Annette Badland discusses her irreplaceable role in Midsomer Murders amid fan concerns over her exit

Midsomer Murders fans have been left fearing that Annette Badland, who plays Fleur Perkins in the ITV drama, has left the show after the character was 'replaced'

Viewers of Midsomer Murders have been left hanging over rumours suggesting Annette Badland, known for her role as Fleur Perkins in the hit ITV show, could be on her way out. Despite no sign of departure plans from Annette, a fan took to a series fan page on Facebook sharing their concern: "Has Annette Badland left Midsomer? Please let me know."

Fellow fans jumped into the comments section, anxious about Fleur's possible exit from the much-loved drama. One wrote: "I hope not, she is brilliant." Another shared their admiration: "I hope not I love her," and yet another added support: "Hope not she is great."

Annette, who stepped into the shoes of the bike-loving chief pathologist for the series back in 2019, has since cemented her role in the popular detective show, now enjoying its 20th run. In an interview previously held with Express.co.uk, Annette delved into the life of Fleur and touched upon the notion of her character being replaced.

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"It's brilliant to play an older woman who's got a very interesting private life and who is very good at her job and can send the blokes up and intrigue them and things. It's terrific, you know, and there should be more - and they exist in real life - characters like that, really," as reported by the Express, reports the Mirror.

In recalling conversations with the show's producer, she revealed: "When the producer asked me to do it, they said that one time the person playing the pathologist had been ill and they didn't know how to get around it when they were filming."

The actor radiated joy as they detailed the creative process, stating: "Then they said, 'Oh, I know, we'll have them send a fax through with the details and Barnaby can read it out.' And he said, 'I wanted a new character who could not be replaced by a fax machine.' So Fleur certainly can't be replaced by a fax machine! ".

Annette isn't the only Midsomer Murders actor who feared being replaced. Neil Dudgeon, who took over from John Nettles as the lead detective, spoke candidly about the fear of cancellation.

During a chat with Radio Times, the actor confessed: "If they'd cancelled me after one series, that would have been embarrassing!

"It gets easier, but I try to keep it fresh. Even if I've gone through the script 50 times, I'll look at it again and have another thought.

"He concluded with a sense of satisfaction, saying, "It's still extremely pleasant and I'm extremely grateful. "