'The Handmaid's Tale' will return for season 6, confirms show star

The Handmaid's Tale is definitely returning for a sixth season, one of its stars has confirmed - and filming for new episodes is due to start any day now.

Fans of the Emmy-winning show adapted from Margaret Atwood's novel will be pleased to hear that it looks likely to make a return in the not-too-distant future, according to Ann Dowd who plays Aunt Lydia.

Read more: Elisabeth Moss defends Scientology beliefs

She told Radio Times: "Well, the writers are very smart. They don’t tell actors anything. What would I say about it? No, I don’t have a clue at all about what will be happening."

However, she let slip: "I do know that there’s a season five and six."

Asked when season five would begin filming, she shared: "End of January."

The drama last aired in the UK for season four in 2021 and although a season five was confirmed back in 2020, this is the first time season six has been named as a definite.

Dowd's character Aunt Lydia is one of the series regulars and one of the most terrifying figures in Gilead as the overseer, trainer and disciplinarian of the handmaids.

Show star Elisabeth Moss's character June Osborne has become Aunt Lydia's greatest nemesis as she continues to outsmart her in breaking free of Gilead and helping other handmaids and children escape to Canada.

The series also stars Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, O.T. Fagbenle, Max Minghella and Samira Wiley.

At the end of season four, June exacted revenge on Fred Waterford (Fiennes), the Gilead commander who she had been forced into service for and abused by, as she bargained to stop him from being spared punishment by exchanging him back to Gilead in return for 22 women held hostage there.

Fred, who had tried to flee punishment from Gilead officials by cooperating with Canada, was sent to a no man's land between the countries' borders and beaten to death by June and other former handmaids.

Watch: Joseph Fiennes on The Handmaid's Tale season finale