Silent Witness series 28: Final episode guest stars famous soap actors Joe Absolom and Amy Nuttall
By Helen Fear | Mon Feb 03 2025Silent Witness series 28 comes to an end with its final episodes tonight and arguably the best guest cast of the entire season.
And that's saying something after the likes of Sean Pertwee, Tamzin Outhwaite, and Sunetra Sarker in the past few weeks...
The two-hander, entitled I Believe in Love Part One and Two, is a fitting happy ending to what has been a pretty stressful series. Just watch last week's episodes for proof!
In episodes 9 and 10, six people are killed when gunfire erupts from a Syrian pizza restaurant. Nikki and Jack work against the clock to find the shooter before he kills again....
A suspect is quickly identified from CCTV footage, but he is soon found having apparently killed himself using the same unusual bullets fired in the shooting.
So who guest stars in the cast of Silent Witness' final episodes? Here's everything you need to know, including who plays who, and where you've seen them before...
Silent Witness cast: Joe Absolom stars as Calvin Ream
London-born actor Joe Absolom, 46, joins the cast of Silent Witness series 28 as menacing Calvin Ream.
But, of course, Doc Martin fans will know Joe best for playing Bert's son Al Large in the ITV comedy drama. It's a role he portrayed in all 10 series - from 2004 until 2022 - when the show came to an end.
Before that, Joe was famous for appearing in BBC soap EastEnders as Matthew Rose. His three-year stint, from 1997 to 2000, saw him involved in some major storylines. Perhaps the biggest of these was the murder of Saskia Duncan, for which Matthew was framed by the real culprit Steve Owen.
He eventually got his revenge on Steve, and left Walford - despite being on the soap's most popular characters at the time.
Joe has actually been on our screens since 1990, when he starred as Daniel Nash in Screenplay. He was 12 at the time.
He went on to portray Fergus Markham in period drama The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Craig Jones in Touching Evil opposite Grantchester's Robson Green, and George Cosmo in Servants.
Big Silent Witness fans may remember that Joe has actually appeared in the forensic drama before, playing a different character. In 1997, he played Kelvin Price in the two-hander Friends Like These.
Other notable roles include Drew Pritchard in P.O.W., PI Robert in Vincent alongside Frauds actress Suranne Jones, and Bob Baxter in Personal Affairs.
In 2019, he portrayed Christopher Halliwell in the detective drama A Confession, which also starred Martin Freeman and Siobhan Finneran.
More recently, he portrayed the rather unpleasant Andy Warren in The Bay series 2. He's been in multiple films, too, including I Spit on Your Grave 2, Thorne: Scaredycat, The Story of F***, and Dream.
Karl Collins plays DI Ivor Strong
Nottingham-born actor Karl Collins, 54, guest stars as Detective Inspector Ivor Strong in the cast of Silent Witness series 28 episodes 9 and 10.
Karl is a popular TV actor, who's been on our screens for more than 40 years. His very first TV appearance was in 1983, when he portrayed Billy in the children's plays Dramarama.
He soon appeared in the comedy sketch show Your Mother Wouldn't Like It, also aimed at children. He played numerous roles in the show between 1985 and 1988.
Between 1993 and 1994, he starred as Dr Kovan in family sci-fi Parallel 9, but it was his role in The Bill a few years later that really made him a household name. In 1999, Karl joined police drama The Bill as DC Danny Glaze, a role he went on to play until 2003.
After leaving The Bill, Karl starred as Trevor Baptiste in Grease Monkeys, Floyd Staple in A Thing Called Love, and Adam Cole in 55 Degrees North alongside Death in Paradise's Don Gilet.
Like co-star Joe Absolom, Karl has also been in Silent Witness before. He played Jerome Assante in the 2008 two-hander Safe. A year later, he popped up in Doctor Who as Shaun Temple - a role he has subsequently returned to - and then Higgy in The Fades.
Soap fans may know him best as Louis Loveday in Hollyoaks, a role he portrayed from 2015 to 2019. More recently, Karl has played Jack Whiteley/White in Magpie Murders, Lennox in Champion, Fixer in Culprits, DCI Thomas Coombes in Shetland, Colin Westfield in The Responder, Noah in Trying, and Teddy in Spent.
He's also been in multiple films, including Locked In opposite Rivals' Alex Hassell, The Flash, and Attack the Block.
Amy Nuttall stars as Peggy
Former soap star Amy Nuttall plays Peggy in the cast of the Silent Witness series 28 finale.
Lancashire-born Amy, 42, is probably most famous for playing Chloe Atkinson in Emmerdale, a role she played from 2000 to 2005.
After leaving the ITV soap, she starred as Melanie Hughes in Hotel Babylon, before winning the role of Ethel Parks in popular period drama Downton Abbey.
In 2020, she portrayed Winnie Peterson in ITV thriller Liar and, more recently, Lisa Castleton in the brilliant drama Mr Bates vs. The Post Office.
Other notable roles include Caitlin Standing in New Tricks, Phyllis Dalby in All Creatures Great & Small, Sylvia Bassington-ffrench in Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, and Grace Strachan in Chemistry of Death.
Last year, in 2024, she appeared in the Tim Burton film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as Jane Butterfield. We hope a role in a film as big as that overshadows the torment in her personal life... Amy Nuttall and her actor husband Andrew Buchan split up before Christmas in 2021 after his reportedly affair with Better co-star Leila Farzad.
Who else is in the cast of Silent Witness series 28 episodes 9 and 10?
Meanwhile, Robert Lonsdale stars as Alex. Robert is probably best known for playing Tommy in The Interceptor, Connor in Chewing Gum, Clayton Pearson in Holby City, Rick in Chivalry, and Neil Pascoe in Dalgliesh.
He also played Ollie in Finding Alice, alongside Miss Austen star Keeley Hawes.
Welsh actor Matthew Aubrey stars as Bobby. He's known for his roles in Privates, The Indian Doctor, The Passing Bells, Deep Water, and Brave New World.
More recently, he played Phil Blunt in Steeltown Murders, DC Flynn in Until I Kill You, Mel Owen in Cleddau, and Jamie in Ar y Ffin.
Adeyinka Akinrinade portrays DS Leslie Davies. She's best known for playing Alesha Richards in Riches, and Chantelle in Champion.
Joe Frost guests as Doug. Soap fans will know him as Leo Thompkins in Coronation Street, a role he played from 2021 to 2023. He also starred as Henry in Boiling Point.
Emma Davies is Dr Hannah Burns. She's famous for playing Anna De Souza in ITV soap Emmerdale between 2008 and 2009. She also starred as Juliette Bannerman in Kay Mellor soap Families.
Silent Witness series 28 episodes 9 and 10 - I Believe in Love - full cast list:
Emilia Fox returns as Dr Nikki Alexander.
David Caves portrays Jack Hodgson.
Maggie Steed is Harriet.
Francesca Mills plays Kit.
Karl Collins guest stars as DI Ivor Strong.
Joe Absolom plays Calvin Ream.
Amy Nuttall plays Peggy.
Robert Lonsdale is Alex.
Matthew Aubrey stars as Bobby.
Adeyinka Akinrinade portrays DS Leslie Davies.
Joe Frost guests as Doug.
Emma Davies is Dr Hannah Burns.
Seosaimhin Hennelly plays Dawn. She played Young Emma in 2024 ITVX thriller Insomnia.
Beatrice White - Scarlett in The Archers - is Melissa.
Scarlett Courtney plays Police Sergeant Kate Fry. In 2021, she played Pupil Midwife Janice Cowan in Call the Midwife.
Stephen Uppal portrays Akram Rahul. He portrayed Ravi Roy in Hollyoaks from 2008 to 2010.
Newcomer Darcy Wallace plays a thief.
Penny Morris stars as the young teacher.
Nick Harris - aka Graham in Brassic - plays John Doe.
Toni Midlane stars as Jane Doe. She starred as Liz Burton in two episodes of Line of Duty.
Hijack's Samson Cox-Vinell is a young man.
Jenna Boyd is Helen. She's known for playing Paige Hardaway in Atypical.
