty early on to be more than capable in the job, which is something that makes Blake's life a lot easier.
Jace Lacob: I love that moment where he offers Willows a choice between two bodies to investigate.
CLIP
Blake: Two dead bodies for our immediate attention. One in a townhouse in Mayfair, the other in a cold, drafty alleyway in Kilburn. Well, if you wanna make a good impression on your first day, I would take...
Willows: The drafty alleyway in Kilburn, Sir?
Blake: Mm. I believe you and I are going to get along just fine.
Jace Lacob: Why is this the correct choice from Blake's perspective?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Well, I think Blake's been in the business a long time. He's done enough drafty alleyways in Kilburn, and I think it's time for the younger officers to do some of the dirty work. And I think he really appreciates that Willows understands that. And yeah, it just means that they're going to get on much easier if Willows is going to take some of the harder jobs.
MIDROLL
Jace Lacob: And we’re back with actor Tom Durant-Pritchard. So by Episode Two, the couple have agreed to keep their private and professional lives separate. But Eliza is irked that Blake hired another agency, and Blake is irked that Eliza's expenses on cases have been higher than usual. “We should not discuss work. Let's talk of something else.” Is this newfound plan of separation already breaking down?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: I think when you find two people who are so engrossed in their work that it kind of defines them, and they are so passionate about their work that it's not just a 9-5, it's a vocation. And Eliza, without being able to do detective work, is something that she has to try and work out who that is, and it's the same for Blake. They are completely work obsessed, and their passion and love for one another is kind of all wound up in the work. So I think when it comes to trying to talk about other things, they realize that actually they've got a bit of growing and self-discovery to find in that respect because they are so passionate about their jobs, that actually everything else kind of pales in insignificance in relation to it.
Jace Lacob: Well, that's what I love about them, is that they do agree not to talk about work, but that's exactly what they do whenever there's a case, is they talk incessantly about work. Is this a situation where two workaholics even and I'm using air quotes here, “off duty” ones will just obsess over work. And is this the thing that they have most in common, this drive, this passion for, as you say, this vocation?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: I think it's definitely one of the things that they have in common. That is definitely a very strong bond between the two of them. They are both passionate about their work. They love their job, the excitement, the thrill of doing it. But I think on a deeper level, they have morals and a worldview that is actually very similar. They've both been hurt in their past, and they are vulnerable people who find each other at a time in their lives where they are quite open and quite raw. And I think it's the sort of depth and vulnerabilities that they both show with one another that is kind of the main draw between the two of them.
And I think the thing that I really like that is something quite endearing and a sign of two characters growing a little bit older, they're not in their twenties, I think they both want the best for the other person, regardless of circumstance. And I think when you find a partner who wants the best for you and vice versa, that is something that, regardless of what situations they find themselves in, that will always shine through. And that is something that I really hold on to as being the foundation of why they might work as a couple in particularly tough circumstances.
Jace Lacob: I love that, though. To have the best or want the best for your partner, regardless of the situation, I think it shows the kind of maturity that they're coming to this relationship with. As you say, they've both been hurt. There's rawness and vulnerability here, but they still are capable of love. And I think that that gives us something to root for as an audience, and to root for for them, that they can maybe find this together.
CLIP
Blake: Sneaking out the back door in the dead of night. I feel 15 again. Are you brooding?
Eliza: No.
Blake: Are you sure?
Eliza: I'm perfectly fine.
Jace Lacob: He makes light of this here, but is that a tinge of irritation about the situation that we can maybe hear in your voice? Wouldn't things be easier for everyone if their relationship were out in the open?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Yeah, it definitely would be easier if their relationship was out in the open, but I think it's kind of a two edged sword. There are certain aspects of sneaking around and feeling like a teenager that is a little bit exciting, a bit sexy, and I think that really appeals to him. And it is fun. But there is another part of him who is the mature adult single father who, it would be a lot easier if the relationship could be open, if he could get to a point where he felt comfortable to tell his daughter, it would make his life, and he believes Eliza's life, a lot easier. But yeah, he's not perfect. He still has flaws. He's not worked it all out. So on some levels, he seems like an incredibly mature, advanced person, but he's still quite backward in some things. And I think he really struggles with trying to work out what to do with the relationship. And he finds it incredibly difficult.
Jace Lacob: Willows surprises Blake when he asks,
CLIP
Willows: As I'm new here, I just wanted to…check something, but it's a bit awkward, I don't really know how to put it.
Blake: Concisely. I have a train to catch.
Willows: Do you think it's alright for a copper to be romantically involved with a lady he works with?
Blake: Why do you ask? Well, if you have something to say, Detective Willows, then say it.
Willows: I've been out for dinner with a lady from the clerical office. Twice, actually. Miss Isabel Summers. I'd like to take her out a third time, but I wanted to check with you first.
Blake: I'm not her father, Detective Willows. What you do in your free time is your own business.
Willows: Thank you, sir.
Jace Lacob: Willows is of course asking about Isabel Summers, but Blake is taken aback, thinking he's alluding to his relationship with Eliza. What goes through his head here? Is this pinging his moral compass at all?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Yeah, absolutely. I think Blake is somebody who sticks to the rules and is guided quite strongly by a sense of morality, and I think he is aware on one level that keeping this relationship secret and even in some ways, engaging in the relationship at all is kind of flirting with the fringes of what is right. So when Willows brings this particular matter to him, I think he's completely blindsided by it. And it brings up a sense of shame and embarrassment and immediate guilt. So yeah, it is kind of fascinating to see what it does bring up in him. But the relief when he finds out he's not talking about him also says quite a lot about him.
Jace Lacob: Their agreement falls apart when they represent different parties in the case of a racehorse that has gone missing during a contentious divorce.
CLIP
Eliza: Alexander, I appreciate this is difficult. And if I was in your position, I would keep my cards close to my chest too. Not that I'll ever be in your position, since I'm a woman.
Blake: Thirdly, do not try and extract information out of me using guilt.
Eliza: I resent that suggestion.
Blake: It's not a suggestion, it's an accusation.
Jace Lacob: Is this their form of flirtation, this sparky banter between them?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: I think it is. I think the way that they do flirt is that it is a sort of slight power balance. And also the game of enjoying each other's company and the fact that they both respect how good the other one is at their job. And they're both competitive, they both want to win. So there is a sort of strange flirtation in the way they deal with these particular cases. But also beyond that, there's also the part of Blake, he is genuinely concerned when Eliza takes on cases because there are cases which are dangerous and that he doesn't actually want her getting involved in. Because all of a sudden he's got this person who he knows is capable, but when you really care for somebody, it takes on a whole different level of significance. So yeah, it works on two levels; they enjoy the sort of flirtatious chat that it brings out between them, but on a deeper level, it's genuine concern on his side.
Jace Lacob: Having said that, how important was it to you that Blake and Eliza hold on to that repartee, even now that they're a couple, that they don't lose that sparky banter that has been a hallmark of the series?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Well, I think it's kind of essential, because I think if you suddenly just had two people who get on incredibly well and aren't fighting for their own interests as well as the other person's, and they're going to knock against one another, my concern is that it would suddenly fall quite flat, and it would just be a very lovely TV show where two very nice people being very nice to one another, go and gently solve crimes. And I think some of the excitement that comes out of the show is the fact that they are direct with one another. They do have disagreements, and both of them can be obnoxious, they can be childlike, they can have arguments. They're both trying to do the right thing.
I mean, sure, Eliza goes about it in completely the wrong way from time to time. But I think that is what I find quite exciting, it's what's both infuriating and the most enchanting thing about Eliza. And you always know that regardless of what they do, there are certain boundaries that as long as she doesn't cross them and vice versa, he doesn't cross them, they can bicker and banter back and forth as much as they want, but they're always going to resolve their differences and they're always going to be working together for the same outcome. But yeah, part of the joy of doing the show is that bickering between them.
Jace Lacob: Okay Tom, you said boundaries. Eliza takes a case file right off of Blake's desk, cracks the case, and then gives a press conference on the front steps of Scotland Yard. To me, that's crossing a boundary. Would Blake tolerate this behavior from anyone other than Eliza? And does that give him any pause?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: No, he wouldn't accept that from anybody else. It's outrageous behavior! She's stolen police files off his desk. I mean, that's a criminal offense from anybody else. And then there is just something about that woman that he just can't resist. She's just too incredible. And the way that she delivers that press conference with such style. He wants to be more angry with her, and there's part of him that is, like, genuinely really upset and frustrated and angry with her and wants to reprimand her. But she's also incredibly cool and has done it with such Miss Scarlet style that he can't help but admire it. So again, it's one of those things where it is a boundary, it's been crossed, and if it was anybody else it would have been unacceptable. And again, this shows another part of Blake's frailties and weaknesses is, she is his biggest weakness.
Jace Lacob: But game recognize game, right?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Exactly, exactly.
Jace Lacob: Clarence knows Eliza and Blake are seeing each other. Blake says, “Well, it's only a matter of time before everyone finds out. So let's enjoy the quiet before the storm.” What is the storm that they're afraid of, everyone learning about their romance? Is that the thing that Blake feels will puncture the perfection of the bubble that they're in?
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Yeah, the honeymoon period that they are currently having where it is just the two of them getting to discover one another, really understand one another, just on a one on one where you get to spend quality time with the person you really care about without worrying about what other people think and the politics of everything. And also, they work in the criminal underworld in London. And you know that once people get to know this kind of information, it's going to be used against them. So, making the most of it means a lot to them. And yeah, they really take advantage of nobody knowing in the early stages of this series.
Jace Lacob: Tom Durant-Pritchard, thank you so very much.
Tom Durant-Pritchard: Pleasure.
Next time, we make our way up north to the Yorkshire Dales where loving horse owners are willing to try just about anything to make their animals comfortable.
CLIP
Tristan: Well, I never. He’s a classical music fan.
Charlotte: I hope it soothes him. When I feel fraught, a spot of Elgar works miracles.
Tristan: I know stablehands that swear by singing to their horses. Pillbrick’s more of a sophisticate.
Charlotte: Philbrick.
Tristan: Philbrick.
Be sure to tune in next week as we sit down with actor Gaia Wise to talk about how her character, the down to earth Charlotte Beauvoir, forms a bond with Tristan Farnon over animals, music, and readjusting to normal life after serving in the war.
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