Neil Dudgeon is back on our screens in a brand new series of ITV's beloved detective drama, Midsomer Murders, which sees DCI John Barnaby and DS Jamie Winter take on more puzzling crimes in the idyllic Midsomer county.
The Doncaster-born actor has starred as the lead detective since taking over from John Nettles in 2011 and has since become a household name. But while Neil is a familiar face across the nation, how much do you know about his life away from the cameras? Find out all about his wife and children here…
Neil's wife Mary Peate and two children
When he's not busy solving murders in the fictional Midsomer, Neil lives in west London with his wife Mary, a BBC radio producer who has directed several adaptations of Agatha Christie novels.
The couple met through work when Neil was cast in a play that Mary was directing. "We were doing a play, she was directing, I was in it. One thing led to another as it does, and 20-odd years later we're still here," he told The Mirror in 2019.
Reminiscing about his wedding day, the actor continued: "We got married about 12 years ago. We're both very emotional and were in bits at our wedding. We both said our vows through a veil of tears."
While Mary tends to stay out of the spotlight, she did join Neil in appearing on an episode of All Star Mr & Mrs back in 2012. When asked to compare her husband to fictional detectives Miss Marple, Poirot or Columbo, Mary gave a sweet response: "None of them are very lovely are they, not nearly lovely enough for you darling."
Neil and Mary share two children, Greta and Joe, who the actor says are "much more arty" than he was when he was young.
"I think they're exposed to more stuff now, there's so much about to do with music, art and performing," said Neil. "I was useless – I got booted out of the choir, I was told I couldn't sing, they told me to stand there and mime! I played the violin and broke the string and I couldn’t really draw."
Neil's home life in London
The family live in a "small" house with a "tiny" garden, according to Neil, who revealed his home doesn't quite compare to those he films in for Midsomer Murders.
"I have a small house in London with a tiny, tiny garden!" he told RadioTimes.com in 2018. "When we visit the lovely big houses in Midsomer, I mooch around very jealously, thinking, 'Ooh, how much would this be?'"
Sharing an insight into family life during the coronavirus lockdown, Neil revealed that his attempts at homeschooling didn't go to plan. "I absolutely don't understand anything they're doing," he told RadioTimes.com in 2021. "So I'd get up and get tea and breakfast, they'd start their schooling and I'd go back to bed for an hour and have a read. Start the day with a bit of intellectual stimulation."
One of Neil's brood clearly takes after him and studied drama at school. "Well, one of them is doing drama and when they mention something and I go, 'Ah, of course, I know that writer,' or 'I was in that,' and they go, 'Yeah, whatever,'" said Neil. "So I can't even help with the drama. I just supply food. I'm just a catering service. I'm not sure how much education I can offer," he joked.