Neil Dudgeon has been playing DCI John Barnaby in Midsomer Murders since 2011 and has no plans to leave the series anytime soon, but bookies are already predicting his successor

Neil Dudgeon, who plays the lead role of John Barnaby in ‘Midsomer Murders’, isn’t planning to hang up his detective hat just yet, but that hasn’t stopped bookies from speculating on his potential replacement. During a frank discussion with Radio Times, Neil said: “I’m very happy in the countryside, it’s very nice. And no, I assume that at some point, I’ll get the hook.”

Bookmakers are already piecing together their predictions for who might step into Neil’s role, with the spotlight shining on Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver, especially after she revealed she’s leaving the iconic soap. Currently, she’s pegged at odds of 10/1 to take over as Midsomer’s prime investigator, while Kenny Doughty from Vera and Ralf Little of Death in Paradise are also in the running.

Adding to the buzz, Betway spokesperson Mike Reading said: “With speculation swirling about Neil Dudgeon’s future in Midsomer Murders following the cancellation of spin-off McDonald and Dodds, anticipation is mounting over who could step into the role of DCI John Barnaby as the next lead detective in the beloved crime drama.”

Vera’s Kenny Doughty stands out as the current frontrunner with a 5/1 chance, while Death in Paradise’s Ralf Little isn’t far behind at 6/1, reports the Manchester Evening News. Yet, there’s particular buzz surrounding Kirsty Dillon – who previously played Gail Stephens until 2011 – at 8/1, sparking rumours that she could return to potentially become the show’s first female lead detective.

Further speculation has been stirred with the thought that such a revamp, coinciding with the show’s 30th anniversary, could breathe fresh life into the beloved series. As the series approaches its 30th anniversary, a fresh face could bring an exciting new dynamic to the show’s long tradition of reinvention.

Sue Cleaver as Eileen Grimshaw in Coronation Street(Image: ITV)

There’s also a chance that a familiar face could take the helm, with former DS Gavin Troy actor Daniel Casey at 9/1. Meanwhile, original star John Nettles remains a long-shot at 80/1-but in Midsomer Murders, surprises are never off the table.

Sue Cleaver recently shared a candid admission on Loose Women about her decision to say goodbye to Coronation Street after an impressive 25 years as Eileen Grimshaw. The soap legend shared that she’s currently filming her final scenes and made up her mind to exit two years ago.

She told the panel: “I have decided after 25 wonderful years that it is time to hang Eileen back up in the prop cupboard. I’ve decided it’s time to leave, and they’re keeping the door firmly open for me. It’s just the right time!”

Expanding on her plans, she said: “Yeah, 2022, I’ve been planning it! We’ve started filming my exit storyline, the lovely Katy Cavanagh’s come back who plays Julie Carp.

“We’ve literally started filming that, it’s going to be emotional, it’s going to be hard, I’ve got a lot of friends there, I will still have a connection to it. “.