The DEATH of a clown

Midsomer’s leading man Neil Dudgeon tells TV Times why he loves Barnaby’s new circus-themed case, especially as he got to work with pal Jason Watkins

- Natasha holt

Roll up, roll up! TV’s leading man of the moment Jason Watkins (The Crown, Hold the Sunset, Line of Duty) is guest-starring as a circus ringmaster in this week’s new episode of ITV’s hit crime drama Midsomer Murders.

The sixth and final episode of series 20, called Send in the Clowns, sees Jason play Joe Ferabee, whose family-run business, Ferabee’s Circus, is facing financial ruin.

And of course, given this is Midsomer land, things soon take a gruesome turn thanks to a string of sinister clown sightings and the circus’ lead clown being shot dead mid-act.

Can the county’s top cops DCI John Barnaby and DS Jamie Winter (Neil Dudgeon and Nick Hendrix) piece together the clues to crack the case before the death toll rises?

TV Times caught up with the always-lovely Neil, 59, who tells us that, in order to work on this case, first Barnaby must conquer his own fear of clowns!

Tell us more about how Barnaby and Winter’s latest case begins...