Lisa Maxwell quits The Bill

Lisa Maxwell has revealed she is quitting The Bill. The actress, who has played popular DI Samantha Nixon in the ITV cop show for seven years, made the announcement just a week after ITV confirmed that The Bill was being cut to one episode a week and moved to a 9pm time slot. Lisa said in a statement: "I've loved every minute of my seven years on The Bill, but feel that I have taken the character of Sam as far as I can, and that it is time to move on to new challenges. "I think that when people start referring to you as the 'longest-standing female cast member' it is probably time to take the hint! She added: "It is an honour to have been part of a show that has been on our screens for 25 years to date, and it has of course been a difficult decision for me, but I am excited about what lies ahead and will leave with happy memories of a wonderful team. "I wish them the very best of luck.” Lisa will film her last scenes this summer to be broadcast in September. Get exclusive access to your favourite stars. Subscribe to TV Times magazine

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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.