Emilia Fox has expressed her delight at how Silent Witness fans reacted to Jack Hodgson's marriage proposal to her character, Dr Nikki Alexander.
In the final moments of the last series, Jack presented Nikki with a ring and said: "I can't imagine a day without you, I can't. Will you marry me, Nikki?" She kissed him and replied: "Yes!". Now the story will pick up in Silent Witness season 28, which starts on BBC One on Monday, and fans will be hoping nothing stops the pair from getting married.
Talking about the thrilled fan response to the couple finally getting engaged, Emilia said: "The reaction of fans to the proposal at the end of the last series was amazing. It's the best, most wonderful feeling when the audience really like something and feel that they've got what they wanted.
"The relationship between Jack and Nikki has been running over such a long period of time, and the expectation has been so great about what would or wouldn't happen, that we wanted that to be rewarded in the way that the proposal took place. There was a surprise element to it, but it reflected into what they do as well.
"The proposal had all of that. David played it so beautifully. And so, it really felt like there was the thrill of that surprise and that Jack had really thought about it and cared about it. There’s a real responsibility to get it right.”
Emilia went on to tease the opening two-part story of the new series, which will see Nikki and Jack (David Caves) investigate when an unidentified elderly woman is found dead in a cave. "The first story is about the vulnerability of older people being taken advantage of. It's also about older people who have owned homes for a long time, and then, from the other end of the spectrum, younger people who are finding it hard to get to own a house, and the friction that creates between those generations.
"It's that division which creates the vulnerability and the potential for people to be taken advantage of. Something that I love about this show is that it shines lights on all elements of society. The writer of this story, Tim Prager, is brilliant as always finding those stories which are very, very topical and give the drama a meaning outside of the show, because they resonate through life.”
The new series sees Maggie Steed (Paddington 2, Rivals) and Francesca Mills (The Witcher: Blood Origin, Worzel Gummidge) joining the team as boss Harriet Maven and new recruit Kit Brooks.
"Maggie and Fran coming on has been brilliant. They have both got such sparky energy and provide a real sense of fun,” says Emilia.
Silent Witness season 28 will begin on BBC One on Monday, January 6 at 9 pm.
