It’s all change in Silent Witness season 26. Both Emilia Fox and David Caves are back on our screens as Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson, but there are a number of new faces in the latest chapter of the BBC crime drama.
There’s Gabriel Folukoya, a pathologist with a particular interest in data analysis who locks horns with Jack on their first meeting, and there’s Velvy Schur, a trainee Anatomical Pathology Technologist (or APT) who works alongside Nikki and Jack in the field.
They are joined by a raft of guest stars across the 10-episode season.
But there’s one notable face missing: Simone Tyler.
The forensic ecologist was brought in by Nikki in season 24 to assist with an investigation and she played a key part in the show’s 25th anniversary.
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/06/Silent-Witness-4694898.jpg?quality=90&crop=31px%2C60px%2C4110px%2C2738px&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
When we last saw Simone, she had a lot on her mind.
When she was a child, her older sister Aliya disappeared without a trace. The police were brought in to investigate but eventually, the case was closed, leaving Simone in the dark about what had happened to her sibling. But after a chance encounter with the detective who looked into Aliya’s vanishing and a candid conversation with her gran, Simone learned that her sister had chosen to leave.
Their mother had died while giving birth to Simone and Aliya blamed her sister for that tragedy. Unable to forgive her, she upped and left, moving to the other side of the world.
Aliya was alive until roughly a year ago when she was involved in a boating accident with her two children in Trinidad. She ensured their safety, but died in the process. Her kids were subsequently taken into foster care.
After extensive deliberation, Simone decides to travel to the island to take up her role as auntie.
“This isn’t goodbye,” says Nikki. “It’s good luck.”
With Silent Witness showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, there’s certainly space for Genesis Lynea’s character to return if the opportunity arises. And fans of the show would also jump at the chance to welcome Simone back.
But for now, she’s sunning it up in Trinidad – and we don’t blame her!
Silent Witness returns on BBC One and iPlayer tonight (2nd January) at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or find out what’s on with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.