'It's a burden being the world's nicest person'

Jane Wymark explains us why she'll be glad to quit the role of Midsomer Murders' Joyce Barnaby in next year... With John Nettles quitting the show as Barnaby, is this this end of your character too? "Yes, enough is enough! I have to leave too, but it's something John and I have been discussing for a long time. It means I don't have to be the nicest person in the world any more. It's a heavy burdon to carry, being the nicest person in the world." Joyce has signed up to every evening class in the world over the 15 years hasn't she? "Yes, there's nothing she's not tried. She's never had a proper job, she's always busy with choirs, bellringing, brassrubbing, pottery..." It sounds like you don't like her very much? "I'm extremely fond of her, but she's very limiting. I'm hoping I can do something with a wider range now. I'd like to play someone completely evil." Will you miss working with John? "Yes. He's been a sexy man all of his life and it hasn't worn off." How do you think you'll find filming your final scenes? "Very emotional. I am the weepiest person on the earth, I just hope I get through it." Will you keep any souvenirs from your time on the show? "Joyce's clothes. I will go around dressed as Joyce for quite some time. We get a lot of her costumes from Selfridges and Jigsaw; she has some lovely items." *Midsomer Murders returns to ITV1 (not STV) on Wednesday, September 22

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.