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Douglas Henshall has said he will not be making a comeback to Shetland and is unlikely to watch the BBC drama’s future episodes.
The Glasgow-born actor, 56, starred as DI Jimmy Perez in the murder mystery, adapted from the award-winning novels by crime writer Ann Cleeves.
But he retired from the role of the detective, who had moved to a remote island in the hopes of a quieter life but instead was inundated with grisly investigations, after nearly a decade.
Douglas appeared on Friday’s This Morning where he reflected on the blockbuster crime series with hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary, who is a mega fan.
The performer explained he’d decided to quit the show because the ‘storylines had reached a natural conclusion and it felt time to tie it up’, joking that there were only so many failed relationships a character can have.
Douglas also explained the team had decided to let Perez live and lead a nice life as after all he’d been through it ‘seemed a bit harsh’ to kill him off.
Asked by Alison, who appeared in the Sainsbury’s Christmas advert, if he’d ever considered making a comeback to the long-running series, Douglas firmly said: ‘No, I’m done.’
Douglas played Perez for nearly a decade (Picture: BBC)
Explaining that he’d ‘loved’ being part of the show, the Primeval star added that he ‘didn’t know’ if he’d be able to watch future Shetland episodes, as it carries on without him.
After announcing his departure, Douglas’ co-star Alison O’Donnell, who plays Detective Sergeant Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh, shared her heartbreak over the decision.
Perez was a huge hit with viewers (Picture: PA)
She said: ‘I’m trying to be grateful for everything we experienced together rather than focusing on the obvious sadness.
‘I’m also incredibly proud of what we achieved together, and I know he is too.’
Fans were also devastated after tuning into Douglas’ final ep, with one writing: ‘Just watched the last ep of #Shetland Magnificent. I am in bits.’
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A Twitter account added: ‘Cheers #Perez. God I am in tears tonight after watching #Shetland! @djhenshall you have been terrific as #Perez, feel like I’ve lost a friend.’
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.
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Douglas said he was ‘done’ with the drama.
