AS 'SILENT WITNESS' MAKES A RIVETING RETURN EMILIA FOX ON MAKING ON-SCREEN ROMANCE WORK AND WHY LOVE PLUS SCIENCE IS THE SHOW'S WINNING FORMULA

'We wanted the pressure to bring our characters closer - to bring light into a dark world'

- NICKY MORRIS

Her character's sizzling will-they-won't-they romance has been intriguing viewers for years. And as a new series of BBC1's crime drama Silent Witness kicks off, actress Emilia Fox says the chemistry between Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson - together with forensic science - is at the heart of the show's appeal.

"We wanted to do it differently to the other dramas that would make them combust," says the 49-year-old star, joining her leading man David Caves to talk to HELLO!

"We wanted the pressure to bring them closer and closer. We didn't want it to become too relationship-orientated, but to bring some light into a dark and heavy world." With more twists, turns and macabre plotlines than ever, the 27th series, which began last week, certainly does that.

"Because they are together now, we've been trying to work out how to have them in relationship and a working together," Emilia says. "We didn't want to have a break-up conflict thing."