Barry is a 74-year-old Antiguan immigrant who has lived in London for fifty years. He spent four decades working at a Ford motor factory before building a successful personal enterprise by buying and renovating properties. He maintains a dapper appearance, favoring 1950s-style suits and gold tie clips, and possesses a sharp intellect sharpened by various university classes he attends. Despite his confident exterior, he lives in constant fear of societal prejudice, choosing to hide his orientation from his wife and family.

Carmel is a deeply religious woman who married Barry when she was sixteen and immigrated to London with him. She relies heavily on her close-knit community of Antiguan church friends for social support. Years of feeling sexually and emotionally neglected by her husband have left her deeply frustrated and suspicious that he is sleeping with other women. Her strict religious beliefs heavily influence her worldview and her expectations for her family.

Morris is Barry's childhood friend from Antigua and a retired bookkeeper. He moved to England slightly before Barry and entered into a heterosexual marriage to meet societal expectations. After his marriage ended, he embraced living on his own and strongly desires to build an open, shared life with Barry. He serves as a voice of encouragement, frequently pushing his friend to abandon his fears and leave his unhappy marriage.

Donna is Barry and Carmel's eldest daughter, working as a social-worker trainer at Tower Hamlets. She is a single mother who places immense pressure on her son to succeed academically. She harbors deep resentment toward her father, blaming his perceived infidelities for her mother's lifelong unhappiness and for her own difficulties in trusting men.

Maxine is the younger daughter of Barry and Carmel. She works in the highly competitive celebrity-stylist industry and dreams of launching her own fashion label, "The House of Walker." Because her mother suffered from severe postnatal depression after her birth, Maxine was largely raised and spoiled by her father, resulting in a much warmer relationship with him than her sister enjoys.

Daniel is Donna's 17-year-old son. He attends an expensive private school funded by his grandfather. He strongly dislikes his mother's overbearing parenting style and uses any opportunity away from her to rebel, hang out with friends, and drink alcohol. He maintains secret contact with his absent father over social media.

Odette is Morris's former wife. Following the collapse of her marriage, she demanded financial compensation to keep family secrets quiet. She used these funds to relocate to Antigua and establish a successful luxury spa business catering to international tourists.

Reuben Balázs works in Town Planning at the Hackney Council. He is a politically vocal leftist who enjoys debating socialism and conservatism. He takes a strong personal interest in Carmel when she begins working at the council, actively listening to her opinions and bringing her small gifts.

Merty is one of Carmel's oldest friends from Antigua. She is an active member of the local Pentecostal church and frequently engages in gossip about the community. She holds rigid, conservative views and is quick to cite scripture to support her harsh judgments of others.

Drusilla is another member of Carmel's Antiguan social circle and church community. She is remarkably generous with her time, regularly looking after numerous community children for free despite working exhausting late shifts.

Lola is a Nigerian doctorate student who is friends with Maxine. He researches queer history in Africa and provides an educated, historical perspective on cultural prejudices. He has personally faced severe family violence due to his identity.

Merle is a proud Caribbean woman from Montserrat whom Donna dated briefly. After her family cast her out due to her orientation, she experienced houselessness before receiving secret financial and housing support that allowed her to eventually become a university lecturer.

Frankie is Donna's former partner and Daniel's father. He was physically abusive toward Donna and abandoned the family around the time Daniel was born, following a secret physical confrontation with Barry and Morris.

Larry was Barry's older brother who lived in Antigua. When they were teenagers, Larry accidentally discovered Barry's deepest secret but quietly protected him by never speaking of it again.

Pastor George leads the Pentecostal church attended by Carmel and her friends. He preaches aggressive, conservative sermons that warn of severe divine punishments for behaviors he considers sinful.

Clarence is one of Morris and Odette's two sons. He grew up unaware of the true reasons behind his parents' divorce due to the financial arrangements his mother demanded.

Laurence is Morris and Odette's son. Like his brother, he is kept in the dark about his father's personal life to preserve family harmony.