Silent Witness and New Tricks Creator Nigel McCrery Discloses Terminal Illness Diagnosis

Nigel McCrery, 71, the individual behind the BBC crime series Silent Witness and New Tricks, has for the first time publicly disclosed his diagnosis with a terminal illness. During an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live programme, McCrery stated that he learned of his condition three weeks prior. He remarked, “It comes as quite a shock,” adding, “I mean people deal with their deaths in different ways, and I think it’s all very, very individual to each of us. But I think for a little while you do go into shock – or I did, and I was in a bit of a state.” Before embarking on his television career, McCrery was a police officer, serving with the murder squad in Nottingham. In a 2013 interview with the BBC, he mentioned leaving school “under a cloud destined to do not much at all” due to his struggles with dyslexia, subsequently holding various jobs before becoming a police officer. Following his departure from Nottinghamshire Police, he joined the BBC in 1990 via a graduate entry scheme, quickly transitioning to the drama department. His policing experience informed the creation of the drama Backup, which aired from 1995 to 1997 and depicted a police operational support unit in the West Midlands. Building on that achievement, he then developed the drama Silent Witness in 1996. This series focuses on forensic pathologists and scientists as they investigate criminal cases and endeavor to apprehend perpetrators. Featuring Amanda Burton initially and later Emilia Fox, it has become one of the BBC’s longest-running programs, with its 27th series broadcast earlier this year. He subsequently created a third crime series, New Tricks, in 2005. This program centered on three retired police officers brought back to resolve cold cases and served as a prominent role for Dennis Waterman, running for a decade. In 2002, McCrery diverged from crime dramas to co-create the BBC drama Born and Bred with Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall. This television series, which aired from 2002 to 2005, explored life in the fictional Lancashire village of Ormston during the 1950s. Discussing his diagnosis, McCrery shared with Saturday Live, “I used to cry a lot, I used to sob a lot.” In response, host Nikki Bedi observed, “You’re saying used to like it’s in the past, but it’s only three weeks.” McCrery replied, “I don’t know how long it’ll take me to get used to that,” adding, “It’s not that I’m scared of dying, I’m actually not. I have wonderful granddaughters, and it’s missing them growing up. It’s the things I’ll be missing by not being around that I’ll find the hardest to cope with.” McCrery, who has also authored several fiction and non-fiction works, including the Silent Witness book series, indicated that the diagnosis constantly occupies his thoughts, and emotional responses can be triggered by elements such as music. He stated, “I don’t like crying in public, so I tend to get myself out of the way until it’s out of my system.” He continued, “And I’m hoping that as time goes on and the realisation becomes more real that I’ll calm down completely.” He further confessed, “I’m more scared of crying in front of my granddaughters, actually.” The specific nature of the illness was not disclosed by McCrery during the interview. He concluded by saying, “You push, and you try and get this made and that made, but the bottom line is – the best bet is to be with your family.”