HOME AGAIN (9/11/05)

From Inside Soap magazine:

Mickey is back in Sun Hill - and this time he's staying...

Following a few fleeting appearances at Sun Hill HQ, DC Mickey Webb returns to his old stomping ground for good next week. Having left the station for the Murder Investigation Team after his horrific rape ordeal, the officer finally feels ready to put the past behind him and rejoin his old colleagues. However, a lot has changed in the two years he's been away, and he gets off to a very bad start with his maverick new colleague, DC Zain Nadir.

"Mickey is the type of person who takes things as he finds them," says Chris Simmons, who plays him. "Zain is a bit of a one-man operation, though. He loves himself a bit too much and the characters don't immediately hit it off. They fall out all the time in the first few episodes because they each want to investigate the same crime in a different way. But, eventually, they do realise that they work well together."

Zain is initially wary of Mickey because of his friendships with DCI Jack Meadows and Supt. Adam Okaro. Although Zain soon realises that he has misjudged the newcomer, Mickey has another battle on his hands when he comes face to face with DI Neil Manson - the officer who Mickey investigated for alleged corruption while working for the NCS.

"Mickey and Neil have always had a bit of an up and down relationship, and those two characters definitely aren't fond of each other," reveals Chris. "It's quite uncomfortable when he comes back."

As Mickey susses out his new colleagues and begins to settle back into Sun Hill life, Chris is also happy to be back at the station and enjoying the rare security of regular acting work!

"Since I left The Bill, work has been a bit sparse, really," he confesses. "I've done voiceovers and little bits of telly, such as going to Argentina to film Celebrity Fear Factor for Sky One - which was brilliant - but nothing regular came along. They were all nice bits, but nothing for me to really get my teeth into.

"I'd always kept a good relationship with The Bill - I didn't leave in a big huff or anything," adds Chris. "So I was happy when they asked me to do a few episodes. Then they offered me the chance to return for a full year, which is great."

Even while he was away, Chris remained a devoted fan of the cop drama and regularly tuned into see what his old colleagues were up to.

"I'm a big fan of the show anyway and I'll always watch it when I can," he smiles. "It's a great place to work. However, I didn't manage to get my old dressing room back, and I'm sharing with Simon Rouse (Jack) now. It's kind of an 'old cop, young cop' team!"

IN OTHER NEWS

We can reveal that PC Lance Powell, who we reported earlier as leaving the series, is to be killed off. In another not particularly original storyline, Powell is murdered by a serial killer who prays on gay men. His last episode is # 367 on Tuesday 29th November.