Silent Witness viewers asking same question as show returns for 26th season

Silent Witness is back with its 26th season and while fans are delighted to have Dr Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson back on their screens, they couldn't help but question the whereabouts of one fan favourite character. 

MORE: Silent Witness fans seriously divided over new episode

The latest episode, which aired on Tuesday night, saw the Lyell team continue to get drawn into the criminal underworld of a notorious mafia group, the Ndrangheta, after a man was thrown from a high-rise building in the series premiere.  

WATCH: Are you enjoying series 26 so far? 

Viewers took to Twitter to question what happened to Simone Tyler, played by Genesis Lynea. The forensic ecologist, who was introduced in season 24 and played a major role in the drama's 25th anniversary, was last seen in the final episode of the previous series.  

One fan wrote: "What is going on and what happened to Simone?" while another added: "It is great to have #SilentWitness back, liking the new guys but what happened to Simone?" 

A third viewer commented: "What happened to Simone Tyler?" 

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READ: Exclusive: Emilia Fox opens up about her future on Silent Witness and reveals the very different career path she could have taken 

When we last saw Simone she was grappling with some personal issues after learning that her long-lost sister Aliya, who had blamed her for her mother's death in childbirth, had died in a boating accident while living in Trinidad with her two children. 

© Photo: BBC

Simone left the UK at the end of season 25

After great consideration, Simone decided to leave the UK to look after her niece and nephew. 

So, will Simone ever return? The answer is: we don't know. However, given Genesis' character has simply left the country rather than been killed off, there's certainly room for her to make a comeback in future series. 

While some fans were sad to see Simone missing from the new season, many took to Twitter to praise the opening episodes. 

One person wrote: "The storyline was good this week #SilentWitness. Bring on next week," while another added: "Bravo for kicking off the new series of Silent Witness with a bang. Incredible work from everyone involved."

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