Shetland star Ashley Jensen has opened up about behind-the-scenes "panic" while filming the latest season of the BBC detective drama. The Scottish actress revealed that producers were left "panicking" when shooting was disrupted, as a boat they were using for scenes was sold by its owner before they had finished filming. Ashley, 56, stars as DI Ruth Calder, who returned to her native Shetland after 30 years in season eight. The actress took over from Douglas Henshall after he left the role at the end of series seven.
During an appearance on ITV's This Morning on Monday, Ashley gave fans an idea of what to expect from the new season. "The show opens with a stake-out," said the After Life actress.[Calder's] had a tip off from an informant and she goes to this fishing boat, assuming she's going to find a lot of drugs. It involved sifting through a lot of fish and there were none, just a lot of fish."
© Jamie Simpson / ITV Studios / BBCRevealing the behind-the-scenes disruption to filming, Ashley explained: "The funny story with that fishing boat is, we shot the first scene and then we got wind that the fisherman was going to sell his boat and we were like, 'We've still got scenes to do with the boat', which I thought was really nice. It let us know that life goes on, despite the fact that we're making a BBC One primetime television show. He was like, 'Well, I've got a buyer for my boat'. We ended up having to go back and use a different boat for the interior."
The actress continued: "And then at one point our lovely producer Louise was quietly panicking but not letting anyone know she was panicking, saying, 'We've got to find another boat, we are going to have to build a set.' They were talking about getting refrigeration because obviously there was fish. We did end up using another boat after he sold his, so the magic of TV."
What is Shetland about?
The acclaimed murder-mystery drama follows detective duo Calder and Tosh as they investigate crimes on the titular Scottish islands. In the new episodes, the detectives are drawn to a remote village following the sinister murder of an elderly woman. The synopsis continues: "As they begin to unravel life in this close-knit community, shocking, long-buried secrets rise to the surface with unexpected consequences for all – including the team."
© BBC/Silverprint Pictures/Jamie SimpsonWho stars in Shetland?
Ashley Jensen, who's known for her roles in Agatha Raisin, Ugly Betty and Extras, reprises her role as DI Ruth Calder, alongside Alison O'Donnell (Pet Sematary, Holby City) as DI Alison ''Tosh'' McIntosh.
Other returning stars include Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson, Lewis Howden as Sgt Billy McCabe, Anne Kidd as forensic pathologist Cora McLean, Conor McCarry as PC Alex Grant and Angus Miller as Donnie.
© Jamie SimpsonAs for season ten's guest cast, viewers can expect to see Clive Russell (The Witcher, Sandman) in the role of Arthur Mair, alongside Ellie Haddington (Motherland, Guilt) as Lana Mair, Niall MacGregor (The Bombing of Pan AM 103, Line of Duty) as Tom Jameson, Louise Brealey (Such Brave Girls, Sherlock) as Isobel Jameson and Frances Gray (Tom Jones, Vera) as Gina Powell. Other guest stars include Stephen McMillan (Toxic Town, Boiling Point) as David Powell and Stuart Townsend (Into The Deep, Two Minutes to Midnight) as Ed Tulloch.
Shetland season ten begins on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 9pm on Wednesday 5 November 2025.
