For over two decades, The Bill was a staple of British television, bringing the gritty realities of police work into living rooms across the nation. The ITV drama, set in the fictional Sun Hill police station, ran from 1984 to 2010 and featured a rotating cast of characters who became household names.
It will soon be 25 years since the final episode aired on screens. The final two episodes were written by David Harsent and directed by Reza Moradi, and aired on ITV1 on August 24 and 31, 2010. But what happened to the actors after the sirens stopped? Here’s a look at where some of the most memorable cast members are now.
Jeff Stewart, 69, portrayed the quirky and dedicated PC Reg Hollis for 24 years. In 2008, after learning his contract wouldn’t be renewed, Stewart attempted suicide but survived and later returned to acting. He won Best Actor at the Manhattan Film Festival for his role in Under Jakob’s Ladder.
A source close to the actor said at the time: “Jeff is in financial trouble. He has been sobbing and there have been a lot of tears. He was semi-conscious in hospital, so he has been through an ordeal. He is very badly hurt and terribly disappointed about being axed.”
Jeff was the highest-earning cast member, raking in £150,000 a year for his appearances. Stewart appeared in the first ever episode of The Bill, which aired in 1984.
Chris Ellison’s portrayal of the hard-nosed DI Frank Burnside earned him a spin-off series, Burnside. After The Bill, he appeared in shows like EastEnders and New Tricks, and participated in Celebrity Big Brother in 2015.
Now aged 78, Ellison has been raising awareness about aphasia, a speech-debilitating illness he shares with actor Bruce Willis. The actor suffered a stroke in 2020, with his wife discovering him lying on their bedroom floor at their home in Brighton.
After recovering in the hospital, Ellison returned home in November 2020, where his wife became his full-time carer. Despite having difficulty speaking, Ellison can fully understand what others are saying.
Kevin Lloyd played the lovable DC Tosh Lines until 1998. Struggling with alcoholism, he was dismissed from the show and died shortly after entering rehab in 1998, aged 49. His character continued to appear on-screen for several weeks after his death.
Ben Roberts portrayed Chief Inspector Derek Conway from 1987 until his character’s dramatic exit in 2002. Roberts died in 2021 at the age of 70, leaving behind a legacy of memorable performances.
His death was confirmed by his former agent, who called him a “wonderful” actor who had had “an extensive career in theatre, TV and film”. Roberts’ character on the ITV police drama was an old-fashioned officer and a trained hostage negotiator.
Conway was ultimately killed when a petrol bomb was thrown into his panda car. He went on to appear in the 2011 film version of Jane Eyre and Tim Burton’s 2016 fantasy Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. He is survived by his wife, Helen Lloyd, a former continuity announcer and audiobook narrator.
Irish actor Tony Scannell played DS Ted Roach for nine years before leaving the show in 1993. He died in 2020 at the age of 74, and tributes highlighted his dynamic presence on screen. Scannell’s debut on The Bill was on October 23, 1984, in an episode called “A Friend in Need.”
He was initially signed for two episodes, but ended up staying until 1993. He also appeared in the Channel 5 soap opera Family Affairs as Eddie Harris from 1997 to 1999.
Chris Simmons joined The Bill in the late ’90s as DC Mickey Webb. Post The Bill, he appeared in EastEnders and Hollyoaks, and has been involved in youth initiatives in his hometown of Gravesend.
Simmons was on The Bill from 2000 to 2003. In October 2011, he appeared in EastEnders for a few episodes as Mark Garland, a love interest for Kat Moon. In 2020, he was interviewed alongside his The Bill co-star Sally Rogers for a three-part The Bill Podcast to promote Chris’s starring role in Sally’s play The Still Room.
He is also doing safety sketches for the operatives working on the HS2 project.
Sarah Manners, 49, played PC Kirsty Knight in the show’s final years. Afterwards, she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and later launched a successful Pilates app, Pilates On Tap, earning recognition as an inspirational woman in tech.
Sarah finished in sixth place on Strictly in 2004. After six months on-screen as Kirst in The Bill, it was announced that the show was to be cancelled. She said at the time: “I’m heartbroken. Not just for myself, but for everyone on the show. It’s a real loss for the industry. Everyone is really upset about it.”
Scott Maslen, 53, transitioned from The Bill to EastEnders, where he played main character Jack Branning. He also competed in Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity MasterChef.
Scott landed his role on The Bill in 2002, before announcing his departure in 2007 to join EastEnders full-time. In April 2015, Maslen admitted that he had rejected the chance to return to EastEnders, saying, “I didn’t want to go back just 18 months after leaving.
Outside of acting, Scott is married to Estelle Maslen, the mother of his son Zak Alexander Maslen. The couple was together for nine years before they were married on September 6, 2008.
Sam Callis, 51, joined The Bill in its later years as DC Callum Stone. He has since appeared in various TV dramas and continues to work in the industry, both in front of and behind the camera.
Sam met his wife Osmin during his time at London’s Burning, and the couple resides in London. In December 2008, he became a father for the first time with the birth of his daughter. He also has a son.
Cat Simmons, 44, brought depth to the role of DC Kezia Walker. After The Bill, she continued acting in television and stage productions, including roles in Oliver! and Jesus Christ Superstar.
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