The Cast Of The Bill: Where Are They Now? - Pens & Patron (2023)

It seemed like the relationships between the many characters on crime drama The Billwere more captivating than the actual criminals they were clamping down on. This begs the question: where are your favorite characters from Sun Hill police station now?

Claire Goose – Rachel Weston

She may not have been on The Bill for that long, but Claire Goose gave a great portrayal as Chief Inspector Rachel Weston; a friendly but shrewd member of the squad who always seemed to have aplan, even in the direst of situations.

Claire Goose – Now

Having already established herself as a well-respected actress on a variety of British shows such as Casualty and Waking the Dead, there was no doubt that Claire Goose would find work easily after The Bill came to an end. She went on to have roles on shows such as Hustle, Mount Pleasant, and The Coroner. Although the latter had a decent following during its 20-episode run, BBC announced in 2017 that it would no longer continue the series.

Lisa Maxwell – Samantha Nixon

With 281 episodes to her name, Lisa Maxwell was, without a doubt, one of the standout cast members during her seven years on The Bill. Her character, DI Samantha Nixon was an emotionally reserved individual who was able to close off her personal feelings and keep her private and professional lives separate. The ultimate catch 22 about Maxwell’s character is that she struggled to reflect on her own personality as she was too busy analyzing everyone else around her.

Lisa Maxwell – Now

Believe it or not, but long before her role as Samantha Nixon, Lisa Maxwell actually developed a reputation as a comedian, with her own show called the Lisa Maxwell Show! After her time on The Bill came to an end, Maxwell joined the panel of women’s chat show Loose Women. On The Paul O’Grady Show, the actress revealed that she left The Bill due to its long work hours. She proposed to her long-term partner Paul Jessop and tied the knot with him two years later.

Rhea Bailey – Mel Ryder

The sister of popstar Corrine Bailey-Rae is also a talented individual. She demonstrated this when he landed the role of PC Mel Ryder two years before The Bill came to an end. Undoubtedly one of the most social officers at Sun Hill, Mel was renowned for being able to stand her ground, while also lighting up people’s faces. She also had a great attitude when it came to going on missions and went on numerous chases to track down the latest criminals.

Rhea Bailey – Now

Both before and after her role as Mel Ryder, Rhea Bailey has been known for her numerous roles in British soap operas. Before joining The Bill, she starred in Crossroads, Casualty, Doctors and Waterloo Road. Five years after The Bill came to an end, she joined the cast of Coronation Street, playing Caz Hammond for a year. During her time on the ITV soap, Bailey was berated by fans for being such an unlikeable villain, with rumors that she might make a shock return.

Gary Lucy – Will Fletcher

Gary Lucy is one of those actors who already developed a reputation as a popular Britsh TV actor, having already been on shows such as Dream Team, Hollyoaks and Footballers’ Wives. So when he joined The Bill as PC Will Fletcher, it was a great opportunity for Lucy to add another string to his acting bow. Although he was a popular character during his time at Sun Hill, Will transferred to another station before the show came to an end.

Gary Lucy – Now

After five years and 167 episodes as Will Fletcher, Gary Lucy decided to trade in the soap opera life for reality TV. In the last five years alone, the Footballer’s Wives star has competed on shows such as Dancing On Ice. In his first time on the show, Lucy finished runner-up, while his second attempt saw him finish in a miserable eleventh place. Since 2014, Lucy has been married to Natasha Gray and the couple had three children together.

Kim Tiddy – Honey Harman

She might not have got a degree in Criminology like Grace Dasari, but Honey Harman made up for her bad grades with her hands-on approach. Due to her history as a fitness instructor, physicality was the name of the game for Kim Tiddy’s character and she often put herself in some life-threatening situations. Sadly though, Honey got a little bit too close to the sun when she was shot by the criminal Kristen Shaw and died from her wounds.

Kim Tiddy – Now

Without a doubt, Kim Tiddy’s character Honey Harman had one of the most memorable deaths in the history of The Bill. Since then, the actress has switched her attention to stage acting. However, this hasn’t stopped Tiddy from appearing on other shows. Shortly before The Bill came to an end, she joined the cast of Hollyoaks. However, her character Heidi Costello was also brutally murdered just a year later. Ironically, it happened on the episode that aired on October 31st – Halloween!

Sarah Manners – Kirsty Knight

Without a doubt, Sarah Manners is the shortest-running cast member from The Bill on this list. Despite the fact that she only racked up 19 episodes, she made a decent impression as the new area car driver. In all honesty, Kirsty joined Sun Hill at a bad time, as the team was extremely low on morale. However, she did have an ability to lift people’s spirits and will be remembered for her naturally kind and happy-go-lucky disposition.

Sarah Manners – Now

Although her run on The Bill was incredibly brief, make no mistake about it – Sarah Manners is doing well for herself. Long before her short role as Kirsty Knight, the Birmingham-born and bred actress had a long-standing role as Joanna Helm in the hit medical soap Doctors and as Bex Reynolds in the even more popular medical drama Casualty. Her only role since The Bill came to an end was in an episode of The Job Lot.

Graham Cole – Tony Stamp

Certainly one of the most popular figures ofThe Bill‘s older generation, Graham Cole spent over two decades on the show as PC Tony Stamp. However, he was eventually written out in 2009, with Tony trading in his police colors for a driving instructor job. The reason for his departure was that the showrunners decided to bring in a new crop of stars and believed that Cole no longer fitted the tone that they wanted to create.

Graham Cole – Now

For some actors, it can be difficult letting go of a role you have played for so long. However, Graham Cole didn’t have this problem when he left The Bill in 2009. Since then, he has had notable roles on British shows such as Law & Order: UK, Doctors and Holby City! Shortly after The Bill ended in 2010, Cole was awarded an OBE for his continuing work with charities. One of these charities is the Grand Order of Water Rats, which he is a member of.

Amita Dhiri – Grace Dasari

Although she was only a part of the cart during the last three years of The Bill, Amita Dhiri left a huge impression as the character DC Grace Dasari. Less interested in working with victims and more with putting criminals behind bars, Dasari is a no-nonsense member of staff with a doctoral thesis on Criminology. She may not be the most social team player at Sun Hill, but Dasari eventually developed a relationship with DI Neil Manson.

Amita Dhiri – Now

In all honesty, Amita Dhiri hasn’t had too many roles since being in the cast duringThe Bill‘s finale in 2010. She has appeared in a couple of episodes of Talking to the Dead as Mrs. Rattigan. Of course, probably Dhiri’s biggest claim to fame was originally starring alongside Rick Grimes himself, Andrew Lincoln. The actors worked together on the British show This Life back in 1996. However, it seems like their careers have gone in very different directions.

Trudie Goodwin – June Ackland

The longest standing female character on the show, Trudie Goodwin portrayed Sergeant June Ackland for a staggering 24 years, from 1983 to 2007. After getting into numerous compelling storylines during her time on The Bill, June eventually left the show after her on-screen relationship with character Jim Carver came to an end. No one was on the show longer than Goodwin and after leaving the show, she officially became the longest serving actress ever to portray a police character.

Trudie Goodwin – Now

Although she didn’t last all the way until The Bill‘s end, it didn’t take long before Trude Goodwin landed another big TV role. From 2011 to 2015, she portrayed Georgia Sharma on the ITV soap Emmerdale. She also made appearances on women’s chat show Loose Women. One of Goodwin’s biggest claims to fame is that her daughter, Elly Jackson is actually the lead singer of synth-pop project La Roux. The band was famous for songs such as “In for the Kill” and “Bulletproof.”

Alex Walkinshaw – Dale “Smithy” Smith

Not only was Dale “Smithy” Smith one of the longest-serving characters on The Bill, with 388 episodes under his belt, but he was also one of the most popular. He started off in the police force from a very young age as a police constable, so many young viewers got a chance to see the show through his eyes. With time though, Smithy became a well-respected member of the force and was promoted to an inspector position.

Alex Walkinshaw – Now

There is no denying that “Smithy” was Alex Walkinshaw’s most iconic role. However, there is so much more to this actor than just The Bill. Walkinshaw has appeared on other shows such as Waterloo Road and has been a series regular on Holby City since 2014. His personal life has also been pretty stable over the years. The actor tied the knot with wife Sarah in 2009. They had originally met on the set of The Bill. The couple have had two kids.

Sally Rogers – Jo Masters

For the last five years of The Bill, viewers were delighted to see Sally Rogers come on board as Jo Masters, who was suspected to lack authority based on her previous jobs. Some even believed that Jo needed to be sacked as her timidity might be counterproductive, especially in tough situations with criminals involved. However, with time, Jo evolved into a tough, motivated officer and became a beloved member of the team by the end of the show’s run.

Sally Rogers – Now

Soon after her time on The Bill came to an end, Sally Rogers joined forces with Little Britain duo Matt Lucas and David Walliams on their show Come Fly with Me. This was shortly followed by an appearance on the second season of Kay Mellor’s The Syndicate. She even made a brief appearance on popular British soap EastEnders. These days, Rogers lives with her chiropodist husband Jonathan Schofield in Surrey. In 2006, she had her first child, Rafael.

Ben Richards – Nate Roberts

One of the cast members to join The Bill during the final stretch of its run, Ben Richards played the handsome and confident PC Nate Roberts. What separated Nate from other officers was his honest approach when it came to his personal life. He was not shy to admit that he was only interested in casual flings. However, when he meets teacher Becky James, he has a sudden change of heart. This was just the start of a string of relationships.

Ben Richards – Now

It made a lot of sense that Ben Richards landed a role on The Bill, especially since his roles were on shows such as Holby City, Doctors, and Footballers’ Wives. He has continued to be a soap favorite, appearing on Hollyoaks. He landed the role of Ben Bradley and was on the show for a year. Richards has also tried his luck in music, having recorded songs for the album Wit & Whimsy – Songs by Alexander S. Bermange in 2017.

Chris Simmons – Mickey Webb

Another character who was a part of the force until the show’s very end, Mickey Webb was The Bill personified – courageous, ambitious, and happy to compromise his friendships for his own personal goals. However, Chris Simmons’ character hasn’t always stayed on task, especially after being distracted by DC Kate Spears on one drunk evening. That’s not all though. Mickey was often the go-to man when you needed someone who was prepared to bend the rules in order to bring justice.

Chris Simmons – Now

Chris Simmons is another fine example of an actor from The Bill who has gone on to star in other popular British shows. He ended up on medical dramas such as Doctors and Casualty after his time as Mickey Webb came to an end. He also appeared briefly on EastEnders. Beyond his acting career, Simmons is an avid runner, having competed in the London Marathon in both 2009 and 2014. These days, Simmons works in his hometown of Gravesend, Kent, as a youth worker.

Lisa Geoghan – Polly Page

She might not have been the most controversial character on the show, but Lisa Geoghan’s Polly Page was on The Bill for 12 years! Although she appeared to be a fairly timid character, Polly used her South London background to her advantage and was more streetwise that many other officers at Sun Hill. Polly wasn’t the type to shy away from risky situations. However, unlike her more gung-ho colleagues, she was known to be able to think clearly before she acted.

Lisa Geoghan – Now

While most actors on this list have continued to work in the industry since leaving The Bill, Lisa Geoghan had other plans. She decided to take a break from acting shortly after retiring the role of Polly Page. However, ten years after her last acting role, Geoghan made a guest appearance on medical drama Casualty in 2015. The actress has had a relatively stable personal life, having been married to Michael Power since 1996. The couple had one child together.

Andrew Lancel – Neil Manson

As soon as Neil Manson was brought to Sun Hill, he was berated by the team for his unorthodox ways and a tendency to come across as sexist. Some colleagues hated Andrew Lancel’s character so much that they tried to dig up dirt on him from his past, but more of than not, were unsuccessful. Another character who was on The Bill until the very end, Neil’s final storyline revolved around his secret romance with Grace Dasari.

Andrew Lancel – Now

It wouldn’t take long before Andrew Lancel jumped at the opportunity to star in another popular British show. In 2011, the actor portrayed Frank Foster in Coronation Street. His role lasted for just a year. In the end, though, Lancel was used as a McGuffin, being killed off, kicking off a “whodunit” storyline. Outside of TV, Lancel has had a fruitful time on stage, starring in productions such as Twelve Angry Men, The Damned United and The Sound of Music.

Chris Ellison – Frank Burnside

For over 15 years, Chris Ellison was one of the main characters on The Bill;the confrontational DCI Frank Burnside. Not only was he a thorn in the side of many criminals over the years, but Frank also made a lot of enemies at Sun Hill. Amazingly, his character was technically an antagonist, but Frank Burnside was so popular that he ended up getting his own spinoff show in 2000 – Burnside. It saw him work for the British equivalent of the FBI.

Chris Ellison – Now

Chris Ellison last portrayed Frank Burnside at the turn of the millennium. Since then, the actor has starred in numerous shows such as EastEnders and even guest starred in an audio play for Doctor Who. In the last decade, Ellison explored reality TV, competing on shows such as Celebrity Big Brother. Unfortunately, though, he didn’t last long and was evicted just two weeks after entering. Ellison also took part in the celebrity edition of the popular game show Pointless.

Mark Wingett – Jim Carver

If there was ever a more polarizing character on The Bill, then we’d like to know. Jim Carver was the kind of guy who would cause trouble, but somehow always fix his mistakes. Starring in a staggering 720 episodes of The Bill, Mark Wingett is certainly best known for his role as anti-heroJim. Even before making his debut back in 1984, Wingett starred in critically acclaimed movies such as Quadrophenia, while also landing roles in shows such as The Professionals.

Mark Wingett – Now

Despite EastEnders coming to an end in 2010, Mark Wingett stayed until the very end after reprising his role as Jim after a two-year hiatus. Since then, the talented actor has had roles on shows such as Run for your Life, Doctors, and Hollyoaks, to name a few. His most recent role came in 2015 in the movie Far from the Madding Crowd. Wingett has been in an on-off relationship with Sharon Martin and in his spare time, loves to fish and ski.

Diane Parish – Eva Sharpe

She may not have had the longest run on the show, but Diane Parish certainly left her mark as DC Eva Sharpe. She ends up developing some minor enemies at the station due to her bubbly, outspoken nature. However, the majority of the team absolutely loved her. Other shows that Parish had roles in prior to The Bill included Lovejoy, the movie Indian Summer and Real Women. However, it was her role as Denise Fox in EastEnders that people will remember her best from.

Diane Parish – Eva Sharpe

Since 2006, Diane Parish has played one of the strongest female characters on EastEnders in the form of Denise Fox. Her role on Albert Square has taken up virtually all of her time ever since. However, she took some time off two years into landing the role as she was expecting a child. After half a year of maternity leave, Parish returned to EastEnders and has never left. In 2001, she won the Royal Television Society award for Best Actress.

Scott Maslen – Phil Hunter

Phil Hunter arrived on the scene in light of the Sun Hill Fire which saw some key changes in the police department. Getting into a number of troubling situations that nearly cost him his job, Scott Maslen’s character managed to keep his role as DS for an impressive five years. Other than some minor roles, The Bill was ultimately Scott Maslen’s big break before moving onto his more prominent role as Jack Branning in fellow London series EastEnders.

Scott Maslen – Now

There is no denying that EastEnders has been Scott Maslen’s finest hour in the entirety of his acting career. In the middle of his time at Albert Square, Maslen competed in the 2010 series of Strictly Come Dancing. The actor did extremely well in the competition, lasting for 11 weeks. In 2013, Maslen left EastEnders and focused on stage shows, working on pantomimes such as Aladdin. Two years after that, the actor returned to EastEnders and also competed in Celebrity MasterChef.

Roberta Taylor – Gina Gold

It feels like Roberta Taylor played the character of Gina Gold for much longer than six years. Gold was part of the police department betweenthe years of 2002 and 2008, but didn’t make it to the end of the show’s run. Gina eventually resigned after a traumatic incident where Smithy is held hostage. Before landing a role on The Bill, Roberta Taylor had roles on shows such as Inspector Morse, Minder, and The Knock, to name a few.

Roberta Taylor – Now

While she was working with the Glasgow Citizens Theatre, Roberta Taylor met actor Peter Guinness and since 1996, the couple have been happily married. They had already been together for twenty years before tying the knot. In fact, Guinness made a handful of cameos on The Bill as her lover, of all people. Since her time on The Bill came to an end, Taylor has only had one other role, starring as Sister Paul inthe period drama Father Brown.

Eric Richard – Bob Cryer

One of the longest-serving characters on the show, Bob Cryer was part of the police force on The Bill for a staggering 670 episodes. Eric Richard played a dependable sergeant who was completely devoted to his job and served as something of a father figure to many of the characters on the show. After solving the mystery that revolved around the death of Ted Roach, Bob’s arc came to an end and Richard left The Bill in 2004.

Eric Richard – Bob Cryer

Despite leaving The Bill six years before the end of its run, Eric Richard has kept himself fairly busy, starring in other popular BBC shows such as Holby City. At the time of Richard’s departure from The Bill, he experienced extreme tragedy after his grandson Charlie, became the youngest victim of the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. His most recent role came in Christopher Nolan’s epic 2017 war movie Dunkirk, which he was credited as Man at Railway Window.

Natalie Roles – Debbie McAllister

After the “Don Beech” Scandal, Natalie Roles arrived on the show as DS Debbie McAllister. One of her early storylines saw Debbie pregnant with the child of Tom Chandler. Although she successfully delivered the child, Debbie decided not to keep him. However, she did end up changing her mind later on in the show. After a series of dramatic relationships, Debbie chose to call time on her career as a policewoman to focus on her family life.

Natalie Roles – Now

After her time on The Bill came to an end in 2004, Natalie Roles only had a few more roles in other TV shows and they were all very brief. These included shows such as Holby City, Doctors, and The Golden Hour. Her last role came in 2006, in an episode of the miniseries Mayo. Based on her social media profiles, it seems that Roles relocated to the country that her mother came from, Malta. She currently resides there with her family

Tony O’Callaghan – Matt Boyden

One of the most disciplined police officers on the show, Matt Boyden was a mainstay on The Bill from 1991 to 2003. Despite being extremely professional, Tony O’Callaghan’s character knew how to establish a good camaraderie with his team due to his dry sense of humor. However, things didn’t end well for the character. His daughter put together a twisted plan to help fund her addiction to illegal substances. She got her boyfriend to shoot Boyden, claiming the insurance money in the process.

Tony O’Callaghan – Now

Although his time on The Bill came to an end in 2003, Tony O’Callaghan has remained busy in the world of TV ever since. Having been involved in some of the biggest shows on British TV, O’Callaghan is a face that many will recognize. Since The Bill, he has starred in shows such as Family Affairs, Doctors, and most recently, Eastenders, playing the character Ollie Walters. Outside of TV, O’Callaghan has also starred in a number of stage productions.

Lucy Speed – Stevie Moss

Lucy Speed might be more famous for her role as Natalie in EastEnders, but the showrunners at The Bill were more than happy to bring her on for a role during the show’s last two years. She played the character DS Stevie Moss, who was known for being keen to get involved with the more dangerous cases. She also had quite the mouth on her, and was always quick to make a comeback to any of her colleagues.

Lucy Speed – Now

Lasting all the way up until the series finale, Lucy Speed didn’t “slow down” at all after The Bill came to an end. Just a year before hanging up her police boots, she tied the knot with Spencer Hayler. After taking some time out to raise her daughter Kitty Bina Grace Hayler, Speed returned to TV in 2016, starring in shows such as National Treasure and two episodes of Silent Witness. Speed also took part in TV game shows such as Pointless and The Weakest Link.

Jeff Stewart – Reg Hollis

From 1984 to 2008, Jeff Stewart was an integral part of The Bill, playing police constable Reg Hollis. It seems like the nature of Stewart’s departure from the show actually overshadowed his time spent on it. Reg Hollis was written out of the show after developing post-trauma from a huge explosion that killed a handful of his colleagues. However, Stewart tried to commit suicide after finding out that his time on The Bill was coming to an end.

Jeff Stewart – Now

Despite the troubling end to his role as Reg Hollis, Jeff Stewart has since overcome his demons and moved on. Shortly after The Bill came to an end, Stewart starred in the independent drama Under Jakob’s Ladder, which received critical acclaim and even earned him an award. He won the Manhattan Film Festival Award for Best Actor. Stewart’s most recent role came in the fourth installment of the Lake Placid series – Lake Placid: The Final Chapter, which was a straight-to-TV movie.

Michele Austin – Yvonne Hemmingway

Although her time on The Bill was fairly brief, Michele Austin left a huge impression on the show during her three years as PC Yvonne Hemmingway. She certainly got into a fair amount of trouble in such a short space of time. At one point, she was accused of murdering a man she was arresting. However, she was ultimately acquitted of all charges as it was ruled as self-defense. Yvonne left Sun Hill to work with young offenders.

Michele Austin – Now

She may not have lasted until the very end of the series, but Michele Austin continues to find work in the acting industry right up to this very day. Nearly five years after her time as Yvonne Hemmingway came to an end, Austin landed a role as Gloria McDonald on BBC soap opera EastEnders. It’s a role that Austin has reprised on numerous occasions, most recently in 2016. Her most recent TV role period was in an episode of The Coroner.

Simon Rouse – Jack Meadows

With a staggering 842 episodes to his name, Simon Rouse is certainly one of the longest-serving actors on The Bill. He made his debut as Jack Meadows back in 1990 and from the very start, you could tell that he would give his colleagues a tough time. Although his overcommitment to his job caused a huge strain on him and his wife’s relationship, Meadows was an exemplary superintendent and lead the team all the way to the very end of the show’s run.

Simon Rouse – Now

It feels like Simon Rouse has been around forever. Although casual fans will associate him mostly with Jack Meadows, Rouse has proven over the years that he has many other strings to his bow. After a series of stage roles in productions such as When We Are Married and The Bomb, Rouse eventually landed a role on Coronation Street as Rusty, a former lover of Rita. His most recent acting role came in the West End, starring in the stage adaptation of the 1997 drama The Full Monty.