Silent Witness 2025 cast: who are new cast members in BBC drama - where have you seen them?

• Silent Witness is back on BBC One for its 28th series.
• Audiences will be introduced to two new members of the team for 2025.
• Emilia Fox and David Cates are back for the episodes.

The Silent Witness crew will tackle a fresh case on the BBC this week - but viewers might not be used to the new faces just quite yet.

Audiences were introduced to two fresh members of the team on January 6. The show returns tonight (January 13) for the start of a fresh mystery - as they tackle a vicious hammer attack.

Silent Witness has become a firm fixture on the BBC schedule and the latest season marks its 28th in total. The show premiered all the way back in 1996 and has aired annually ever since.

Emilia Fox is back for yet another series as Dr Nikki Alexander, while David Cates returns as Jack Hodgson. The duo will be joined by a pair of new team members for the 2025 episodes.

The BBC has confirmed the TV schedule for the new season of Silent Witness, including which dates episodes will air on. Fans will also be able to watch tomorrow’s (January 14) episode early.

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Who are the new cast members on Silent Witness?

Two new faces are joining the cast of the BBC drama for its 28th series. They are the new Head of The Lyell Centre, Harriet Maven (Maggie Steed), and crime analyst Kit Brooks (Francesca Mills).

Speaking about joining the show, Maggie Steed said: “I've always really enjoyed Silent Witness. I like the way that it's actually very serious, it doesn't mess about.”

Francesca Mills added: “It’s such an honour to get this opportunity to watch the best of the best and learn their work ethic and see how they approach each storyline. I was so excited. I'll never forget it. I truly loved every second of it.”

Where do you recognise the actors from?

If you are watching the new episodes of Silent Witness - and feel like the new cast members look familiar, you may be wondering if you’ve seen them before. Here are some of the roles they are best known for:

Maggie Steed

The actor has had a long career across both TV and film, including recently a role in Disney+’s Rivals show. She has also had parts in EastEnders and Coronation Street, over the years.

You may also recognise her from her roles in the popular Fisherman Friends films - appearing in the 2019 original and its sequel Fisherman Friends: One and All in 2022. She also played Mrs Gertrude Biggleswade in Paddington 2.

Francesca Mills

The actor playing Kit Brooks has had a few prominent TV roles in recent years. She played Cherry Dorrington in the show Harlots and was also Earthy Mangold in the reboot of Worzel Gummidge.

Francesca also played Helen of Troy in the hit mini-series Pistol, about the Sex Pistols, which was released by Disney+ in the UK. She also was Detective in Time Bandit’s on Apple TV Plus last year and appeared in four episodes of Netflix’s The Witcher: Blood Origin in 2022 as Meldof.

Are you planning to watch Silent Witness this year - and have you been watching it from the start? Share your thoughts by emailing me: [email protected].