Midsomer

Midsomer Murders star Daniel Casey has opened up about his decision to leave the ITV series after seven years on the show alongside John Nettles

Midsomer Murders favourite Daniel Casey has lifted the lid on his choice to depart the ITV drama.

Daniel and John Nettles starred together on the programme from its launch in 1996 until Daniel’s exit in 2003.

In a fresh chat on BBC Breakfast, Daniel reflected on his departure, confessing it wasn’t a tough choice.

Presenter Sarah Campbell grilled Daniel about leaving Midsomer Murders and whether it proved a “difficult decision”.

“It was fairly easy, actually,” the actor revealed before continuing, “I started when I was 24, and left when I was 30. Funnily enough, I was thinking about it, and I was watching a rugby match, and there was commentary,” reports the Express.

“It was last-minute, and it was South Africa versus New Zealand, and New Zealand were three points behind, and they had a penalty, and I said, ‘Oh, you should have kicked the goal’. They said, ‘No, they kicked to the corner’.”

He went on, “And I said, ‘Well, that’s a risk’. And the commentator said, ‘Oh, the only risk in life is never to take a risk’.

“It felt like he was talking to me, and I thought I didn’t come into this job to do the same thing year on year on year. So I thought, it’s a nice time to just step off the cliff and see what else is out there.”

The performer, who initially portrayed DS Gavin Troy opposite John Nettles’ Detective Tom Barnaby in the beloved ITV series, is preparing to take on DCI Tom Barnaby in a fresh theatrical adaptation of the programme.

When discussing his comeback, Daniel grinned: “It’s really exciting, really exciting. It’s lovely to come back. I never thought that I would revisit this amazing, weird, wonderful, strange, old world again, but, but yeah, it’s lovely to be embarking on a tour and bringing it to the stage.

“It’s the original episode, The Killings of Badgers Drift. It’s very faithful to that original, and that kind of the actuality that you have in the television series. It lends itself beautifully to the stage.”

BBC host Jon Kay then quizzed the actor about his “big promotion” and taking on the role previously occupied by John Nettles.

“It’s quite daunting, actually,” Daniel confessed. “It’s amazing. It’s really wonderful.

“John is such a lovely man, and it was such an important part of my early career, and he said it himself. He said, ‘I learned at the feet of the master,’ and actually, I did.

“He was incredible, and I stood beside him for what, seven years, so a lot of that has influenced me, I hope.”

BBC Breakfast broadcasts daily at 6am on BBC One.

Midsomer Murders fans were left distracted as they noticed a familiar face from the Inspector Morse series

Midsomer Murders viewers found themselves thoroughly distracted on Tuesday evening after Kevin Whately popped up in a repeat episode of the ITV series.

The star, renowned for portraying Lewis in both Inspector Morse and the ITV spin-off Lewis, stepped into the shoes of murder suspect Jeremy in the John Barnaby drama.

Within moments of the episode beginning, fans flocked to Twitter to express their excitement over the Inspector Morse crossover.

@NickStevenson63 wrote: “So… when worlds collide; Inspector Lewis in Midsomer Murders. It was bound to happen sooner or later given the number of strange and bizarre deaths in this otherwise quiet corner of Oxfordshire.”

@Suzy_H14 begged: “They can’t kill #Lewis #MidsomerMurders,” reports the Express.

@ghostheart__ observed: “Lots of Morse/Lewis links in this episode of #MidsomerMurders – firstly Kevin Whately who was obviously Lewis in Morse/Lewis, Jane Bertish who was in Morse episode The Wolvercote Tongue and Alexander Hanson who was in Lewis episode Generation of Vipers.”

@dennison_shelly continued: “Fabulous collection of musical theatre actors in tonight’s #MidsomerMurders and the universe-bending inclusion of Lewis aka Kevin Whately. Excellent fun.

“Lewis better not get killed off in tonight’s #MidsomerMurders that’d just be too weird,” @neiltheshaker posted.

@samjcstuff revealed: “My brain is not computing Lewis appearing in #midsomermurders.”

Kevin portrayed Robert “Robbie” Lewis in Inspector Morse from 1987 to 2000, and in Lewis from 2006 to 2015.

In a 2023 interview, Midsomer Murders’ lead actors Neil Dudgeon and Fiona Dolman graced the This Morning sofa to discuss the show’s milestone 50th episode.

The on-screen couple shared a light-hearted conversation with hosts Alison Hammond and Craig Doyle about the enduring appeal of the series.

“So what’s the secret to your on-screen success?” Alison inquired, prompting Neil to quip: “Sexual chemistry.”

He elaborated: “I think we’ve just got on very well right from the start, didn’t we?”.

“We did,” Fiona concurred. “Neil was already cast, so I had an audition, and I had to go in and read with him.

“And yeah, I think we clicked right from the beginning.”

Reflecting on their long-running partnership, Fiona added: “We’ve done it for 12 years now which means all that kind of fear that you have as an actor when you join something and you have to pretend you have an intimate relationship with someone that you’ve never met, that’s all just gone now, hasn’t it?”.

“It is great, I always said we should have had Fiona in the show anyway,” Neil, who plays John Barnaby, interjected.

Fans can catch up with Midsomer Murders on the ITV Hub.

As Midsomer Murders continues to be a hit, some fans may be wondering why Daniel Casey left the show – but he is now set to return in a new role in a stage adaptation

ITV’s beloved series Midsomer Murders is treating fans to a nostalgic trip with reruns starring Daniel Casey, who became a household name as Gavin Troy, DCI Tom Barnaby’s (John Nettles) original sidekick.

He left the show in 2003 but made a brief return for Cully’s (Laura Howard) wedding in season 11.

Fans are still mourning his exit as he became one of the murder mystery show’s most iconic characters.

Speaking to Saga magazine, Casey revealed his departure was about seeking new challenges.

He said: “I was just aware I didn’t want to stay with the same thing for too long and I wanted to branch out.”

Despite moving on, he fondly remembers his time on the show, especially working with Nettles: “I had a fantastic time,” he reminisced.

“John and I got on really well, from the first day really.”

Post-Midsomer Murders, Casey, now 53, has graced other popular soaps including EastEnders, Doctors, Casualty, Coronation Street, and Emmerdale, reports the Express.

In a thrilling twist for fans, reports from May 2025 indicate that Casey will be returning to the world of Midsomer Murders, not on screen but on stage, in ‘The Killings at Badger’s Drift’, where he’ll intriguingly step into the shoes of Tom Barnaby, not as his former character Gavin Troy.

In a recent chat with Norwich Theatre, the actor shared his astonishment at returning to the Midsomer universe: “I never expected to revisit the world of Midsomer, with its weird and wonderful characters and all their dark, twisted secrets.”

He expressed his excitement about taking on a new challenge: “So to be asked to play the iconic role of Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby in this new stage adaptation of The Killings at Badger’s Drift was a real surprise.”

Further reflecting on his past experiences, he added: “It has brought back some wonderful memories of such a happy time in my career playing Sgt Troy and the fantastic time I had working with the amazing John Nettles and to be stepping into his shoes as Barnaby is both a little daunting and incredibly exciting.”

Catch Midsomer Murders on ITV at 8pm.