Silent

Silent Witness star unrecognisable in first role in iconic BBC period drama

The star is a mainstay on British screens now but was just at the start of the their career in the costume drama

One of the stars of Silent Witness looks worlds away from their role on the BBC crime drama in these images from their first big screen role.

The star was just starting out at the time they landed a part in BBC’s iconic 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Emilia Clarke took on the role of Mr Darcy’s younger sibling Georgiana Darcy in Jane Austen’s cherished romantic classic.

The role saw her character Georgiana making friends with Ehle’s witty Elizabeth Bennet, who was the object of her brother’s affections. The role was just the beginning of an impressive career that saw Fox going on to feature in the BBC’s 1999 Charles Dickens adaptation of David Copperfield, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), and Oscar-winning film The Pianist with Adrien Brody.

The BBC’s 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice is still considered by many to be the most faithful screen adaptation of the literary classic. However, Netflix will be hoping to steal this crown when it launches its version of Pride and Prejudice starring Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden.

Fox spoke last year on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast about starring in Pride and Prejudice. She explained how she had “tiny, weeny, weeny part in it” in the Regency series.

She went on to admit that she’d never actually seen Pride and Prejudice, despite starring in the series because she was at university at the time, studying at St Catherine’s College, Oxford.

Nonetheless, Fox said she still had plans to watch Pride and Prejudice at some point. She praised the cast of the drama, which also includes David Bamber, House of Cards actress Susannah Harker, Gavin and Stacey star Alison Steadman and Jonathan Creek’s Julia Sawalha.

Fox hails from an acting dynasty, with her brother being White House Farm and House of the Dragon star Freddie Fox. Meanwhile, her actor parents are Joanna David and Edward Fox.

Her uncle is The Remains of the Day actor James Fox and her cousins are Lewis star Laurence Fox, Sanditon’s Jack Fox, and Lydia Fox. The star has been portraying forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander in BBC series Silent Witness since 2004 after taking over as the show’s lead from Amanda Burton.

Despite being busy on Silent Witness, Fox has managed to squeeze in other projects, such as Legend Has It, Signora Volpe, The Trial of Christine Keeler, and Delicious. She is next going to be featuring in the forthcoming season of Silent Witness, which will be out in 2027.

Pride and Prejudice is streaming on U and BBC iPlayer now

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Kim Jong Un focuses on economy, silent on Trump overtures

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, seen here in June, presided over a key party meeting focused on economic development, state media reported Wednesday. The report did not mention recent diplomatic outreach by U.S. President Donald Trump, File Photo by KCNA/EPA

SEOUL, Aug. 26 (UPI) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over a key party meeting focused on economic development, state-run media reported Wednesday, but made no mention of renewed diplomatic outreach by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kim led an enlarged meeting of the political bureau of the ruling Workers’ Party Central Committee on Tuesday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. The meeting reviewed progress in the country’s “major economic sectors” and discussed implementation of policy goals for 2026, KCNA said.

Officials cited unspecified “unfavorable conditions and difficulties arising alongside ever-changing circumstances” and shortcomings in implementing economic plans laid out at February’s Ninth Party Congress.

Kim blamed the problems on the “immature operation and leadership of the economic guidance organs” and called on officials to “successfully conclude this year’s struggle without fail,” according to KCNA.

The party meeting comes as Trump has stepped up overtures to Kim, whom he said he expects to meet this year.

Trump last week abruptly ordered the United States and South Korea to curtail their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise, citing its cost and saying the drills sent an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to Pyongyang.

Kim did not mention Trump or the military exercise in his remarks reported by KCNA. His sister, Kim Yo Jong, said last week that Pyongyang had “no interest” in the reduction of the drills.

“If the U.S. calculates that it can propagate its recent measure as the one of so-called good faith, they will not get desired answer,” she said.

The apparent lack of urgency from Pyongyang coincides with an improving economic picture after years of contraction and pandemic-era isolation.

North Korea’s economy grew by an estimated 3.5% in 2025, according to South Korea’s Bank of Korea, marking its third consecutive year of growth above 3%. The central bank cited expanded economic cooperation with Russia, increased trade with China and domestic policy projects as key factors, and said the North’s real GDP has surpassed its 2017 level, when United Nations sanctions were tightened.

The economic situation contrasts with Trump’s first term, when North Korea was under mounting international sanctions pressure while Trump pursued direct diplomacy with Kim. The two leaders held summits in Singapore and Hanoi and had a brief meeting at the Demilitarized Zone, but no nuclear deal was reached.

At February’s Ninth Party Congress, Kim hailed the previous five-year economic plan as a success and said the next would focus on stabilizing and consolidating the economy while pursuing “gradual and qualitative development” of industry and agriculture. He also called improving the economy and raising living standards “heavy and urgent historic tasks.”

Analysts have questioned whether Pyongyang has much incentive to return to negotiations on Washington’s terms. North Korea is less economically isolated than during Trump’s first term, and Kim has repeatedly declared the country’s growing nuclear arsenal off-limits to negotiations.

Bruce Klingner, senior fellow at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, said Tuesday the chance of a meeting appeared “slim to none.”

“North Korea right now feels [it is] in the strongest position it’s been for quite some time,” Klingner said at a forum hosted by the Korea Economic Institute of America in Washington, pointing to Pyongyang’s economic ties with Russia and China as well as revenue from cryptocurrency theft.

“It’s getting about a billion dollars a year from cryptocurrency crime, so it doesn’t need the U.S. and sanctions relief as it did several years ago,” Klingner said. “So I think they’re just going to sit back … [saying] ‘we don’t close the door on engagement, but you need to offer more.'”

Trump on Tuesday reposted his directive to cut back the U.S.-South Korea joint drills, again highlighting his “very good relationship” with Kim. He also posted several photos of himself with the North Korean leader from their meetings in Singapore and at the DMZ.

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