Father Brown has made a triumphant return to BBC One for its 12th season, and fans are reminiscing about some of the show's familiar faces. Hugo Speer bid farewell to his fellow cast members in the eighth season, when he played Inspector Valentine.

As part of the original line-up, Inspector Valentine was the head of the local police force who secretly admired Father Brown (Mark Williams). However, his admiration was often at odds with his frustration over the priest's unpredictable behaviour.

Despite his unorthodox methods often leaving Valentine red-faced, over time he grew to respect Father Brown's approach and confessed that he would miss him upon his departure. After being promoted to Detective Chief Inspector and relocating to London, he made a comeback in the final episode of series eight, The Tower of Lost Souls.

It seems that the actor decided to leave the show to explore new opportunities, including roles in the series London Kills and Shadow and Bone. He also starred in the film Trick or Treat as a comedian.

The Harrogate-born actor, now 55, most recently portrayed Guy in The Full Monty in 2023. Fans might be intrigued to learn that the actor also played the first-ever police officer in Death in Paradise, DI Charlie Hulme.

When his character returned to Father Brown, he appeared to be a different man. The episode concluded with him going on a hike with the priest and presenting him with a police badge.

Inspector Valentine's exit from the beloved series Father Brown saw him replaced by the dashing Inspector Sullivan, portrayed by Tom Chambers. Making his debut in the second series, Chambers' character was the first in a succession of new faces in the law enforcement role, followed by Inspector Mallory, played by Jack Deam, who has since departed the show ahead of the new season.

Actor Hugo Speer, who originally joined the cast in 2013, has enjoyed a thriving career post-Father Brown, becoming a regular on The Musketeers as Minister Treville and later featuring in Britannia as Lucius and Marcella as Frank Young.

Speer tied the knot with Vivienne Harvey in 2015 and is a proud father to his daughter Nico Belle.

Over the years, the series has bid farewell to other notable characters such as Keith Osborn's Sergeant Albright and Kasia Koleczek's "Susie" Jasinski.

Catch the latest episodes of Father Brown on BBC One every Friday.