Crimewatch Live is back with three weeks of live programmes every weekday.

By James Hibbs

Published: Monday, 06 March 2023 at 12:00 am


BBC Daytime has announced that Crimewatch Live will return for a brand new season starting on Monday 6th March, with the team looking to crack more cases.

The brand new episodes will be broadcast live from 10am on weekdays and will run for three weeks in total. They will once again be presented by Rav Wilding and Michelle Ackerley.

The series sees Wilding and Ackerley work with detectives to appeal for information on unsolved crimes, while they also look at proactive police operations and hear about the painstaking work that has gone into solving some of the biggest cases in the UK.

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Rav Wilding presenting Crimewatch Live.
BBC Studios/Glyn Rainer

The series aims to give an insight into a rarely-seen side of criminal justice. Appeals during this run will include an attempted murder in Reading just days before Christmas, an assault inside a hospital that resulted in a death, and a property fraud case where a tenant almost got away with selling his landlord’s house from under him.

Wilding said: “I’m thrilled to be back presenting the new series of Crimewatch. As a former policeman myself, I’m a proud advocate of highlighting the work of our emergency services and the lengths they go to, to keep our communities safe.”

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Meanwhile, commissioning editor Julie Shaw added: “It’s a real privilege to create a programme which helps frontline forces solve crimes on a yearly basis. It’s important we showcase the important work our emergency services provide in this country and I look forward to bringing audiences a new series of Crimewatch to BBC One.”

A version of Crimewatch Live first aired from 2000 to 2001 as Crimewatch Daily, before a similar format returned in 2009, then named Crimewatch Roadshow. It subsequently became Crimewatch Live in 2021.

It has followed on from the original Crimewatch series, which was cancelled in 2017 after a run of 33 years on the BBC.

The BBC said in a statement at the time: “We are incredibly proud of Crimewatch and the great work it has done over the years. This move will also allow us to create room for new innovative programmes in peak time on BBC1.

“Daytime show Crimewatch Roadshow will continue. We believe the successful Crimewatch Roadshow format in daytime is the best fit for the brand going forward.”