(Photo: BBC Studios)

When Silent Witness returns for its 26th season next year, Emilia Fox's Dr. Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and David Caves' Jack Hodgson will be joined by a couple of new recruits. 

The BBC has announced that Aki Omoshaybi (Doctor Who, Queens of Mystery) and Alastair Michael (Snatch, Ridley Road) will play forensics experts at very different stages of their careers. BBC Studios shared via Twitter a picture of them out on an assignment with Caves' Jack Hodgson.

Omoshaybi's character Gabriel Folukoya is described as an academic, neurologist and pathologist who "has spent much of his career in innovative research." Omoshaybi said: "Gabriel has much less practical experience than Nikki and prefers to computer model an autopsy than to slice a body open, but deep down Gabriel knows he needs people like Nikki and Jack. He’s at a juncture in his life where he needs to make changes, to open up more, to allow himself to be more vulnerable."
Meanwhile, Michael's character Velvy Schur is a young man who has recently left the Orthodox Jewish community he grew up in. He is now on a new path as an APT (Anatomical Pathology Technologist) trainee. "He is still acclimatizing to the change and conflicted about the life he left behind, but he is eager for new knowledge, new experiences, and new friendships," said Michael. "This curiosity can sometimes get the better of him and it might even ruffle some people's feathers. So, it'll be fun to see how that plays out in the Lyell."
Alongside the two newbies, actress Rhiannon May will be returning to the cast as Cara Connelly, the niece of Caves' character. The new season of Silent Witness will comprise of five stories told over 10 episodes; it's due on BBC One and iPlayer in the U.K. and BritBox in the U.S. early next year.
Are you excited about the return of Silent Witness?