Gavin & Stacey and Amandaland star Samuel Anderson joins Shetland cast as Alison O’Donnell, Ashley Jensen, Steven Robertson and Lewis Howden reprise their roles
Megan Nisbet Content Editor
17:00, 05 Nov 2025
Shetland is back for series 10 and will see the much-loved team head to a small village in Scotland following the sinister murder of an elderly woman. Fans of the long-running murder mystery drama will be pleased to see some familiar faces back on screens.
Reprising their roles are Alison O’Donnell and Ashley Jensen as DI Alison ‘Tosh’ Mcintosh and DI Ruth Calder alongside Steven Robertson as Sandy and Lewis Howden as Sgt Billy Mccabe. Also joining the cast list this year is Samuel Anderson as Procurator Fiscal Matt Blake.
Viewers will recognise Samuel from his role in Gavin & Stacey as Fingers, as well as Mal in Amandaland, Leon in Loaded and Daniel in Trollied. Samuel also starred in Doctor Who in the role of Danny Pink and as Ross Kirk in Emmerdale between 2007 and 2009.
BBC Shetland cast(Image: BBC/Silverprint Films/Robert Periera Hind)
As well as the main cast, as always, there is a line-up of incredible guest characters being introduced for series 10 as the team heads to the isolated hamlet of Lunniswick, where the body of the retired social worker Eadie Tulloch has been out in the elements for a number of days.
Guest stars include Outlander and Game of Thrones actor Clive Russell, who previously appeared on Shetland in season two, Motherland’s Ellie Haddington, Line of Duty star Niall Macgregor, Sherlock and Casualty’s Louise Brealey, Fresh Meat’s Greg Mchugh, Home Fires actor Frances Grey and Stuart Townsend, known for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Shetland series 10 cast list
Alison O’Donnell as DI Alison ‘Tosh’ Mcintosh
Alison O’Donnell as DS Lorna Tosh McIntosh(Image: BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson)
Alison has been a part of Shetland since the beginning, originally starring alongside Douglas Henshall before he quit his role as DI Jimmy Perez in season seven.
Speaking about where Tosh is at the start of series 10, Alison said: “At the start of this new series, Tosh has really settled into her role as DI. Having reached a maturational threshold during season nine, realising that certain relationships were no longer serving her, she is knuckling down at work and focussing on the things in her life that truly matter.”
Alison has also starred in Holby City and the film Pet Sematary.
Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder
Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder(Image: BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson)
Ashley took over from Douglas in 2023 but before Shetland she was known for Agatha Raisin, Afterlife, Catastrophe, Ugly Betty and Extras among many other roles.
On where we find her character Calder in the new season, Ashely said: “She’s pretty settled into the police station and her life in Shetland. She’s unpacked all her boxes and settled into the community – well as much as Ruth Calder ever could.”
Steven Robertson as Sandy
Steven Robertson as Detective Sandy Wilson(Image: BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson)
Steven returns to his role as Detective Sandy Wilson, who has been a part of the show since its inception in 2013. Viewers will also recognise Steven from The Bay, Harlots and Being Human.
In series 10, Sandy finds himself very busy this time around. Between the ongoing drugs operation that opens the series and the murder of Eadie Tulloch, he is pulled between two major investigations happening at the same time
Lewis Howden as Sgt Billy Mccabe
Lewis Howden as Sgt Billy Mccabe (Image: BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson)
Lewis will also be returning as Sgt Billy Mccabe and this year he’ll be spending time on location in the Shetland Isles instead of the studio where he usually acts out his office scenes.
Viewers will recognise Lewis from Taggart, as well as Hope Springs and more recently Annika.
Samuel Anderson as Procurator Fiscal Matt Blake
Samuel Anderson as Procurator Fiscal Matt Blake(Image: BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson)
Matt is a brand new character played by Samuel Anderson. Speaking about his character Samuel said: “Matt has recently joined the Shetland team as Procurator Fiscal, he’s a bit of a city boy and this is the first time he’s been away from a massive population. He’s a young, ambitious guy and the position he’s climbed to very quickly says a lot about him and his drive an intellect as well as his desire to do good both for himself and his counterparts.”
Viewers will recognise Samuel from his role in Gavin & Stacey as Fingers, as well as Mal in Amandaland, Leon in Loaded and Daniel in Trollied. Samuel also starred in Doctor Who in the role of Danny Pink and as Ross Kirk in Emmerdale between 2007 and 2009.
Guest characters
Clive Russell as Arthur Mair and Ellie Haddington as Lana Mair(Image: BBC/Silverprint Films/Jamie Simpson)
Clive Russell (Outlander, Game of Thrones) as Arthur Mair
Ellie Haddington (Motherland) as Lana Mair
Niall Macgregor (Line of Duty) as Tom Jameson
Louise Brealey (Sherlock, Casualty) as Isobel Jameson
Greg Mchugh (Fresh Meat) as Colin Waite
Frances Grey (Home Fires) as Gina Powell
Stuart Townsend (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) as Edward ‘Ed’ Tulloch
Shetland starts Wednesday, November 5 at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
