Silent Witness star Emilia Fox has paid tribute to the show's creator Nigel McCrery, who has died aged 71.

McCrery, who also created the cop show New Tricks, originally worked with the murder squad in the Nottinghamshire Police Force before joining the BBC as part of a graduate course. He created Silent Witness in 1996 which originally starred Amanda Burton before Emilia Fox became its lead. Emilia paid tribute to his creation and spoke warmly about how "hugely fond" of him she was personally.

She wrote on X: "I am so sorry to hear the terribly sad news about the passing of Nigel McCrery. In creating Silent Witness he brought something special to so many audiences around the world, and to those of us lucky enough to work on the show. Its success and longevity are testament to Nigel and his brilliant idea in the first place — and of course many other shows too. I was hugely fond of him personally.

"He was always kind and warm and spoke devotedly of his own family as an extremely proud parent and grandparent. I am grateful that he remained connected to the show ongoingly and always wanted to know what plans there were for it.

"His great friend the forensic pathologist Helen Whitwell, who inspired the Sam Ryan character played by Amanda Burton, also sadly passed away recently. They will both live on through Silent Witness and we will do our best to make them proud. He will be missed by so many and my thoughts are with his family.”

Nigel’s other big show New Tricks, which he co-created with Roy Mitchell, was also a huge success for the BBC. Running from 2003 to 2015, it starred Amanda Redman, James Bolam, Alun Armstrong and Dennis Waterman. He also wrote a series of six novels about a cop called DCI Mark Lapslie, starting with "Core of Evil".

Director of BBC Drama, Lindsay Salt, said: "We are deeply saddened to hear of Nigel McCrery's death, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. Nigel was behind some of UK television's most loved dramas, and his skill for creating brilliant stories with beautifully drawn characters shone for all to see. The enduring success of Silent Witness, still entertaining millions of viewers after almost 30 years, is a testament to his incredible talent and he will be sorely missed."

You can watch the most recent series of Silent Witness, Silent Witness season 28, on BBC iPlayer now. New Tricks is also available on iPlayer.

Emilia Fox has expressed her delight at how Silent Witness fans reacted to Jack Hodgson's marriage proposal to her character, Dr Nikki Alexander.

In the final moments of the last series, Jack presented Nikki with a ring and said: "I can't imagine a day without you, I can't. Will you marry me, Nikki?" She kissed him and replied: "Yes!". Now the story will pick up in Silent Witness season 28, which starts on BBC One on Monday, and fans will be hoping nothing stops the pair from getting married.

Talking about the thrilled fan response to the couple finally getting engaged, Emilia said: "The reaction of fans to the proposal at the end of the last series was amazing. It's the best, most wonderful feeling when the audience really like something and feel that they've got what they wanted.

"The relationship between Jack and Nikki has been running over such a long period of time, and the expectation has been so great about what would or wouldn't happen, that we wanted that to be rewarded in the way that the proposal took place. There was a surprise element to it, but it reflected into what they do as well.

"The proposal had all of that. David played it so beautifully. And so, it really felt like there was the thrill of that surprise and that Jack had really thought about it and cared about it. There’s a real responsibility to get it right.”

Emilia went on to tease the opening two-part story of the new series, which will see Nikki and Jack (David Caves) investigate when an unidentified elderly woman is found dead in a cave. "The first story is about the vulnerability of older people being taken advantage of. It's also about older people who have owned homes for a long time, and then, from the other end of the spectrum, younger people who are finding it hard to get to own a house, and the friction that creates between those generations.

"It's that division which creates the vulnerability and the potential for people to be taken advantage of. Something that I love about this show is that it shines lights on all elements of society. The writer of this story, Tim Prager, is brilliant as always finding those stories which are very, very topical and give the drama a meaning outside of the show, because they resonate through life.”

The new series sees Maggie Steed (Paddington 2, Rivals) and Francesca Mills (The Witcher: Blood Origin, Worzel Gummidge) joining the team as boss Harriet Maven and new recruit Kit Brooks.

"Maggie and Fran coming on has been brilliant. They have both got such sparky energy and provide a real sense of fun,” says Emilia.

Silent Witness season 28 will begin on BBC One on Monday, January 6 at 9 pm.

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox will return for a second series of her detective drama Signora Volpe, with the three-part series released on Monday, July 29 on Acorn TV in the UK and US.

The hugely popular actress, best known to millions of Silent Witness fans as Dr Nikki Alexander, will be back as disillusioned British spy Sylvia Fox.

Seeking a quiet life in beautiful Italy, Emilia's character finds solving murders just too tempting.

Teasing the plot, the makers say: "At the end of season one, having fallen in love with Italy and re-established bonds with her sister Isabel (Tara Fitzgerald – Game of Thrones, Belgravia), Sylvia decided to resign from her job at MI6 and start a new life in Umbria. But old habits die hard, and though Sylvia might have left her job at MI6 behind, her unique skillset and appetite for solving mysteries remain undiminished. Over the course of season two, she finds herself investigating the murder of a pillar of the local community, and going undercover for MI6 at a perilous house party by the lake. Then, a dead man comes looking for vengeance, and Sylvia’s family have to race against time to save her life."

During the series, Sylvia is joined by her extended family while her relationship grows with the dashing Carabinieri Capitano (Giovanni Cirfiera – American Crime Story; The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Queen of the South). However, as she keeps interfering in his investigations he finds himself emotionally torn by her involvement.

Meanwhile, Emilia is busy working on Silent Witness season 28. The next series of the BBC One hit is now in production and heading our way in early 2025.

Signora Volpe is created and written by Rachel Cuperman (Midsomer Murders) and Sally Griffiths (Midsomer Murders). Signora Volpe is released on Monday, July 29 on Acorn TV in the UK and US with a co-premiere on BBC America. New episodes air Mondays through August 12.

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox looked tremendously awkward when The One Show's Alex Jones said last month how wonderful it would be for there to be a wedding on the hit series!

And we now know why Emilia was looking so awkward it's because Alex had unwittingly guessed how the latest series of the BBC One drama would conclude.

OK, so we’ve not actually had the wedding yet, but in the final moments of the season, Jack Hodgson (David Caves) at last proposed to Dr Nikki Alexander.

It finally shines a light on why Emilia and David Caves went all funny when Alex Jones started asking them about a Silent Witness wedding during their appearance on the show to promote the series in mid-January.

"Imagine a Silent Witness wedding," gushed Alex. "It would be so nice and such a change, wouldn’t it?!" Emilia just laughs, while David responds: "You think it would be nice". 

The pair then shifted about on the sofa as they tried desperately not to give the game away. You can still catch the interview on i Player here and it's really quite funny watching it back!

Silent Witness fans have been waiting for ages for Jack to propose and the big moment happened after the pair had managed to track down the King’s Cross serial killer.

Jack went over to Nikki’s, pretending to be replying to her advert for a lodger. The pair then sit down and Jack presents Nikki with a ring. "I can't imagine a day without you, I can't. Will you marry me, Nikki?" And she kisses him and says "Yes!".

One fan wrote: "Mr and Mrs Alexander-Hodgson to be, I'm gonna cry, that's how happy I am".

While Emilia Fox responded to one viewer's celebratory tweet, writing: "That made me laugh so much".

Silent Witness season 27 is still available to watch on iPlayer. Unfortunately, it's now a long wait until the next series and for the Silent Witness wedding! Check out our best BBC dramas guide for more shows to watch in the meantime.

Emilia Fox simply smiled when a Silent Witness wedding was suggested to her during an appearance on The One Show, but she did tease that Nikki and Jack's relationship will be seen to develop in the current series.

Fans would of course love to see her character Dr Nikki Alexander walk down the aisle with Jack Hodgson (David Caves).

But Emilia just smiled when presenter Alex Jones asked about the "nice" possibility. "You think it would be nice," replied David Caves. Well, being Silent Witness it would probably involve a dead body, so maybe not!

The pair also wouldn't be drawn on whether Nikki and Jack are living together, although the show has dropped hints that they might be. They did agree that the couple should live at Nikki’s "lovely" pad. 

Speaking about Nikki and Jack, Emilia said: "Because these characters have been together for such a long time and they know each other so well they have moved from a friendship into a relationship and what we wanted to try and do is to show the changes that happen when you've been working together for a long time and suddenly you're in this relationship but not to allow it to overtake what it is really about which is a crime show and it's about the victims predominantly.

"But yes we have some really, really lovely scenes to play in this series and there are a few developments." 

Meanwhile, David spoke about John Thomson guest starring as DCI Warren Bull in the latest two-part story of the series, which concludes next Monday.

"He is fantastic, what a funny man. He's just a gag factory that guy it's quite tough to keep it together during some of the more serious stuff."

The fourth episode of Silent Witness season 27 was due to air on Tuesday evening, but it will now air on Monday 22 January at 9 pm on BBC One. If you can't wait the episode is already available on iPlayer.

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox has promised fans there are "really lovely moments ahead" for Dr Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson.

Viewers have enjoyed watching their relationship develop and they are firmly an item in Silent Witness season 27, which continues next Monday 15 January with episode three on BBC One at 9 pm.

Nikki and Jack splitting up would cause massive heartache for fans but Emilia instead says we've got plenty of fun moments between the pair to look forward to. While the couple are generally either looking at dead bodies or quizzing bad guys, we can expect some serious flirting ahead.

"So much of the show, quite rightly, is about being respectful towards the subject matter, but with each other Jack and Nikki can have a bit more of a jest and a joke and play that out within their relationship," says Emilia. "It's not always about high drama within relationships; it's often about just being together. So they have got some really lovely moments. And because of the darkness of the subject matter, they become more and more close. They've been so work-focused. But as you get older, do you place a different emphasis on what's important in life? They're both discovering that in this series."

Emilia adds that she loves working with David Caves, who plays Jack. "We've worked together for over a decade now. It’s amazing — time flies when you're having fun! We come at the work with the same professional attitude, both wanting it to be the best it can be and caring about it. And David is a really brilliant actor. He can turn any scene into something fantastic."

The opening story, which guest-starred John Hannah, was an absolute corker. And the next two-parter, titled "Grievance Culture", also looks like being a cracker, featuring guest stars John Thomson and Kevin McNally. The BBC teases: "The team work a suspected suicide but the investigation raises more questions than it answers. Gabriel has an exciting new opportunity, both professionally and personally, and enlists Jack's help. When a disgruntled professor of criminology is passed over for promotion, events take a truly sinister turn and the interview panel begin to be targeted. Could a member of the Lyell be next?"

Many people have come and gone through the Lyell Centre's glass doors, but the one constant on Silent Witness over the past two decades has been Emilia Fox, who celebrates the 20th anniversary of her first appearance as forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander this year! 

The longest-serving cast member, Emilia is reunited with David Caves, who plays Nikki’s partner and colleague Jack, and relative Lyell Centre newbies Velvy Schur (Alastair Michael) and Gabriel Folukoya (Aki Omoshaybi), in Silent Witness season 27, which begins on Monday, January 8 on BBC One at 9 pm.

We caught up with a youthful-looking Emilia, who reaches another milestone later this year when she turns 50, to dissect the new series and pick over the bones of her ongoing love affair with Silent Witness… 

What's the first two-part investigation about? 

Emilia Fox: "A body is found in a church, and the detective investigating thinks it relates back to a case from 20 years ago. Nikki meets the pathologist from the original case, who is played by John Hannah. We were so lucky to have him playing that part!" 

What other guest stars should we look out for?

Emilia: "In episodes three and four, Kevin McNally plays a university professor, and John Thomson appears as a detective. It was hard to keep a straight face acting with John, because he can make you laugh all day long!"

Are there any particularly shocking cases in the new run? 

Emilia: "One of the hardest was the case in which eight bodies are found at King's Cross station. The prosthetics are extraordinary, and you can't help but think: 'This happens in real life —  people are found in mass graves.'"

Silent Witness prides itself on being topical. Are you keeping up that tradition? 

Emilia: "We have an episode about social media ‘deepfakes’ and big tech. There's also an appearance by a robot, which provoked an interesting conversation about the future of artificial intelligence."

Are you a fan of social media?

Emilia: "I've had good experiences on it, through being able to connect with the audience who watch this show. But now, as the parent of a teenager, I’m negotiating the good and the bad!" 

What's the best thing about being in such a long-running series?

Emilia: "It's an absolute privilege to play a character for a long time, get to know them very well and be put in these different situations that create new challenges. But at the heart of it is this family who love working together!"

How do you look back on your 20 years in the show? 

Emilia: "When people ask me: 'What's the thing that you're most proud of?', it's very easy to say Silent Witness, because I still look forward to coming back to it!"

Do you get squeamish about cutting up bodies and organs?

Emilia: "I don’t, because it's just so fascinating! I’m like: 'Oh my God, a heart is like this, and we’ve got that inside us!' I’m more squeamish if an accident happens at home!" 

Can you give us an example?

Emilia: "Well, my partner [TV producer Jonathan Stadler] dropped some secateurs on his foot, and it looked really bad. Unfortunately my reaction when a disaster like that happens is to laugh nervously!" 

Silent Witness returns to BBC1 and BBC iPlayer on Monday 8 January at 9 pm. 

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox has revealed whether there's any truth to a fan theory about her detective series, Signora Volpe.

Signora Volpe is an Acorn TV drama that sees Fox playing Sylvia, an ex-MI6 operative who is drawn back into the sleuthing world whilst paying a visit to her sister in the village of Umbria in Italy. The three-part series recently debuted on the UKTV Drama channel and is due to conclude tonight at 8 pm.

As the title translates to "Mrs. Fox" from Italian and her character is called Sylvia Fox, some fans had posited whether the series had actually been named after the Silent Witness season 27 star or not. 

As it turns out, Sylvia Fox having the same name as the lead actress was pure chance, as Emilia Fox explained on Twitter: "It was actually a coincidence — it was already written when I came to it — and we tried all sorts of other names out for Sylvia and the title, and then decided this one still suited her and the show best. Thank you for noticing the coincidence!"

Even though the pair sharing the same name was a coincidence after all, Fox has shared that there is at least one similarity between herself and her Signora Volpe character. 

In our interview with Emilia Fox about the show, she said: "Like Sylvia, I'm in my 40s, which is when you think about your first half of your life, what you've done in it and what's going to happen in the second half. 

And I've realized that I'm distinctly unqualified to do anything other than what I've been doing for the past 20 years!"

Fox will next be on our screens in Silent Witness season 27, reprising the role of Dr. Nikki Alexander, a part she's been playing since 2004. Little is known about the latest instalment at the time of writing, though there at least hopes that Nikki and Jack Hodges (David Caves) will still be going strong together next time around.

Signora Volpe concludes tonight at 8 pm on the Drama Channel. All three episodes are available to stream on-demand on the UK TV Play app, and the drama is due to return for a second season. 

Silent Witness is due to return for its 27th season in 2024. You can catch up with past series on BBC iPlayer. Already caught up? Check out our picks for the best BBC dramas and the best Acorn TV shows if you're looking for something new to stream.

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox has confirmed there'll be a new season of the BBC crime drama, as fans are no doubt hungry for more after the 25th-anniversary special.

In fact, now that Silent Witness season 25 has aired, Emilia told Hello Magazine that the show was in production and added: "Well, we're definitely making it now. I think I'm allowed to say that, probably not allowed to say much more than that, but we are making series 26 now."

Right now that's all we know about the return of Silent Witness, as exact plot details for the upcoming season have not been revealed but at least we definitely know it's going ahead! So we'll have to be patient and wait for further details.

The 25th season of Silent Witness has already aired in the UK and the US, and saw the return of Amanda Burton where she reprised her role as Sam Ryan, with fans growing suspicious of her at first.

But it was later revealed that Sam had gotten herself involved with some shady people and was not in fact a bad person, with the season ending on a cliffhanger that definitely leaves room for more episodes.

• How to watch Silent Witness season 25 online anywhere in the world

The cliffhanger ending saw Nikki's ex-husband Tom Faulkner (Matthew Gravelle) seeking revenge for being framed for murder by Oscar Harris (David Leon), and Nikki received a text saying "I can't let it go. I’m sorry," before Tom entered Oscar's prison cell. 

So it's likely that season 26 will pick up shortly after these dramatic events, and we might be seeing more of Nikki's ex as he was only revealed to us last season, where fans were devastated to learn about Nikki's past.

Speaking about the cliffhanger ending, producer Nick Lambon told Digital Spy: "I like it when stories aren't completely tied up in a neat bow, because life isn't really like that. Let the audience fill that gap.

"I think when you are working on a long-running series like Silent Witness, you need to work hard not to completely close too many stories down." 

Silent Witness is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK and BritBox in the US. 

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox is one of the UK's most popular actresses, with a career spanning over 25 years. Born into a family of thespians, Emilia followed in her parents' professional footsteps and made her first TV appearance as Georgiana Darcy in the iconic 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. 

Since 2004, Emilia has played forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander in Silent Witness and describes her character as the best friend she could ever have. The gritty crime drama is now back for Silent Witness season 28, which fans hope will see her character finally tie the knot with co-worker Jack Hodgson (David Caves).

Off-screen, Emilia is a proud mum of one and is with television producer Jonathan Stadlen. Here are a few other things you may not know about the star...

Emilia Fox is a member of the Fox dynasty

Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox was born in Hammersmith, London, on July 31st 1974. The daughter of acclaimed actors Edward Fox and Joanna David, performing clearly ran in the genes, as both Emilia and her younger brother, Freddie (who played Mark Thatcher in The Crown) have chosen the same career. And it’s not just Emilia’s immediate family who are stars of the stage and screen. 

Her paternal grandfather, Robin Fox was an actor, theatrical agent and chairman of the English Stage Company, and her grandmother, Angela Worthington was an actress and daughter of playwright Frederick Lonsdale. 

Emilia's uncle, James Fox has appeared in a wide range of film and TV productions, and her cousins Laurence, Jack and Lydia are also actors. Laurence is probably the most well-known, having played DS James Hathaway in ITV's Lewis for 11 years, and has more recently made headlines as a political activist. 

She's an accomplished musician

Emilia studied at the independent Bryanston School in Dorset, where she excelled in music — playing the cello, piano and trumpet. As a youngster, Emilia dreamt of becoming a cellist, inspired by her mum and dad’s friendship with the renowned musician, Jacqueline du Pre, whose life was tragically cut short by multiple sclerosis.

Devoted to her music and academic studies, Emilia admits she was a fish out of water at secondary school. In an interview with The Guardian she revealed, "I was playing the cello and getting picked up by my mum while other girls were at the bus stop with their skirts hitched up, going clubbing."

She didn't intend to become an actress

After finishing school, Emilia went to read English at St Catherine’s College, Oxford, and it wasn’t long after starting she was called to audition for the role of Georgiana, the younger sister of Mr Darcy in the critically acclaimed TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

At the time, 19-year-old Emilia was acting in plays for fun and had no burning desire to make a living out of it. However, acting alongside the likes of Colin Firth — who she remembers talking to about the books she was studying — changed all that and just two years later she landed the lead of Mrs de Winter in Rebecca, opposite Charles Dance.

Since then, Emilia hasn't had a year out of work and boasts an impressive CV, which includes a role in the 2002 film The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski, several period productions and treading the boards as Queen Isabel in a theatre production of Richard II.

She’s had a few famous other halves

After being engaged to comedian Vic Reeves in 2000, Emilia went on to marry British actor Jared Harris, but sadly it ended in divorce. Emilia’s next leading man was actor Jeremy Gilley, with whom she had daughter Rose, born in 2010, but the couple parted ways shortly afterwards. Emilia was also romantically involved with hot-headed chef Marco Pierre White between 2012 and 2016.

The star is now with TV producer Jonathan Stadlen, and opened up about their relationship to the Mail Online, saying: 

"It's a life-changing thing when you fall in love like this, and I look forward to a day-by-day lifetime of discovery with him. You can never say for definite, but I feel so hopeful. There has been no doubt or hesitation.”

Emilia and her partner make a daily sweet 'romantic gesture' each day

Emilia recently clarified that she isn't officially married to her partner Jonathan, but he asks her every day to marry him and she says "yes" in a romantic gesture. Emilia chose to clarify this recently due to a negative press report.

At the end of a long Instagram post (below) on the subject she wrote: "Out of pure, kind, thoughtful, romantic, generous love (all qualities @jonathanstadlen possesses in abundance) — Jonathan asks me every day to marry him (in the kitchen, or the garden, or wherever we might happen to be in an every day context) — and out of love, every day, I say YES. It is a sweet, romantic gesture for eachother every day. But we are not officially married, because we want to choose to be married to eachother every day. We wear a ring as a sign of our love and commitment to each other."

She's co-starred with her mum

Despite being part of a famous acting dynasty, Emilia insists her parents are very down to earth and her school friends were always disappointed by her un-showbizzy home life.

As well as starring with her mum, Joanna David, in Pride and Prejudice, the pair also appeared together in Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox. And Joanna’s potty mouth was a huge hit with amused viewers.

Laughing about her mum’s use of expletives, Emilia said to Daily Mail: "I’m sure they had to cut out quite a lot because she’s got a really filthy mouth. She’s shocking! People have very strong opinions about what you must be like [as a Fox]. And until now not many have been able to see that Mum is funny and larger-than-life. I enjoyed filming it with her.”

She's a Dawn French fan girl

Emilia met legendary comedian Dawn French when they worked together filming Sky 1 series Delicious. The pair might have played on-screen love rivals, but they struck up a firm friendship, and when asked who her three dream dinner party guests would be, Emilia didn’t hesitate in saying Dawn would be one.

In case you’re wondering her other two are, the second is eminent criminologist Professor David Wilson. Emilia and David worked together on the 2021 series In the Footsteps of Killers, and she has said she finds him so fascinating they’d need a 25-course meal. 

And rounding up Emilia's dream dinner companions is her old school buddy, Ben Fogle, who’s also made a name for himself as a successful broadcaster and adventurer.

She’s witnessed a real-life post-mortem

During her years filming Silent Witness, Emilia has carried out autopsies on countless pretend corpses and learned a lot of complex medical lingo in the process. She’s also been able to watch real-life pathologists working on human bodies, an experience that she found thought-provoking and humbling.

Having played the same character for 20 years, Emilia has grown rather attached to her alter-ego and has described Nikki in interviews as the ‘best friend she could have’. “She’s a great ally and a great strength and I love spending time with her,” Emilia told The Mail on Sunday.

“She makes mistakes and questionable decisions, but that makes her more human. I look forward to seeing what she’s going to get up to.”

She learnt Italian during lockdown

Multi-talented Emilia can already speak French and German, but during the Covid pandemic she decided to put her spare time to good use by learning Italian. The star thought she’d be able to put her new linguistic skills to the test when she was offered a part in the detective series, Signora Volpe, set in Italy. However, that wasn’t quite the case.

In a recent chat with You, Emilia revealed: “I got this lovely job and thought: “Oh, my Italian will flourish and I’ll be fluent by the time I come back.”’ Little did I realise I would be learning English lines solidly from beginning to end… but it was lovely being surrounded by the language.” 

In Signora Volpe — which aptly translates as ‘Mrs Fox’ — Emilia plays Sylvia, a former MI6 spy, who ends up getting drawn into a murder investigation.

Emilia enjoys the simple pleasures in life

Down to earth Emilia says it’s the small things in life that make her happy — like eating pizza in her local pub, painting garden furniture, and getting weirdly obsessed with cleaning products. 

In an interview with The Guardian she described her perfect Sunday as being:

"A walk in our local park, or my husband Jonathan takes the dogs out while I do a workout at home.  Jonathan has a boat, so we might go rowing on the Thames with Rose and all the dogs. If my parents are in town it’s a good time to see them."

Emilia and Jonathan are huge dog lovers and own three adorable pooches - long-haired miniature dachshunds, Dolly and Clive and jackapoo Sailor. 

Emilia Fox's fact file

Frequently asked questions about the TV star... 

Instagram: @emiliarosefox

Twitter: @EmiliaFox

We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.

When Amanda Burton appeared as Sam Ryan in the first episode of BBC One’s forensic drama Silent Witness in 1996, she couldn’t have imagined that, over 16 years later, not only would the series still be going strong, she’d be returning to it as a guest star. 

But that’s exactly what’s happening in Silent Witness season 25, a six-part investigation that sees Sam — who left her London-based job to move back to Northern Ireland during series eight in 2004 — call in successor Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and the rest of The Lyell Centre team after the Health Secretary is gunned down in Liverpool at the launch of Sam’s new health passport initiative.  

Here, in an exclusive interview, Amanda tells us more…

Where can I watch Silent Witness?

The new Silent Witness six-part series starts on BBC One on Monday, May 23 2022 at 9pm.

Two episodes will be shown each week on Monday and Tuesday evenings.

Episodes will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, where you can also find previous series of Silent Witness.

A US release date is yet to be announced. 

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox has not left the hit BBC drama as Dr Nikki Alexander.

The hugely popular star is very much still part of the series and continues to play forensic pathologist Nikki.

Here are some more key questions answered as we enjoy Silent Witness season 25.

Does Nikki Alexander get married in Silent Witness?

No, Nikki Alexander has not got married in Silent Witness. Indeed, Nikki has a fairly disastrous track record with men! Fans are now hoping she will at last find love with her colleague, Jack Hodgson (David Caves). But, well, we wouldn’t bet on it! 

Previously there was a will they/won’t they relationship with Harry Cunningham (played by Tom Ward). But ultimately the pair never got together.

Things also didn’t work out between Nikki and US ambassador Matt Garcia. Plus Nikki once even managed to date a serial killer. Everyone makes romantic mistakes but that was a biggie!!

Did Nikki and Jack kiss?

Oh yes! Nikki and Jack kissed at the end of Silent Witness season 24. On that kiss, Emilia says: "The kiss begged the question of why these two people who have worked together for so long and love each other and are single were not already having a relationship. It threw up many questions. 

"How do friends transition to a relationship? Does that relationship dominate everything? How does it work alongside the job? What happens if it goes wrong? What happens if they are in conflict? The lovely thing is that the audience have wanted Jack and Nikki to be together. It's great that they have invested so much in that relationship.” 

Whatever happens, we always have that kiss!

Does Jack love Nikki?

Jack does appear to love Nikki. We’re hoping for more on this relationship in the latest series of Silent Witness. 

How long was Nikki Alexander in Silent Witness?

Nikki Alexander has been a part of Silent Witness for nearly 20 years and is still very much part of the show. Emilia Fox has now played the character in over 170 episodes. Emilia made her debut as Nikki in a 2004 episode called "Nowhere Fast". 

Is Tom Ward coming back to Silent Witness for the 25th anniversary series?

There's been no hint that Tom Ward will reprise his role as Harry Cunningham. The character is still alive, so there's no reason why Tom couldn't come back at some stage. Tom spent a decade on the show, appearing in 96 episodes as Harry. 

Is Sam Ryan back in Silent Witness?

Yes, Amanda Burton is in Silent Witness again as Sam Ryan. Amanda has reprised her role as Sam for the show's 25th-anniversary series 17 years after she left the show. 

When it was announced, Amanda said: "I am so excited to be returning to Silent Witness and stepping back into Sam Ryan’s shoes — with a difference!

"Audiences can look forward to plenty of twists and turns as they discover what Sam’s been doing since leaving the Lyell."

She’s usually seen conducting post-mortems under the artificial lights of the Lyell Centre lab as Silent Witness’s forensic pathologist Nikki Alexander. So Emilia Fox was delighted to be on location in sunny Italy for her latest TV series, the Acorn TV crime drama Signora Volpe. 

The three-parter stars Emilia as Sylvia, a high-ranking MI6 employee who is taking a welcome break from work to attend her niece’s wedding in Umbria, where she is reunited with her sister, played by Tara Fitzgerald. 

But when the groom disappears and a dead body is found near his home, Sylvia draws on her espionage skills to conduct her own investigation.

We caught up with Emilia to find out more about why she would make a great spy — but won't be in the next James Bond film... 

There was a female 007 in A Time to Die. How do you fancy starring in a James Bond film? 

Signora Volpe is available on Acorn TV from Monday, May 2. 

Silent Witness icon Emilia Fox has revealed that she still adores playing the popular and beloved character, Nikki Alexander in the hit crime drama series.

Emilia has played fan-favorite forensic pathologist Nikki Alexander for 17 years, after first joining the huge phenomenon in 2004.

With the highly anticipated Silent Witness season 25 on its way to celebrate 25 years of the show being on air, the actress appeared on This Morning to discuss her long-running Silent Witness character Nikki Alexander.

While promoting her new Italian spy drama Signora Volpe, hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond got onto the topic of her signature Silent Witness persona.

Dermot asked Emilia: “Do you think she’s [Nikki Alexander] a different person now than what she was when you first started?”

“Yes I do. I mean with all of the same characteristics, but she’s definitely changed in what she does, you know, the more sort of engrained she’s become with the series and I know her better,” she said.

“I’m more familiar with her, and the joy of being in a show for so long is that you can play as many sides as you want to.”

Emilia also went on to say how lucky and appreciative she was to be playing such powerful female leading roles in both Silent Witness and her upcoming project Signora Volpe.

The previous series of Silent Witness answered fans' pleas as Nikki and Jack Hodgson (David Caves) finally shared a kiss in the final episode.

Now fans are more eager than ever to see if they become a couple, but after Jack heard Nikki’s surprise voicemail, it left him with no hope of a relationship to form.

But can season 25 turn this around and make their feelings for each other known?! Plus we know that Amanda Burton is back for the new series!

Silent Witness seasons 1-24 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Silent Witness season 25 is expected to be released in the first half of 2022.

Emilia Fox is hugely excited about Silent Witness Season 24, which is about to begin on BBC1.

The dramatic final episode of the last series saw the Lyell Centre team halved as Thomas (Richard Lintern) died in the line of duty, and Clarissa (Liz Carr) decided to move on. 

As the long-running forensic crime drama returns for a new run, it’s just Nikki (Emilia Fox) and Jack (David Caves) holding the fort in an investigation that sees one of them coming to terms with a traumatic incident from the past. 

However, some new blood is on the way in the form of over-keen young pathologist Adam, played by Jason Wong.

To set the crime scene, we caught up with Emilia, 47, to find out what's in store...

Was it strange starting a new series without Richard Lintern and Liz Carr, who played Thomas and Clarissa? 

Emilia Fox: "Life mirrored what we were trying to do in the drama, because we were mourning the loss of Thomas and Clarissa as characters, as well as Richard and Liz, and missing them hugely." 

What can you tell us about the first two-part investigation? 

EF: "Nikki and Jack look into a suspicious death in a prison, which reacquaints Nikki with a character called Scott Weston, who was in a memorable Silent Witness episode called Shadows, quite a few years ago. It all becomes a bit too personal, and Jack has to get her back on track, and help her see the bigger picture." 

How are Jack and Nikki coping? 

EF: "They are finding their feet within the Lyell Centre, without those amazingly large figures, so there was a real readjustment both for Jack and Nikki, and for David and myself. But that made way for Jason Wong, who plays pathologist Adam Yuen, to come into our lives!"

What was it like to have Jason joining as a Silent Witness regular? 

EF: "I’ve known Jason since we worked on the ITV drama Strangers in Hong Kong a few years ago. He is a welcome addition to the Lyell family!" 

What did he bring to the team? 

EF: "He fed us a lot! Jason would always come in with the most amazing treats. And he and David had a real bromance, and became known as ‘David Jason’!" 

How did Jason cope with learning all the complicated pathology lingo? 

EF: "Straight away poor Jason had to say the hardest medical term anyone’s been given to say in Silent Witness, ‘laparoscopic insufflation’. It was really cruel!"

The new series of Silent Witness airs on BBC1 on Monday  6 September at 9pm, and will be available on BBC iPlayer.

Viewers loved seeing Emilia Fox, David Caves, Richard Lintern and Liz Carr back on our screens

Silent Witness got monster ratings last night when the Emilia Fox hit returned for its 23^rd series on BBC1.

According to Broadcast, a whopping 5.6 million fans tuned in to watch Emilia back as Dr Nikki Alexander, this time swapping her normal blonde locks for a new brunette look – something fans loved!

Doctor Who and Dracula may have had far more hype when they opened up on New Year’s Day, but neither got close to the audience who tuned in for Silent Witness.

Silent Witness maintains a hugely loyal audience and has now enjoyed over 200 episodes since it launched in 1996.

And with such big viewing figures it looks like the show is here to stay. Asked if she could see the show continuing for the foreseeable future, Liz Carr, who plays Clarissa Mullery, replied: “I hope so. It gets massive audiences. If you’re going to be brutal about what TV’s about these days, the key question is, 'Does it get the audiences?' And Silent Witness gets great audiences.

“For what it’s worth, I think the BBC would be ridiculous not to at least go to 25 series. We like landmarks, don’t we? Plus audiences don’t seem to be getting bored of it. Sometimes you can see a review going,'Oh, it’s the same old…' But I think one of the things people love about it is the familiarity of it.

"It's reassuring, it’s January, it’s cold, we’re going to hunker down with a hot drink and watch something scary and feel scared. So many people say to me, 'Love it, love it when January arrives because I know Silent Witness is coming round'."

MORE: Emmerdale fans STUNNED to spot this CBeebies star in last night's episode

Last night’s opening episode saw a private jet crash, with an ambassador being among the victims.

Silent Witness continues tonight on BBC1 at 9pm.

Emilia has a new look!

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox has dumped her normal blonde hair for a new brunette look for the new series of the BBC1 hit.

The 45-year-old actress has traditionally sported blonde locks for her role as pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander in the long-running show.

However, fans will immediately be struck by the fact she’s suddenly brunette in the new run and Emilia says there’s a simple reason why.

“The real explanation is that I was doing The Trial of Christine Keeler (BBC1) and playing Valerie Hobson and they dyed my hair for that. The producers on Silent Witness said they really liked it brunette.

“We talked about whether I could be Nikki’s twin sister, Vicky Alexander, but then we thought we would just get on with it. People change their hair colour all the time. Richard (Lintern) says that my hair is now "cognac by the fire rather than a blonde skipping through meadows."

Emilia goes on to explain that she’s closely involved with Nikki’s look in the series and that she approves of Nikki’s dress sense.

“I only ever go to the shops when I go costume shopping," she says. "We all have an influence on what we wear in the show. It’s a contemporary show, and certainly I’ve found the pathologists we have met have very particular styles of dressing.

“That’s part of the fun of the character, and it seems to be a part which people address on social media a lot - hairstyles and what we’re wearing. What makes me laugh is that Liz said at the beginning, ‘I will never discuss what Clarissa wears on the show’ - and oh, how in these years she has changed!”

Trouble ahead for Nikki and Matt in the new series of Silent Witness?

The new 10-part series of Silent Witness will open with a private jet crash and Emilia reveals that Nikki’s boyfriend Matt suffers a personal loss because of the tragedy.

“On board is an ex-US ambassador who is friends with Matt, so that’s how his character is brought back into the series. We see the effect that this incident has on Nikki and Matt’s relationship.”

She adds: “The plane crash affects Matt and brings back some painful memories relating to another family member of his. Nikki is trying to look after his needs as well as being part of solving the crime. She is balancing that working life/personal life dilemma.”

When does Silent Witness return for a new series?

Silent Witness returns to BBC1 on Tuesday 7 January at 9pm.