Murder is Easy's Penelope Wilton's life off screen including co-star ex husband

Silent Witness star David Caves has returned to his beloved role as Jack Hodgson in the new series of the BBC crime drama. The series, which was first aired in 1996, follows a group of forensic scientists as they investigate ghastly crimes in a bid to catch those responsible. David, 44, has played the leading role of Jack since 2013 and in that time viewers have been invested in his romance with colleague Dr Nikki Alexander, played by Emilia Fox.

David Leon has reprised his role as DS Joe Ashworth in ITV's Vera after a decade away from the series, but he also starred in a forgotten TV role and had a football career. The actor, 43, who first starred in the ITV drama from 2011 to 2014, returned to his role with a bang on Sunday, January 7, much to the delight of Vera fans as series 13 kicked off.The new series also welcomed back Brenda Blethyn playing the titular detective, DCI Vera Stanhope, while Kenny Doughty, who played Aiden Healy and Ibinabo Jack, who portrayed DC Jacqueline Williams have not returned for this series.

The ITV drama Mr Bates vs. the Post Office has become the British broadcaster’s biggest new drama in over a decade, beating even the launch of Downton Abbey back in 2010.

With ITV drama Grantchester back on our screens on Thursday 11 January, viewers will see detective duo DI Geordie Keating and Reverend Will Davenport attempt to solve a new bunch of murders. But alongside the two leads, played by Robson Green and Tom Brittney, a host of familiar faces from previous seasons will be returning. Among those is Charlotte Ritchie, who is known for playing Bonnie Evans.The niece of Cathy Keating, Bonnie was a widow and single mum to little Ernie, though tied the knot in series seven after meeting Will and the couple are now expecting their first child together.

Emilia Fox , known for her role as Dr Nikki Alexander in BBC's Silent Witness, has become a familiar face to viewers at home after taking on the iconic role back in 2004, replacing Amanda Burton. But away from the hit BBC one programme, the 49 year old has a string of other credits to her name and has starred in TV adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and the 2002 film The Pianist. She’s also not the only actor in her family.

Bargain Hunt presenter Izzie Balmer has become a fan favourite since joining the show in 2022, but off screen has a surprising hobby. The jewellery expert, 34, has certainly made her mark when it comes to antiques having appeared on TV shows Flog It!, Street Auction and Antiques Road Trip. She has become so popular that Izzie has gained her very own fan base with a dedicated group on Facebook called the Izzie Balmer Appreciation Society.

Saltburn star Barry Keoghan has been making moves over the last few years, and it doesn’t look as though he has any plans to stop anytime soon. Despite his young age, he’s already appeared in a number of major films and TV series, and has even been nominated for an Oscar. From Dunkirk to The Killing of a Sacred Deer to his BAFTA Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination for Calm with Horses, for Barry, it hasn’t always been all glamour and Hollywood.The 30 year old Love/Hate star grew up in Summerhill, Dublin alongside his brother, Eric.The siblings had a pretty turbulent childhood, and spent seven years living between 13 different foster homes.

Brenda Blethyn has been on our screens for years, having enjoyed a successful and fruitful career as an actor. Starting out way back in the 1980s, the 77 year old didn't experience her breakthrough moment until 1996, when she starred as Cynthia Purley in the drama Secrets & Lies.This role really put her on the map and earned her multiple awards, including Best Actress at Cannes Film Festival, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe. Plus, she also received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

Throughout the first week of January, ITV viewers at home have been gripped by fresh new drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which followed the real life journey of several sub-postmasters who were wrongfully accused (and in some cases even charged) with stealing from the Post Office, thanks to a Horizon computer error.The show, which spanned across four nights in total, saw a star studded cast including Toby Jones, Will Mellor and Julie Hesmondhalgh bring the story to life, including their ongoing fight for justice and compensation for the hundreds of people that were still affected by the error. In emotional scenes, fans saw the toll of the scandal with their own eyes, with several of the accused having lost their jobs, their homes and in some cases even having taken their own lives after struggling to cope with the mental toll of being wrongfully blamed for the error.

Clara Indrani is currently starring as Molly Sardana on Netflix's hit new series, Fool Me Once.The thrilling TV drama is based off of a book by acclaimed author Harlan Coben, and also stars the likes of Corrie legend Michelle Keegan, British heavyweight Dame Joanna Lumley, The Hobbit star Richard Armitage and Irish actor Emmett J. Scanlan. It tells the story of Maya Stern, who is trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband, Joe.

After a year away from our screens, The Traitors is once again back with a bang as series two kicks off in style on Wednesday 3 January. The nail-biting show, which will see 22 contestants go head to head in the hopes of securing a cash prize of up to £120,000, will divide the competitors into two teams, the Traitors and the Faithfuls - before tasking the Traitors with eliminating their fellow contestants while keeping their identities a secret.

As The Traitors series 2 kicks off on Wednesday evening with another batch of contestants hoping to scoop the coveted cash prize of £120,000, viewers at home will once again be introduced to 22 new competitors, each with their own distinctive personalities. Among the competitors this year is 22 year old Harry Clarke, a British Army engineer who hails from Slough and is one of the youngest people taking part this series.

Fool Me Once, starring acclaimed actor Richard Armitage, dropped on Netflix this week and quickly earned a spot in the Top 10 on the streaming platform. The thriller series released on 1 January, follows the story of Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan) who is adjusting to life after her husband Joe Burkett (Richard Armitage) was murdered. But things take an unexpected twist when Maya installs a nanny cam to keep an eye on her young daughter and spots her husband in their home.

TV actor and presenter Will Mellor, who is known for his roles in popular shows like Two Pints, Hollyoaks and Coronation Street as well as hosting the Crime documentary show Cops Who Kill, leads a blissful life away from the camera with his dancer and actress wife Michelle McSween. The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant has been happily married to Michelle for over two decades, and the couple have two children together.They first met while performing in a stage musical back in 1999. After dating for some years, the couple tied the knot in 2007 and are now proud parents of Jayden, 19, and Renee, 16.

As Mr Bates vs The Post Office kicked off this week on ITV, countless viewers sat down to watch the emotional dramatisation of the Horizon post office scandal that saw dozens of postmasters and postmistresses wrongly accused of stealing money due to a computer error. The series, which spans four episodes, features a star studded cast, with one familiar face among them being former Coronation Street star Julie Hesmondhalgh, who famously played Hayley Cropper in the soap for an impressive 16 years in total! As well as her soap roots, over the years, Julie has starred in several popular shows, including Happy Valley, Broadchurch and The Pact, to name just a few - but when she’s not busy acting, the star likes to live a quiet life in Tameside with her family.

BBC drama The Tourist returned for its second season last night in the lucrative New Year’s Day 9 p.m. GMT (1 p.m. PT) slot to just 2.2M viewers, beaten comfortably by ITV‘s post office drama.

EastEnders' icon Sharon Watts, played by Letitia Dean, very rarely gets a chance to catch her breath between the various twists and turns of her extraordinarily dramatic life, and the past few weeks have been no exception. After her son Albie's kidnap, doctors discovered he has Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAT), a genetic condition that could lead to liver and lung disease later in life. Sharon was told that both she and Albie's dad Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) would need to carry the gene for Albie to have it.

EastEnders star Kellie Bright has been a soap favourite since arriving in Walford as Linda Carter 10 years ago.The Queen Vic landlady has had quite a stressful year as she deals with grief following Mick Carter's (Danny Dyer) presumed death. Linda has also been at of heart of harrowing torment from Dean Wicks (Matt di Angelo) after the rapist made an unwanted return to Walford in October. But Linda is also caught up in the epic Christmas 'whodunnit' storyline that's lasted much of 2023.

Each year we're treated to a Christmas special of Call the Midwife, which never fails to gather the entire family for a festive night in. One star of the hit BBC show, which takes on important storylines with a heartwarming charm, is Laura Main who plays caring nurse Shelagh Turner. Laura, 46, has become a beloved character in Call the Midwife and has been a part of the cast since the TV show first aired in 2012.

Sally Nugent is best known for presenting BBC Breakfast, but this Christmas she's swapped the iconic red sofa for the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom as she gets set to star in the show's festive special. The journalist and presenter, 52, has quickly become a favourite among TV viewers after taking over presenting BBC Breakfast from Louise Minchin in October 2021. Sally fronts the show alongside fellow permanent presenters Jon Kay, Charlie Stayt, and Naga Munchetty.