Reliving the drama in ITV's Heartbeat all over again is taking many viewers on a much needed trip down memory lane. But it's not just the gripping plot that fans are not loving again, many are enjoying seeing all the familiar faces back on screen that were part of the show over its 18 year run.
MORE: How Garden Rescue's the Rich Brothers are spending time off away from show
WATCH: Netflix release clip for Princess Diana musical
One of those familiar faces is Richard Lintern. Nowadays, he's perhaps best known for appearing in Silent Witness as Thomas Chamberlain, but the actor also starred in Heartbeat. Here's all you need to know about the actor below…
MORE: Why did Mark Jordon leave Heartbeat?
© Photo: RexRichard Lintern was on Heartbeat for two years
Who did Richard Lintern play in Heartbeat?
Richard has in fact played two characters in Heartbeat over the years. His first role was in the episode, Love's Sweet Dream, back in 2002 as Ray Richards. Then from 2003, he started appearing in the show more regularly when he was cast as Ben Norton. Ben worked as Lord Ashfordly's estate manager and remained part of the show for series 13 and 14.
© Photo: RexRichard as Ben with Aislin McGuckin as his wife Liz
Why did Richard Lintern leave the show?
Richard left Heartbeat in 2005 as his character was written out of the show. Ben and Aidensfield GP Dr Liz Merrick, played by Aislin McGuckin, got married and decided to move to Kenya. Aislin's character was only one of two medical staff characters to survive, before she moved away from the Ashfordly medical centre.
What else has Richard Lintern been in?
His turn as Ben in Heartbeat was one of Richard's first major TV roles, but he did have a number of parts in shows and films such as Agatha Christie's Poirot and The Calling. After his stint in the police drama, Richard went on to appear in other popular programmes such as Lewis, Endeavour and Hunted. He also appeared as Stephen Ward in season two of The Crown. His most recent role, however, was as Dr. Thomas Chamberlain in BBC's Silent Witness – a role he had for seven years.
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
