Slow Horses fans, the wait is almost over! Apple TV+'s hit spy series is about to make its way back to our screens - and it’s set to be the funniest instalment yet. It's also gifting us with a new "main character" in the form of Christopher Chung's Roddy Ho, who's been given a gift of a storyline that sees him take centre stage. Make way, Gary Oldman!
The upcoming instalment, based on Mick Herron’s London Rules book, puts Roddy Ho in the spotlight, when he gets a mysterious and glamorous girlfriend - something that immediately arouses suspicion within the Slough House team. But the question is, who is the man who plays Roddy, Christopher Chung - and what else can we expect from his turn in the spotlight?
Here's everything you need to know about Slow Horses' new leading man, from where you've seen him before, to what will happen to his character in series 5.
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Who is Slow Horses star Christopher Chung?
*Warning: The below contains Slow Horses series 1-4 spoilers.
Christopher Chung, who plays Roddy Ho in Slow Horses, is a 37-year-old Australian actor and singer. He grew up in a suburb of Melbourne before later moving to London, and first came to prominence for his role as Archie Wong in series 9 of BBC school drama Waterloo Road. Chung also starred in Steve McQueen’s 2024 period drama, Blitz. But Slow Horses has really catapulted him to fame - he was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the MI5 series. Chung has also just finished filming the Australian Netflix period drama My Brilliant Career, in which he plays the romantic lead, Harry Beecham.
Who is Christopher Chung's character, Roddy Ho, in Slow Horses?
Roddy - who also goes by “Roddy McRodster”, “The Hot Rod” and “Alpha Dog” - is Slough House’s resident tech geek. He lives in Brixton, drives a modified Subaru WRX and listens to Iron Maiden. He’s a brilliant hacker - whether it’s forensics or tracking, Roddy can do it all - but this also means that he’s irritatingly smug and sarcastic. In a twist on the ‘computer nerd’ trope, Roddy is uninhibited, abrasive and egocentric, which means he can’t help but rub people up the wrong way.
We find out through River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) that Roddy was demoted to Slough House due to his brilliance - as well as his obnoxious personality - as Regent’s Park Headquarters deemed him too much of a liability to have around. Christopher Chung told The Guardian about playing the hacker: “The best thing is not having to worry about the other characters’ feelings. You can be as arrogant and obnoxious as you like.” Yet for all his faults, Roddy is courageous and comes to the rescue of his teammates when it really matters.
What happened to Roddy Ho in Slow Horses series 1 to 4?
In series 1, Roddy proved his worth when tracking down Sons of Albion, a far-right group who kidnapped a British-Pakistani student. In the following series, he left the basement and tailed a Russian assassin onto a commuter train. There, he panicked onboard, forcing him to improvise until his backup, Shirley (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), arrived – resulting in a tense shootout.
In the third instalment, Roddy played a pivotal role in rescuing Catherine Standish (Saskia Reeves). We saw the manipulative side of his personality as he cleverly leveraged Marcus (Kadiff Kirwan) to secure Shirley’s help for a personal mission. The latest fourth instalment opened from Roddy’s point of view. He was sat in a fried chicken shop for a supposed Slough House Christmas party – which turned out to be bogus, as Jackson Lamb would never organise anything of the sort and, it turned out, he was having a prank played on him. As he left, headphones on, a bomb exploded behind him - setting into motion the events of the series.
What will happen to Roddy Ho in Slow Horses series 5?
In series 5 of the hit spy series, Roddy Ho attracts a glamorous girlfriend, something that immediately arouses suspicion among his colleagues. Or, as Jackson Lamb puts it: “Nothing raises my Spidey-Senses as much as hearing a woman is happy to spend time with you.” In previous series, Roddy has been notably unsuccessful in the romance game, flirting unrequitedly with Head of the Dogs, Emma Flyte, and pursuing a woman who turns out to be an AI chatbot.
“We were all just rubbing our hands,” showrunner Will Smith told Empire about Roddy’s character in the new series. “‘Ho gets a girlfriend?!’ Straight away, that’s hilarious, but it’s also a great mystery, because you know that’s not real.”
Speaking to Radio Times earlier this year, Chung teased Roddy’s return, saying: “[In] season 5, he becomes a little bit louder and a little bit more self-assured, even more so than he already is, but I think you'll be in for a bit of a surprise. [I] might throw a few dance moves here and there.”
Apple’s official synopsis reveals that Roddy’s new girlfriend plays an integral part in series 5’s proceedings: “When a series of increasingly bizarre events occur across the city, it falls to the Slow Horses to work out how everything is connected.”
How can I watch Slow Horses series 5?
It's almost here! Apple TV+ has confirmed that the series will premiere globally on Wednesday 24th September, with the first two episodes, followed by one episode weekly until 22nd October. Until then, you can stream series 1-4 on Apple TV+ now.
