Shetland returns to BBC One on Wednesday night with its highly-anticipated eighth season. While fans have been eagerly awaiting the popular drama's return, there is one star who won't be back on our screens.
Douglas Henshall starred as DI Jimmy Perez in the show for seven seasons until stepping down from the role late last year. The Scottish actor has since been replaced by Ashley Jensen, who will make her debut as the new lead detective in the series eight premiere.
But why did Douglas leave the show? Here's everything he's said about his departure.
Why did Douglas Henshall leave Shetland?
Douglas announced his exit from the show back in July 2022, saying it had been "one of the privileges of my career" to play Jimmy Perez for almost ten years.
Ahead of season seven's release, the actor opened up about his decision to leave and told the BBC that he felt it was time to wrap up Jimmy's story and "go out on a high".
© ITV/Shutterstock"I decided to leave a few years ago because I felt that Perez's story was coming to a natural end - it was time to find a resolution to Perez's private life," said the 57-year-old. "I never wanted to ruin the things that were unique to him and our series so it felt like the right time to wrap up his story in a way that would be satisfactory to everybody.
"I am aware we're not changing the world in any way, shape or form but as far as crime shows go, Shetland does really well in that genre. We tell stories that are very good, the characters are great and I wanted to go out on a high."
© ITV/ShutterstockSpeaking about how it felt to wrap his final scenes, Douglas said that it was a little underwhelming. "My last scenes were filmed in a car park in Kilmacolm which was very odd," he said, adding: "We'd tried to wrap three times but, because of covid, it kept being put back. So it felt a little anti-climactic in the end.
"I did say a few words of thanks to everyone who was there but it's impossible to encapsulate ten years of work. Shetland has meant a lot to me and it's going to take some time to sink in that I've left the show."
What has Douglas Henshall said since leaving Shetland?
Since leaving the show, Douglas has landed various parts in other dramas, including Netflix's thriller, Who Is Erin Carter?, and the BBC's upcoming Agatha Christie adaptation, Murder Is Easy.
© NetflixIn a recent interview, the Glasgow native opened up about the lack of roles for men of his age. "It's very difficult to make conscious decisions about what you're going to do when you're a 57-year-old white man," he told RadioTimes.com. "There aren't so many roles around for me any more."
© Photo: BBCThe TV star continued: "I think that's just a fact of getting older. People are looking for younger actors these days. There's a degree of, 'I've been offered that, I'm grateful for the job, I'll go and do it.'"
MORE: Meet Shetland star Douglas Henshall's famous wife
Will Douglas Henshall return to Shetland?
Douglas has made it clear that he won't be reprising his role as Jimmy Perez anytime soon.
During an interview on ITV's This Morning in November last year, Alison Hammond asked the actor if he would ever go back to the show.
"No," he responded. "I'm done."
© BBCShetland returns to BBC One on Wednesday 1 November at 9pm.
