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Shetland star Douglas Henshall reveals plans to return after announcing shock exit

Series seven of the detective drama is set to begin airing on Wednesday 10 August

shetland douglas return
Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
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Douglas Henshall has opened up about whether he will ever make a return to Shetland following the sad news that he will be bowing out of the series at the end of the next series.

MORE: Shetland's Douglas Henshall teases romance storyline ahead of series seven

The 56-year-old actor announced last month that he had decided to wrap up his character DI Jimmy Perez's storyline on the show with its upcoming seventh season, but has now said that he would "absolutely" return to the Shetland Isles where the show is filmed.

WATCH: Shetland's season seven trailer reveals DI Jimmy Perez's final case 

Asked whether he has plans to return to the show's scenic shooting location, he said: "Absolutely, yes. What I'm looking forward to doing is going back and hopefully staying in the lighthouse at Sumburgh because it's fantastic."

MORE: Shetland star Douglas Henshall reveals reason behind shock exit

MORE: Shetland creator shares reaction to Douglas Henshall’s exit: 'He was perfect' 

He continued: "It looks right into the ocean and if the wind picks up and a storm comes in, it's the best place in the world to be. I want to take my daughter, show her the beaches and get her into the sea. Just to go and hang out and get to be a tourist would be nice."

shetland douglas© Photo: BBC

Douglas is leaving the show at the end of series seven

While he didn't say whether he would be up for making a cameo in future seasons of the show, the fact that he is more than eager to return to the rather remote area where the show is filmed - it is roughly 100 miles off the northeast coast of Scotland - should give fans hope.

shetland s7© Photo: BBC

Could he make a cameo in future episodes?

He went on to say that he will miss going to the islands so regularly now that he has shot his final season as the drama's lead detective. "There aren't many places like Shetland - it's very much of itself. It's unique and I'll miss that," he said.

MORE: Douglas Henshall's next role after Shetland revealed

Shetland season seven is set to make its return to screens on Wednesday 10 August and see Douglas' character take on his final case: the mysterious disappearance of a vulnerable young man on the Scottish island.

Meanwhile, BBC bosses have already confirmed that the show will return for an eighth series in 2023 but have yet to reveal who will be taking over as the new lead.

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