First look at Holly Willoughby in Midsomer Murders preview

The footage was featured on this morning's Good Morning Britain when hosts Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley were joined by Neil Dudgeon, who stars in Midsomer Murders as DCI John Barnaby.

In the clip, we see Willoughby make a brief appearance in the upcoming episode. When DCI John Barnaby and DS Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) enter the gothic Eddon Hall, they spy Willoughby on the stage.

It looks as though a live recording for the Healing Matters podcast has either gotten underway or is set to take place, with Willoughby busy chatting to people attending the annual Psychic Fayre.

When the detective duo enter the room, Winter remarks, "Is that the queen of daytime?" to which Barnaby jokes and says, "Gloria Hunniford? Are you sure?"

You can watch the clip below.

Although it's just a glimpse of Willoughby's inclusion in the episode, entitled The Witches of Angel’s Rise, her appearance has been a long time coming, with news of Willoughby's casting announced back in 2021.

At the time, Willoughby stated that she was a long-running fan of the show, and she has had previous experience appearing in another popular murder mystery series: Miss Marple.

Dudgeon, who appeared on GMB when the clip was played, said of Willoughby's inclusion: "Well, she’s sort of a friend of the show, I suppose – she’s a great fan of the show and we’re always looking to broaden our casting net."

He added: "She was great, she was thoroughly professional. I think she was a bit nervous when she first arrived. She’s playing a character called Holly Willoughby, I wouldn’t like to say that it’s herself."

Dudgeon also revealed that, because of the production schedule of Midsomer Murders, Willoughby's appearance was actually filmed more than two years ago.

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The new episode is set to centre on the annual Psychic Fayre event, which attracts all kinds of people to the Midsomer village of Angel's Rise and was founded by the Saint-Stephens family.

But this year looks set to be a different kind of affair, making for the kind of mysterious episode fans know and love.

According to the synopsis: "This year, the equilibrium of the spirit world is knocked off balance when strange happenings occur around Angel’s Rise.

"Jeanie unquestionably blames the local empaths. Highly intuitive, these forces of nature are self-proclaimed witches who are said to conduct their rituals deep in the nearby Hades Caves.

"This legendary network of man-made caves was excavated in the 18th century to hide a secret society, and today they do the same."

Midsomer Murders airs on Sunday 27th August at 8pm on ITV1. If you're looking for something else to watch, visit our TV Guide or take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage.

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