Emilia Fox to return with true crime series 'In the Footsteps of Killers'

Silent Witness star Emilia Fox is set to return to real-life cold cases with a new series of In the Footsteps of Killers.

The actor, known for playing forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander in the crime drama, has been confirmed as returning to host Channel 4's true crime documentary.

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Series one of In the Footsteps of Killers was three episodes long and the second series has been doubled to six episodes, taking tips from fans on what to include.

Many of the cases that will be featured were suggested by viewers who appealed to Fox and her co-host, criminologist Professor David Wilson, for help in highlighting cases close to them.

They will look at unsolved murders, the people involved and the circumstances of each case in real-life echoes of BBC series Silent Witness.

Will Rowson, commissioning editor at Channel 4, said: "Emilia and David are great talent and each bring their own following to the channel. The first series was stylish, purposeful and compassionate. I’m delighted to have recommissioned such a distinctive and successful title in a competitive space."

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The new series has also signed up criminologist Dr Graham Hill to contribute.

Wilson may be familiar to fans of true crime documentaries as he also starred in this week's Ian Brady and Myra Hindley documentary Moors Murders, looking back over decades of correspondence between the killers in prison.

His book Mary Ann Cotton: Britain's First Female Serial Killer was the inspiration for 2016 ITV drama Dark Angel, which starred Joanne Froggatt as Cotton.

Fox is due to star in the TV drama Signora Volpe later this year as Sylvia Fox, a disillusioned British spy-turned-detective who begins a new life in Italy but finds that trouble follows her to her new home.

Signora Volpe has been created by Midsomer Murders writers Rachel Cuperman and Sally Griffiths.

Watch: Dr David Wilson reviews TV and movie serial killers