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.
