List of guests on The Bill

The following is a list of actors who have appeared in The Bill who are notable to have continued on into much bigger roles, or have taken guest roles following retirement. Special appearances are also noted.

Officers in guest roles

• Scott Neal had guest roles in both 1995 and 1996 before landing the part of PC Luke Ashton in 1997.
• John McArdle had guest roles in 1994, 1995 and 2001 before landing the part of Ch. Supt. Ian Barratt in 2005.
• Billy Murray had guest roles in 1989 and 1990 before landing the part of DS Don Beech in 1995.
• Rhona Mitra had guest role as Sarah Wickes in episode "Outer" in 1996.
• Lolita Chakrabarti had four guest roles between 1993 and 1996 before landing the part of WPC Jamila Blake in 1997.
• Russell Boulter had a guest role as PC Trevor Gale in 1992 before landing the part of DS John Boulton in 1995.
• Tony O'Callaghan had a guest role as Danny Moran in 1989 before landing the part of Sgt. Matthew Boyden in 1991.
• Connie Hyde had guest roles in 1995 and 1999 before landing the part of PC Cathy Bradford in 2002.
• Melanie Kilburn had guest roles in 1996 and 1998 before landing the part of PC Laura Bryant in 2004.
• Christopher Fox had a guest role as Keith Harkness in 2007 before landing the part of DS Max Carter later that year.
• Philip Whitchurch had two guest roles in 1990 before landing the part of Ch. Insp. Phillip Cato in 1993.
• Steven Hartley had guest roles in 1994 and 1998 before landing the part of Supt. Tom Chandler in 2000.
• Holly Davidson had a guest role as Collette Corbett in 1998 before landing the part of PC Roz Clarke in 2000.
• Ben Roberts had a guest role in 1987 before landing the part of Ch. Insp. Derek Conway in 1988.
• Roland Oliver had two guest roles prior and one after his role as Sgt. Joseph Corrie in 1990.
• Kerry Peers had two guest stints as Jenny Whittaker in 1990 before landing the role of WDC Suzi Croft in 1993.
• Moya Brady had a guest role as Stacey McNab in 1995 before landing the role of FDO Roberta Cryer in 2002.
• Ged Simmons had guest roles in 1994, 1997 and 1999 before landing the role of DI Alex Cullen in 2000.

Actors with special appearances

• Rik Mayall appeared as Patrick Massie, a murder suspect in series 13's "Humpty Dumpty".
• Bruce Payne appeared in the first series episode "Clutching at Straws".
• Sean Bean appeared in the first series episode "Long Odds".
• Norman Lovett appeared in the second series episode "Lost".
• Elisabeth Sladen appeared in the fifth series episode "Life and Death".
• Nicholas Courtney appeared as a judge in the seventh series episode "Crown v Cooper", before appearing as a doctor in the twenty-third series episode "Good Cop, Bad Cop".
• Meera Syal appeared as a solicitor in the seventh series episode "Machines", before later playing DCI Anita Wishart in The Bill spin-off series Murder Investigation Team.
• Robert Carlyle appeared in the seventh series episode "The Better Part of Valour".
• Martine McCutcheon appeared in the seventh series episode "Skeletons" as a paper girl, before returning to play Amanda Jones in the eighth series episode "A Scandalous Act".
• Emma Bunton appeared in the ninth series episode "Missionary Work" as a troubled teenager named Janice.
• Chesney Hawkes appeared in the seventh episode "Photo Finish".
• Keira Knightley appeared in an eleventh series episode "Swan Song" as a ten-year-old tearaway named Sheena Rose.
• Russell Brand appeared in the tenth series episode "Land of the Blind" as teenager Billy Case.
• Jesse Birdsall appeared during the eighteenth and nineteenth series as Ron Gregory, a criminal who blackmailed DS Phil Hunter.
• Leslie Phillips appeared in the twelfth series episode "Cheating".
• Martin Kemp appeared in the fourteenth series episode "The Bus Driver's Prayer".
• Nigel Planer appeared in the fifteenth series episode "Look Again".
• Jaime Murray appeared in the seventeenth series episode "A Pound of Flesh", before reappearing in three episodes in 2002.
• Lewis Collins appeared in the eighteenth series as a stem cell scientist named Dr. Peter Allen in the 2002 episode 034 (ep43).
• Sarah Tansey appeared during the twenty-second and twenty-third series as Ruth Baker, the stepmother of missing infant Amy Tennant.
• Peter Guinness appeared during the twenty-second and twenty-third series as Peter Harris.
• Letitia Dean played suspected arsonist Amanda Ronson in the third series episode "Playing with Fire".
• Hugh Laurie played Defence Counsel Harrap in the fourteenth series episode "Good Faith: Part 1".
• Emmanuel Petit played himself in the fourteenth series episode "When You Wish Upon a Star".
• Omid Djalili appeared in the fifteenth series episode "Chasing Shadows".
• Linda Lusardi played Don Beech's girlfriend Maggie Lyons during the sixteenth and twentieth series.
• Tony Blackburn appeared as himself in the seventeenth series episode "Night Games".
• Craig Charles played Martin Bailey in the eleventh series episode "Honey Pot".
• Ron Moody has appeared several times in guest roles, including one where he played the husband of Mollie Sugden.
• Eric Sykes appeared as pensioner Ted Davis in the nineteenth series episode "Episode 104".
• Sylvester McCoy appeared in the eighteenth series episode "Episode 011".
• Tom Hollander appeared in the eleventh series episode "Getaway" as 'O'Leary'.
• Lorraine Kelly appeared as herself in the nineteenth series when PC Cathy Bradford made an appearance on GMTV.
• Jack O'Connell appeared in four episodes during the twenty-first series as Ross Trescot.
• Kathy Burke appeared as Sherry Brooke in the fifth series episode "Leaving".
• Neil Reidman appeared as Daryl Gilchrist in three episodes during the sixteenth series.
• Roger Daltrey appeared in the fifteenth series episode "Cracked Up".
• Hywel Bennett appeared as the semi-recurring character of sex offender Peter Baxter during the eighteenth and twenty-first series.
• David Tennant appeared as kidnapper Steven Clements in the eleventh series episode "Deadline".
• Burt Kwouk appeared as the semi-recurring character of DC Suzie Sim's father during the nineteenth series.
• Laurie Brett appeared in the twelfth series episode "Reminders" and the fourteenth series episode "Forgive and Forget".
• Paul O'Grady appeared as DS Ted Roach's informant Roxanne in three episodes during the fifth series.
• Haluk Bilginer appeared as Olly in the fifteenth series episode "The Three Sergeants".

References