Midsomer Murders star’s ‘replacement’ tipped as Happy Valley icon – as they pop up in rival crime drama
THE replacement of one of the stars of Midsomer Murders has been tipped to be a Happy Valley icon.
Actress Annette Badland, 74, has played the role of Dr Fleur Perkins for five years from 2019.
The star won legions of fans for her role as Aunt Babe in EastEnders where she starred alongside the likes of Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright.
However, speculation has risen regarding a potential exit from the long-running ITV drama.
Despite the fact that there are no current plans for her departure from the series, bookies have been busy.
If the time comes where he shoes would need to be filled, the likes of Happy Valley‘s Sarah Lancashire is the current favourite to do so.
According to Betway, her odds currently stand at 3/1 to take up the investigative mantle.
Multiple stars of The Crown are also in the mix, as Imelda Staunton stands at 7/2 whilst Lesley Manville has odds of 8/1.
Former Downton Abbey star Penelope Wilton could also be considered, as her odds stand at 12/1.
The likes of Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones and former Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes are also reportedly in the running with odds at 14/1 and 20/1 respectively.
Many fans have taken to social media to express their concerns about her possible departure from the show.
On a Midsomer Murders fan page on Facebook, one viewer anxiously wrote: “Has Annette Badland left Midsomer? Please let me know.”
Many fans echoed the comment with their own worries as another said: “I hope not; she is brilliant.”
According to Leeds Live, other comments included “I hope not I love her,” and “Hope not she is great.”
The show is currently in its 22nd series as more forthcoming episodes have been filmed.
Over the years, Annette has become a mainstay of the long-running series as she played the motorcycle-enthusiast chief pathologist.
EastEnders stars who QUIT
MICHELLE Collins has seen her second EastEnders stint boost her bank balance. Yet what stars have quit this year?
The Sun exclusively reported how Michelle, 62, was down to £20,000 in her company accounts when she agreed to a shock back-from-the-dead return to Albert Square last year.
Her character, Cindy Beale, was presumed dead off-camera in 1998.
Yet what about the 2024 exits?
Earlier this summer, loyal soap fans appeared to note how Stevie Mitchell had “quit” the long-running series.
It came after Alan Ford enjoyed just six-months on-screen.
Bobby Beale actor Clay Milner Russell also left this year after five years in Walford.
Fans also feared Martin Fowler actor James Bye would “quit out of boredom” over recent storylines.
Additionally, a host of stars have quit the BBC soap for Hollywood fame.
One of the most successful stars to come from the BBC One soap is Rob Kazinsky.
He played Stacey Slater’s brother Sean Slater from 2006 to 2009, he has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pacific Rim and Captain Marvel.
Ben Hardy, who quit EastEnders as Bobby Beale almost a decade ago, went on to break Hollywood the following year, when he starred as Archangel in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Since then, he has played Roger Taylor in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, and he starred in Michael Bay’s Netflix movie 6 Underground.
Michelle Ryan played Zoe Slater until 2005.
She starred as the lead in short-lived American series Bionic Woman from 2007 to 2008.
In a previous interview, the actress gushed about her role in the show, and addressed her potential replacement.
She told The Express: “It’s brilliant to play an older woman who’s got a very interesting private life and who is very good at her job and can send the blokes up and intrigue them and things.
“It’s terrific, you know, and there should be more – and they exist in real life – characters like that, really.
She added: “When the producer asked me to do it, they said that one time the person playing the pathologist had been ill, and they didn’t know how to get around it when they were filming.
“Then they said, ‘Oh, I know, we’ll have them send a fax with the details, and Barnaby can read it out.’
“And he said, ‘I wanted a new character who could not be replaced by a fax machine.’ So Fleur certainly can’t be replaced by a fax machine!”
Midsomer Murders is available to watch on ITV1 and stream on ITVX.