"That's the big thing with working with your partner, isn't it? And especially in what they do," he explained. "And the fact that this is a drama and of course the peril is raised, the stakes are raised through the roof, so one of them will find themselves in a life or death situation on a weekly basis.

"So no, I don't think you can ever really settle with that. I think you can get possibly better at dealing with it, but I don't think it's ever really sort of settled."

But that's no longer a roadblock in their relationship, with Emilia Fox noting that Nikki and Jack are "closer than ever".

She explained: "Don't you think that the closer that they are and the stronger that they are together, the more vulnerable they become?

"When you love someone that's when it can really really hurt. If you don't care about someone or you're not bothered by it then it doesn't hurt so much, but now they're closer than ever so out of that great love comes great vulnerability too."

And as ever, the main cast are joined by a raft of new guest stars in season 27, some of whom are veterans of the screen, while others you may not recognise.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Silent Witness season 27.

Silent Witness season 27 cast

The main cast of Silent Witness is as follows.

• Emilia Fox plays Dr Nikki Alexander
• David Caves plays Jack Hodgson
• Alastair Michael plays Velvy Schur
• Aki Omoshaybi plays Gabriel Folukoya
• Rhiannon May plays Cara Connelly

For more about the major players in Silent Witness season 27, read on...

Emilia Fox plays Dr Nikki Alexander

Who is Dr Nikki Alexander? Brought up in South Africa, Nikki chose to stay in England following her parents' death and joined the Lyell team all the way back in 2004. Curious and open-minded, she can be impetuous, but always rises to the challenge when she's up against it. Since first joining the team, Nikki has grown into a skilled and confident pathologist – and she has dealt with a lot of extremely challenging situations, including saving Jack's life in season 16.

After sharing a kiss with Jack at the end of season 24 and their relationship growing in season 25, the pair are now a fully-fledged couple,

What else has Emilia Fox been in? Fox first rose to prominence following her turn in Roman Polanski's 2002 film The Pianist and went on to land a number of big-screen roles including The Soul Keeper, 3 Blind Mice and The Republic of Love. Small-screen credits in addition to her long-running Silent Witness stint include roles on Merlin, Delicious and The Trial of Christine Keeler.

David Caves plays Jack Hodgson

Who is Jack Hodgson? Straight-talking and quick-witted, Jack is the Lyell Centre's talented and head-strong lead forensic scientist. Guided by his instincts, he relishes a challenge and is confident in his own ability. He possesses the humility to admit his mistakes, but isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers when necessary.

In an interview with the BBC, Hodgson revealed that Nikki and Jack are "in a good place", saying: "We always wanted it to be a positive relationship and not become a bickering, conflict-ridden thing."

What else has David Caves been in? Although best known for his role as Jack – who he has played since 2013 – Caves has also appeared in the film Jackie, and has a number of theatre credits to his name, including a critically-acclaimed turn as Petruchio for the Royal Shakespeare Company's The Taming of the Shrew in 2011.

Alastair Michael plays Velvy Schur

Who is Velvy Schur? Schur is the Lyell's new APT (anatomical pathology technologist) trainee, who comes recommended by Clarissa Mullery. He's recently left his Orthodox Jewish community and he's set to go through his fair share of journeys in this new season.

Speaking about the role, Michael said in an interview with the BBC: "He's on a personal journey towards finding a place for himself in a new secular world and figuring out who he is and who his new friends are. He is also trying to figure out how he can still be connected to where he's come from. I think his journey is a lot about trying to balance those exciting new elements with the things that make him who he is."

What else has Alastair Michael been in? Michael is best known for his roles in Ridley Road and Snatch.

Aki Omoshaybi plays Gabriel Folukoya

Who is Gabriel Folukoya? An academic, neurologist and pathologist who has spent much of his career in innovative research, primarily in the field of data analysis.

Speaking about the role, Omoshaybi said: "We find Gabriel at a juncture in his life, realising that it's possible to marry those two sides. He has to understand he's dealing with humans, and not just computer screens. His new colleagues have to coax him out of his comfort zone. And during the series, he learns how to compromise a bit."

What else has Aki Omoshaybi been in? The actor has starred in The Pursuit of Love, Queens of Mystery and REAL.

Rhiannon May plays Cara Connelly

Who is Cara Connelly? Cara is Jack's niece who returned in season 26 as a more regular character. She arrived unexpectedly from Belfast to announce she's studying criminology at university.

Speaking about her bigger role, May said: "It's exciting that the BBC and Silent Witness want to show a wonderful deaf character. They want to show her in lots of different lights and take the opportunity to show a lot of different kinds of ways of communicating."

What else has Rhiannon May been in? May has previously starred in Silent Witness and has also appeared in The Riley Sisters.

Silent Witness season 27 guest stars

Episodes 1 and 2 - Effective Range

• John Hannah (Agents of SHIELD, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Mummy) plays Dr Charles Beck – a forensic pathologist who worked on the original Dunn case. Beck claims Dunn killed his wife.
• Leo Staar (Maigret, Call the Midwife) plays Calvin Dunn – a serial killer.
• Josette Simon (Milk and Honey, After the Fall) plays DCI Ford – a detective who worked on the original Dunn investigation.
• Anders Hayward (Vigil) plays Lee Dunn – Calvin's son.
• Casper Knopf (Our House) plays young Lee Dunn.
• Emily John (The Winter King) plays Mia Dunn – Calvin's daughter.
• Laura White (Doctors) plays Aysha Marsh – Lee's partner.

Episodes 3 and 4 - Grievance

• John Thomson (Cold Feet) plays DI Warren Bull.
• Richard Keep (Casualty) plays Harrison Cairney – the victim of a murder.
• Diveen Henry (Manhunt) plays Elaine - Harrison's wife.
• Kevin McNally (TURN: Washington's Spies) plays Peter Cherry – a controversial professor who rages against the "woke" mob.
• Ashley Margolis (Hollyoaks) plays Haidar Alam and Isobel Wood plays Celeste. Locke – two students who are great admirers of Peter Cherry.
• Maeve Courtier-Lilley (The Outpost) plays Vanessa – a student who befriends Cara.
• Kaye Wragg (Holby City) plays Valerie Fullerton – the second victim.
• Emily Piggford (Strays) plays Elizabeth Newport – a professor.

Episodes 5 and 6 - Invisible

• Nadine Marshall (Champion) plays DI Torres.
• Paula Kay plays Paula Jackson - she's believed to be dead after a heavily decomposed body is found in her flat.
• Sharlene Whyte (Stephen) playsNatasha Jackson - Paula's sister.
• Jude Cudjoe (Hijack) plays Leo Jackson - Natasha's son. He was the one who reported Paula missing.
• Lace Akpojaro (Cursed) plays Roy Lock - Paula's boyfriend. He's a drug dealer.
• Yildiz Hussein (Casualty) plays Meryam Parlak - she works at a beauty clinic.
• Michele Winstanley (The Bill) plays Barbara Apstead - Cara's access to work interpreter.
• Iain Fletcher (The Bill) plays Martin Plier - he owns the flat where the body was found.
• Aaron Stephenson (Revolting) plays Martin Barker - Paula's friend.
• Chloe Tannenbaum plays Rivka Schur - Velvy's wife.

Episodes 7 and 8 - Death by a Thousand Hits

• Julie Graham (Time) plays Elinor Shaw - she works in the Home Office's immigration department.
• Arkar Hayne plays Htin Lwin - a Burmese man who's found dead on a beach in the UK.
• Molly Harris (Domino Day) plays May Lwin - Htin Lwin's wife.
• Sean Pertwee (You) plays DI John Flynn.
• Tessa Wong (The Capture) plays DC Alice Kirk.
• Cavan Clerkin (The Capture) plays Ian Fish - a journalist working on a big story.
• Zoe Boyle (Frontier) plays Sara Sanderson - global strategy head at Kaskade.
• Rocky Marshall (Holby City) plays Mark Foster - head of security at Kaskade.
• William Nadylam (Parlement) plays Dr Emmanuel Moussa.

Episodes 9 and 10 - King's Cross

• Hermione Norris (Cold Feet) plays CS Sheila Court.
• Neil Pearson (Waterloo Road) plays DI Steve Tudor.
• Jude Akuwudike (The Crown) plays Malcolm Jonwa - former station co-ordinator at King's Cross and director of the station museum.
• Rupert Holliday-Evans (EastEnders) plays Russell Drake - he used to be a police officer.
• Steve Nicholson (EastEnders) plays Keith Pryor - he used to be a police officer and he has a history with Russell. Keith also served in the army.
• Sharon Rose plays DC Chloe Abbott.
• Monica Miles (The Wall of Lyon) plays Anna Gorska - she's related to one of the deceased found under King's Cross.
• Hayley Carmichael (Kiss Me First) plays Joanne Perry - her husband is linked to the bodies found under King's Cross.
• Ellen Thomas (EastEnders) plays Esther Daniels - a nurse whose son went missing in 2009.
• Neil Hobbs plays Mike Jarvis - a construction manger.
• Melanie Kilburn (Coronation Street) plays DI Mel Granger.
• George Watkins (The Lost Pirate Kingdom) plays Carl Streeting - he's connected to Keith.
• Sally Rogers (The Bill) plays Mary Streeting - Carl's mother.
• Anne Lacey (Hamish Macbeth) plays Gillian Kerr - her twin brother disappeared many years ago.
• Michele Winstanley (The Bill) plays Barbara Apstead - Cara's access to work interpreter.

Silent Witness airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC One. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our Drama hub for all the latest news and features.

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