Neil

EXCLUSIVE: Midsomer Murders star Neil Dudgeon has nothing but praise for his co-stars

Midsomer Murders star Neil Dudgeon has paid tribute to his “absolute treasure” co-star while discussing his return as DCI Barnaby in the popular ITV series.

Production for the forthcoming series of Midsomer Murders is presently underway, with Neil reprising his role as DCI Barnaby alongside his sidekick Sergeant Jamie Winter (portrayed by Nick Hendrix) and Dr. Fleur Perkins (Annette Badland).

However, in an exclusive chat with Reach PLC, Neil revealed what it was like collaborating with his cherished co-stars.

When questioned about working with Nick and Annette “so closely”, Neil responded, “It is great. Annette has played Fleur for years and years and is still there.

“Whenever we meet her, she’s saying, ‘Oh, you know, I’ve just come back from such and such, where I’ve been filming this, and I’m going to Manchester next week,” reports the Express.

“She’s in three or four days, and episodes in between, she’s going off doing all sorts of things, but she’s in great demand, because she’s such an absolute treasure.”

He added, “And Nick is fantastic, and I feel very blessed. I’ve always felt very blessed because when I started, I had Jason Hughes, who was the Sergeant.

“And then when Jason left, I thought ‘Oh, it won’t be the same’, and then Gwilym Lee came along, and it changed him because Barnaby and Jason’s characters were more similar in age, they had a different kind of relationship, and me and Jason had a different kind of relationship, which was hilarious.” Recalling an amusing behind-the-scenes incident, the DCI Barnaby star added, “And we behaved terribly.

“I remember one day we were both so overcome with the hysterics that the director said to us, ‘You can’t carry on until you calm down…alright, both of you out’.

“And he sent us out of the location, and to the car park to calm down, which just made us worse.”

Heaping further praise on his co-stars, the actor continued, “And then Gwilym came along, who was just wonderful and lovely and fantastic.

“And then when he left, I thought, ‘Oh no, I can’t be lucky a third time’. And then Nick came along, and he’s just fantastic. He’s great to work with, and I think we get along pretty well, and it’s so important, because for the five months or so that we’re filming, you meet up at seven o’clock in the morning, and you’re standing next to each other, working with each other until seven o’clock at night.”

Emphasising the significance of their working relationship, he explained, “You know, it’s like 12 hours a day, five days a week for five months. During that period, I’m seeing much more of him than I am of my own family. I think if you’re doing that with somebody you didn’t get on with, that would be really, really hard.”

Midsomer Murders is available to stream on ITVX.

Judd Trump swept to a commanding 10-4 victory over Neil Robertson but expressed concern about his cue tip as he reached the final of the Tour Championship in Manchester.

World number one Trump laid the platform for his success in Friday’s afternoon session which he dominated to establish a 7-1 lead, before finishing the job in the evening.

Trump, who will be making a first appearance in the final of the event, set the tone with breaks of 87, 94 and 113 as he registered 294 unanswered points in the opening three frames.

He will face either world champion Zhao Xintong or Scotland’s John Higgins in Sunday’s final which begins at 13:00 BST.

“I started off well in the first three frames and after that it went a bit downhill so I am pleased to get over the line,” Trump said on 5Action.

“I have been struggling with my tip for the whole tournament. Somehow I have had a good run and Neil struggled a bit and that was the difference.”

Armed with his hefty lead, Trump made sure he carried focus into the evening session.

The Tour Championship launched in 2019 and this is the eighth edition, with Robertson a two-time former winner, so Trump knew he was not to be underestimated.

“In my eyes Neil loves to win 10-0 so I wanted to beat him 10-1 or give myself something to focus on so he didn’t get back in it,” said the 36-year-old Englishman.

“At this point you want to beat everyone with the World Championship just around the corner. Whoever I play in the final it will be an amazing game.”

After Trump built on his brisk start to develop a 6-0 lead, Australia’s Robertson celebrated with the crowd when he won frame seven.

While Robertson reduced his arrears to 7-3 by winning the first two frames when play resumed in the evening, Trump closed the door on any prospect of a full-scale fightback with runs of 87 and 75 to move 9-3 ahead.

He then traded frames with his opponent to set up a mouth-watering finale to the tournament against Zhao or reigning champion Higgins, who begin their semi-final at 13:00 BST on Saturday.

This is the final event for snooker’s elite players before the World Championship begins in Sheffield on 18 April.

Neil Sedaka, the singer and songwriter whose signature hits include “Calendar Girl” and “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” died of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

The condition is caused by the buildup of plaque — meaning fats, cholesterol and other substances — in and on the artery walls, which can lead to events such as heart attacks, strokes and aneurysms. According to the American Heart Assn., atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

The musician’s death certificate, published Wednesday by the New York Post, also listed kidney failure as a contributing factor.

Sedaka died Feb. 27 in Los Angeles at age 86. The songwriter’s family previously told The Times that his death was sudden.

“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Neil Sedaka,” their statement read. “A true rock and roll legend, an inspiration to millions, but most importantly, at least to those of us who were lucky enough to know him, an incredible human being who will be deeply missed.”

Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Sedaka was a Juilliard-trained classical pianist who translated his skill to pop stardom in the 1960s. His popularity as a performer waxed and waned over the years, but he maintained a steady career writing hits for other artists for decades, collaborating with lyricists such as Howard Greenfield.

“Songwriting is a difficult undertaking that gets harder and harder because you have to top your past work,” Sedaka told The Times in 1996. “You have to keep proving yourself. … It’s wonderful to sing ‘Calendar Girl’ and ‘Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,’ but you need more than that. You have to break new ground. As an artist, I have to choose what I feel is good and hope that the public will go along with it.”

Sedaka is survived by his wife Leba; children Dara and Marc; and three grandchildren.