Grantchester viewers left reeling after Will Davenport bike accident

Grantchester returned for its eighth season on Thursday, 11 January and viewers were in for a shock in the episode as it saw Will Davenport be involved in a motorbike accident.

Tom Brittney, who plays the character, is set to depart the ITV show this season, and it appears that his exit storyline has already begun with the incident, which took place at the end of the first episode and left fans reeling on social media.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Grantchester season 8 episode 1

The show's opening episode saw Will and wife Bonnie (Charlotte Ritchie) having an argument over her desire to visit her family whilst pregnant, but as her mum had suffered a stroke Bonnie was ready to fight her corner and eventually things were left on a sour note.

Frustrated with things, Will decided to take his motorbike for a spin to clear his head, but the outing took a dark turn when he hit a man who had stepped out onto the road. Will was seen running to him and urging him to open his eyes but after he checked the man's pulse he realised there was no response.

Viewers were just as shocked by the incident as Will was, with many taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts on the moment and what it will mean for the fictional vicar.

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One person wrote: "Will what have you done" and another viewer shared the same sentiment whilst reacting to the final scene, as another commented that it "doesn't look good for Will next week".

There were other viewers who were unhappy with having to wait to find out what happens next, as one person wrote: "No, don't end it there", and another shared: "You can’t leave it like that.. you mean I have to wait a week to find out what happens

Some viewers were left reeling over the scene, with one saying: "Oh my god no !!! What a shock !!! Breathe, breathe!!!!" And another viewer said of the episode: "#grantchester is back! I’m so happy to see these characters back on screen, the storytelling, the locations! All of it! Best show on TV, you can see how much hard work goes into it! I wasn’t expecting that ending!"

Brittney has spoken about his exit from the show, saying of his character's journey in season 8: "From the moment we first met Will, he's always been struggling with his demons.

"What drives him in life is being the best man he can – everything he does, every case he helps Geordie with, every problem that he solves, he feels like he's getting better and better as a person, morally. And then this thing happens that just seems to erase all of that in one instant.

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"Everything he's worked so hard for is gone just like that. It just destroys the way Will thinks of himself, because this action, whether it was an accident or on purpose, in the eyes of God and everyone else, he believes it's unforgivable, and it really sets him down a dark path."

The actor adds: "Now that this thing has happened, he's questioning whether God or anyone can ever love him again. He just shuts them out and it pushes him further and further away from everyone to the point where we don't know if he's ever coming back."

Grantchester season 8 airs on Thursdays at 9pm on ITV1.