Shetland fans to 'riot' if Tosh is dead after fireball shock

Shetland fans were devastated at the latest cliffhanger ending, where the BBC crime drama left the fate of one beloved character uncertain.

During episode 3 of Shetland season 7, the team made a breakthrough in the case as they managed to uncover details of missing boy Connor’s (Nicholas Nunn) "safe place", a caravan in a remote spot on the Shetland mainland, and went to investigate further.

DS Alison "Tosh" MacIntosh (Alison O'Donnell) entered the caravan where she uncovered strange drawings and nautical charts, so decided to call Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) to tell him what she’s uncovered but suddenly noticed large chemical drums, wires, and a timer counting down.

A horrified Tosh realized the caravan was rigged to explode, and frantically tried to escape the locked caravan before we saw it burst into a ball of flames. But has she survived the ordeal? At this point, we have no idea!

This shocking cliffhanger ending has left fans stunned, with some threatening to "riot" if anything happens to their favourite character, and complaining they just can't wait another week to find out what happens next.

Fans were all saying the same thing on Twitter, with the Shetland hashtag filled with worried comments about Tosh's fate. Will fans be forced to mourn the death of their favourite character?

If Shetland has killed off Tosh, she won't be the only character set to leave the much-loved crime drama, as it has been confirmed this is Douglas Henshall's final outing as Jimmy Perez. He has played the role for the past 10 years and spoke to us about his reasons for leaving.

Speaking to What to Watch, he said: "I was very ready to go — I think I'd done as much with the character as I could. And the slightly unique aspect to the show, of two men trying to parent a teenager [Perez is raising his stepdaughter Cassie with her biological father Duncan] and the grief over a dead wife, I didn't want those to become a trope.

"I thought if we pushed it any further, it might end up a bit clichéd. Plus the fact that Erin Armstrong, who plays Cassie, is 26 now — she's a grown woman!"

It's also been suggested that another character is set to leave too, with the series teasing the exit of Duncan (Mark Bonnar) in the first episode. So we could be seeing some big changes coming up...

Shetland continues on Wednesday, August 31 at 9pm on BBC1. Episodes are also available on BBC iPlayer after broadcast.