Joe has well and truly swapped London life for the countryside (Picture: REX / ITV)
Doc Martin star Joe Absolom is refusing to move from away from Cornwall despite the ITV show drawing to a close.
The final episode of the Martin Clunes drama is airing on Wednesday, having been a firm fan favourite since it started 18 years ago.
The long-running programme tells the story of a successful vascular surgeon (Martin) at Imperial College London, who very inconveniently develops haemophobia – a fear of blood.
This forced him to stop practising surgery, and instead, he swaps city life for the sleepy Cornish village of Portwenn, where he takes up a GP position.
Joe, who first rose to fame in Eastenders, plays Al Large in the drama which first came to our screens in 2004.
In season 9, Al, who is the son of plumber Bert Large (Ian McNeice) marries medical receptionist Morwenna Newcross (Jessica Ransom), who is walked down the aisle by Doc.
Before joining the long-running show, Joe upped sticks with his family and three children, swapping hectic London for Cornwall, where Doc Martin is set, and now has not intention of leaving.
Joe plays Al, a plumber turned restauranteur in Doc Martin (Picture: ITV)
Speaking to The Mirror, Joe explained he had been admiring the tide on a day off from filming with child Lyla, now 16, before conversation took a different turn in the capital.
He continued: ‘We drove back to London the next day and unfortunately a teenager had just been murdered outside our local supermarket.
Doc Martin first started in 2004 (Picture Getty Images)
‘There were lots of floral tributes and my daughter said, “what does RIP mean?” Within hours we’d gone from talking about where the tide goes to what RIP means.’
He continued: ‘I began to think that maybe there was more to life than city life.’
The cast and crew were recently spotted filming the final episode (Credits: SWNS)
The final straw happened in 2013 when Joe’s South London home was burgled by teenagers while he was away filming and his wife and two of his children were in the property.
He said: ‘I’m not saying London is awful and that there’s no crime in Cornwall, but the idea of going to the beach and jumping in the sea whenever I want, or going for a run along the coast path, really appealed.
‘My children’s lives are in Cornwall now,’ Joe added.
Previously confirming the show’s ending, its producer, Philippa Braithwaite, who is also Martin’s wife, said: ‘When we launched the series in 2004 we could never have imagined how much our loyal viewers would take to the grumpy Doc like they have.
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‘The series has avid fans both in the UK and throughout the world and we are thrilled that Doc Martin has topped the ratings every time.’
Doc Martin is available to stream on ITV Hub.
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Joe is staying put.