Celebrities come and go just as huge TV shows fade from memory after leaving the airwaves.

Over the past few decades of TV there have been some huge crime dramas including Heartbeat, The Bill and London’s Burning – but it would be criminal to forget all of the top stars that featured on those iconic shows.

Some of the small screen heroes have decided to hang up their uniforms and notepads in favour of enjoying a more private life away from the hustle and bustle of the showbiz world – while others have gone on to bigger and better projects.

But in the 11 years since The Bill and Heartbeat ended their investigations – and 19 years since London’s Burning extinguished their last fire – where are the stars of the ITV classics now?

Tricia Penrose played Gina Ward on Heartbeat (
Image:
MEN)

Tricia Penrose – Heartbeat

Tricia Penrose played Gina Ward on Heartbeat for an impressive 17 years – appearing in an impressive 338 episodes over the show’s 18 seasons.

The mum-of-two hung up her acting shoes in 2012 – with her last performance being in a series called Crime Stories.

Now the former TV star works as a director for a luxury travel service – but also works as a director of Adlington Memorial Park, England’s largest private natural burial ground, in Cheshire.

The company offers alternatives to existing funeral practices using only sustainable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials.

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Image:
LWT)

John Alford – London’s Burning

Former child star John Alford played Billy Ray in London’s Burning between 1993 and 1998 – featuring in 71 episodes of the show.

The star previously played the role of Robbie Wright in the BBC show Grange Hill – and also had a stab at being a pop star – releasing three Top 30 singles.

John’s most recent acting job was playing a prison guard in Brit flick The Hatton Garden Job – while his life away from the cameras has been blighted with crime.

Following the end of his work on London’s Burning, he was jailed for nine months for supplying drugs, in 2006 was found guilty of drink-driving, and in 2018 was issued with a 12-month community service order after resisting arrest.

Sam Callis played Sgt Callum Stone in The Bill (
Image:
Talkback Thames)

Sam Callis – The Bill and London’s Burning

Sam Callis was something of an ITV drama favourite – featuring in 24 episodes of London’s Burning, as AdamBenjamin, and 100 episodes of The Bill as Sgt Callum Stone.

Instead of shunning acting life following the end of The Bill in 2010, Sam has continued to pull in impressive acting credits and continues to work to this day in front of cameras.

He has racked up credits in mediocre shows such as Holby City, Casualty and Doctors in the years since, but has also featured in HBO’s Game of Thrones and The CW’s The Outpost.

Most recently he starred in the Netflix documentary drama The Lost Pirate Kingdom playing historic English pirate Benjamin Hornigold.

David Lonsdale as David Stockwell in Heartbeat (
Image:
Yorkshire Television)

David Lonsdale – Heartbeat

David Lonsdale is best known for playing David Stockwell in cop drama Heartbeat – featuring across 259 episodes between 1993 and 2009.

He continues to act and has cropped up in several soaps and TV dramas.

He played Ed Soames in Coronation Street, and even at one point played Peter Barlow in the long-running show.

While he has also held down a part in Emmerdale, popped up in Downton Abbey, and most recently featured in an episode of The Bay this year.

Jeff Stewart played PC Reg Hollis for 24 years on The Bill (
Image:
Talkback Thames)

Jeff Stewart – The Bill

Hardworking Jeff Stewart spent decades of his life playing PC Reg Hollis in the wildly popular ITV cop drama The Bill.

He featured in an astonishing 1,020 episodes between 1984 and 2008.

Jeff sadly reacted badly to news his contract would not be renewed in 2008 – with the star attempting to take his own life after receiving the news.

Surviving the incident, Jeff went on to continue acting, winning an award at the 2011 Manhattan Film Festival for a role in prison drama Under Jakob’s Ladder.

Mark Jordon as Heartbeat’s PC Phil Bellamy (
Image:
Yorkshire Television)

Mark Jordon – Heartbeat

Heartbeat’s PC Phil Bellamy was played by Mark Jordon, solving crimes across 324 episodes between 1992 and 2007.

He continued to act with roles as recently as 2019, and playing characters in Casualty, Hollyoaks, Doctors, Coronation Street – and as Daz Spencer over 161 episodes of Emmerdale.

Life took an unfortunate turn in 2018 when Jordon was arrested on suspicion of assault – but a trial the following year cleared him of all charges.

He has since kept a low profile away from the cameras, but did welcome a son this year with Emmerdale co-star Laura Norton.

Glen Murphy as George Green in London’s Burning (
Image:
LWT)

Glen Murphy – London’s Burning

Before finding fame as firefighter George Green in London’s Burning, Glen Murphy enjoyed a semi-professional boxing career.

He played his London’s Burning role for 14 years and over 170 episodes until 2002.

He went on to feature in other shows including The Bill, Dream Team, and Midsomer Murders, with his most recent acting role in a 2014 film titled Lords of London alongside Ray Winstone.

Heartthrob Nick Berry played PC Nick Rowan in Heartbeat (
Image:
Yorkshire Television)

Nick Berry – Heartbeat

Heartbeat heartthrob Nick Berry played PC Nick Rowan on the ITV drama between 1992 and 1998, racking up credits for 96 episodes.

He was previously famous for playing Simon Wicks on the BBC’s EastEnders, setting in 466 episodes between 1985 and 1990 – reprising the role in 2012.

Since hanging up his acting shoes following his EastEnders return, Nick has enjoyed life as a house husband and dad to two sons.

He married actress Rachel Robertson in 1994 and they have a son named Louis, born in 1995, and a son named Finley, born in 1998.

Michael Garner appeared in The Bill and London's Burning (
Image:
LWT/GL)

Michael Garner – London’s Burning

Theatre fans may recognise Michael Garner for his fine acting as well as London’s Burning fans would recognise him for playing Officer Geoffrey “Poison” Pearce.

The actor has spent much of his professional life treading the boards of theatres across the UK.

But on screen has has an impressive amount of TV credits away from the 129 episodes of London’s Burning too.

He featured in Vital Signs, Thin Air, EastEnders, Playing for Real, Spender and Thacker, Doc Martin, Holby City, Doctors, Down to Earth, Heartbeat, The Nation’s Health, Casualty, Brookside, Barriers, Struggle, Coronation Street, Minder, The Bill, Baby Talk, The Chief, Van der Valk, Earth Warp and Goodnight Sweetheart.

Bruce Byron as DC Terry Perkin in The Bill (
Image:
ITV)

Bruce Byron – The Bill

The Bill’s DC Terry Perkin was played by Bruce Byron over 215 episodes from 1994 to 2010 – although he also played characters D.I. Keith Lomax, John Shaw, Paul Archer, Frank Bullard and Save Smee over that time.

He has featured in other TV dramas including Casualty, Holby City and Doctors in the years since – but has also appeared in Hollywood movies.

He had a role in 2001’s The Mummy Returns and the Oscar Winning film Mansfield Park.

His most recent acting credit was in 2020, while he has also built up something of a writing career, penning a weight-loss guide for men called Fat Bloke Slims and has a column in Good Health documenting his own weight struggles.

Christopher Ellison as Detective Chief Inspector Frank Burnside in The Bill (
Image:
ITV)

Chris Ellison – The Bill

Fans of The Bill will know Chris Ellison as DCI Frank Burnside after he played the roll between 1984 and 2000 over 284 episodes.

He has featured in other TV shows including The Bill spin-off Burnside and BBC shows EastEnders and Casualty.

Last year he penned a memoir called Witness Statements chronicling his time on The Bill.

While his acting credits continue to mount up – with a roll in horror-drama movie the Ghosts of Borley Rectory due for release this year.