Season 25 looks set to be one of the most dramatic instalments of BBC One’s Silent Witness to date, with a familiar face returning to the Lyell for the landmark run.
Original cast member Amanda Burton is back as Dr Sam Ryan 17 years after she first left the drama, and will form part of the main cast for the season alongside Emilia Fox, David Caves, and last year’s newcomer Genesis Lynea.
Meanwhile as usual there will be a whole host of guest stars, with the likes of Broadchurch’s Matthew Gravelle and Holby City’s Hugh Quarshie among those set to play key roles.
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast for Silent Witness season 25.
Main cast
Emilia Fox plays Dr Nikki Alexander
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Who is Dr Nikki Alexander? Brought up in South Africa, Nikki chose to stay in England following her parents’ death and joined the Lyell team all the way back in 2004. Curious and open-minded, she can be impetuous, but always rises to the challenge when she’s up against it. Since first joining the team, Nikki has grown into a skilled and confident pathologist – and she has dealt with a lot of extremely challenging situations, including saving Jack’s life in season 16.
Season 25 will see her butt heads with the returning Dr Sam Ryan, while her relationship with Jack will be further explored after they shared a kiss at the end of season 24.
What else has Emilia Fox been in? Fox first rose to prominence following her turn in Roman Polanski’s 2002 film The Pianist and went on to land a number of big-screen roles including The Soul Keeper, Three Blind Mice and The Republic of Love. Small-screen credits in addition to her long-running Silent Witness stint include roles on Merlin, Delicious and The Trial of Christine Keeler.
David Caves plays Jack Hodgson
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Who is Jack Hodgson? Straight-talking and quick-witted, Jack is the Lyell Centre’s talented and head-strong Lead Forensic Scientist. Guided by his instincts, he relishes a challenge and is confident in his own ability. He possesses the humility to admit his mistakes, but not before ruffling a few feathers. Season 25 will further explore his relationship with Nikki, with whom he shared a kiss at the end of season 24.
What else has David Caves been in? Although best known for his role as Jack – who he has played since 2013 – Caves has also appeared in the film Jackie, and has a number of theatre credits to his name, including a critically-acclaimed turn as Petruchio for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Taming of the Shrew in 2011.
Genesis Lynea plays Simone Tyler
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Who is Simone Tyler? A relative newcomer at the Lyell – having joined in season 24 – Simone and is described by star Genesis Lynea as “a zealous and meticulous ecologist who is making a massive jump from museum to the mortuary”. According to the BBC, “Simone feels more comfortable in the safety of an academic lab reconstructing ancient habitats, but her unique skills and lively personality could be exactly what the team needs”.
What else has Genesis Lynea been in? Lynea is known for her role as Archie Hudson on another big BBC drama Casualty, having appeared on the show between 2019 and 2020. She also had a minor role in the first season of Netflix fantasy series Shadow and Bone and has a number of stage credits to her name.
Amanda Burton plays Dr Sam Ryan
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Who is Dr Sam Ryan? A major character on the show during the first eight seasons, Sam is returning to the Lyell after 17 years away. Her return comes when she contacts the team following a high-profile assassination attempt in Liverpool, but it looks like we can expect her to butt heads with Dr Nikki Alexander.
“You would have thought, ‘Oh she’s definitely one of the good guys,’” teased David Caves. “But a lot has happened to that character in the 17 years she’s been away, so she’s not going to be the same person entirely.”
What else has Amanda Burton been in? Aside from her role on Silent Witness, Burton is known for playing Heather Haversham on Brookside, Clare Blake on The Commander, Karen Fisher on Waterloo Road and Katherine Maguire on Marcella. Other recent credits include White House Farm and Anne Boleyn.
Silent Witness episodes 1-2 guest stars
Matthew Gravelle plays Tom Faulker
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Not much information regarding Gravelle’s character has been revealed prior to the episode – but you might recognise him from his role as Joe Miller on Broadchurch or as PC Terry Price on Keeping Faith. Other credits have included The Widow, Carnival Row, and The Accident.
Ian Puleston-Davies plays DSI Ronnie Boyle
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Puleston-Davies is playing Detective Superintendent Ronnie Boyle – the man leading the investigation into a shooting in Liverpool. Puleston-Davies is best known for his role as Owen Armstrong in Coronation Street, and he has also had roles on Hollyoaks, Tin Star and Viewpoint among many other credits.
Shireen Farkhoy plays DS Martine Chalal
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Farkhoy plays another one of the officers looking into the case. She recently starred as Rashida Boustani in The Ipcress File and has also appeared in episodes of Vera, Doctors and The A Word.
David Leon plays Oscar Harris
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Leon stars as another person helping with the case. He’s best known for his role as DS Joe Ashworth in the first four seasons of Vera, while other small-screen credits include In the Dark and Gold Digger.
Vera Horton plays Sonia Karpov
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Little has been revealed about Horton’s character prior to the season 25 launch, but her previous credits include the 2020 film Mother’s Child and uncredited appearances as an extra in a range of big-budget films including Captain America: The First Avenger, The Dark Knight Rises and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.
Hugh Quarshie plays Jomo Mashaba
Jomo is Dr Sam Ryan’s husband, who is shot – albeit not fatally – at the beginning of the episode. Quarshie is best known for his long-running role as Ric Griffin in Holby City, who he played between 2001 and 2020, while other TV credits include White Heat, Absentia and Stephen as well as the Doctor Who episodes Daleks in Manhattan and Evolution of the Daleks.