ITV This Morning star sparks frenzy as he fuels fans' Midsomer Murders appearance rumours

This Morning's Gyles Brandreth shared a photo of himself with actor Neil Dudgeon, who is best known for his role as DCI John Barnaby in ITV's Midsomer Murders. The picture of the grinning pair gave absolutely nothing away, but fans immediately started theorising about whether Gyles could be the next big name to make a grand entrance on the show.

Fans predicted "midsummer mayhem" as one quizzed on Twitter: "Will we be seeing Gyles Brandreth in a future episode?" Another besotted follower exclaimed: "Oh my actual god!! This is my dream! Midsomer Murders forever! Gyles, I literally cannot thank you enough for this!" (sic)

"My best detective! Hope there hasn't been a murder!" a third chimed in. "Be careful. When Barnaby's around, you know at least 3 people are going to be murdered," teased a fourth. (sic)

Someone thought a few key elements were missing that could have been good for dramatic effect. "What? No Vicar, no candlestick, no pistol and no library!" they exclaimed. (sic)

However, one fan thought Gyles might immediately find himself in the firing line, warning: "You'll probably get arrested - it's usually the famous person who did it!" It certainly wouldn't be the first time, as the pair memorably appeared on a Halloween special of This Morning together back in 2021, which saw Gyles accused of a Cluedo murder.

Neil swiftly identified his pal as the man responsible for killing lady of the manor Josie Gibson, who'd been terrifyingly bludgeoned to death.

As she lay motionless on the floor, Neil called upon his renowned detective skills to discover the weapon was not the usual candlestick, but a This Morning National Television Award.

The hefty gong seemed to have knocked her out as she didn't move a muscle - but the Cluedo mystery was solved.

Now fans are convinced that Gyles could be the new Detective Sergeant - but he's neither confirmed nor denied it so far, leaving the theory as much of a mystery as one of the famous Midsomer plots.

Earlier this year, fans feared that the once hugely popular show was being cancelled by ITV after it seemingly disappeared from viewing schedules during its 23rd series.

However, viewers can breathe a huge sigh of relief, as Express.co.uk has been able to confirm that isn't the case.

That said, the show has suffered a backlash this year over a "woke" fetish storyline featuring a former Coronation Street star.

In spite of harsh criticism recently, the show has been a staple in some viewers' lives for decades, raising hopes that it could win favour with the public.