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Silent Witness: this Bridgerton star once starred on show - and she looks so different!

Silent Witness recently returned for a 25-year anniversary special, bringing back a familiar face, Amanda Burton, to reprise her role as Dr Sam Ryan.

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The comeback of the iconic role inspired us to head down memory lane and take a look back at some other familiar faces who have appeared on the forensic drama in its 25 year run – and we came across a certain Bridgerton star!

WATCH: Silent Witness teases rocky relationship ahead for Nikki and Jack

Did you know that Ruth Gemmell has appeared on Silent Witness numerous times over the years. Nowadays, she's perhaps best-known for her role as Lady Violet Bridgerton in the hugely popular Netflix series Bridgerton.

Ruth first appeared on Silent Witness back in 1996 to play the part of Detective Constable Kerry Cox. However, the actress' time on the show was initially short after her character died in a freak accident at the end of series one.

MORE: Silent Witness viewers left confused after 'random' scene

MORE: Emma Thompson's daughter lands role in BBC's Silent Witness

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Ruth Gemmell, pictured here in 2002, appeared in Silent Witness a number of times of the years

After appearing in a number of other popular TV programmes such as Tracy Beaker, in which she played the titular character's mum, The Bill and Waking the Dead, Ruth returned to Silent Witness, this time to play in a different character.

In 2006, she appeared in the second part of the episode titled Terminus, which appeared in series ten. The star took on the role of DI Beth Ashdown. In 2014, Ruth was once again cast in Silent Witness, this time for series 17 in the two-part episode titled, Undertone, in which she played Ellie Brooke.

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Ruth as Lady Violet in Bridgerton

More recently, Ruth's focus on TV has been in the reprisal of Tracy Beaker in CBBC's My Mum Tracy Beaker, and in Bridgerton.

Season two of Bridgerton landed on Netflix earlier this year and saw Ruth reprise her role as Lady Violet Bridgerton, mother to season two's leading star Anthony Bridgerton, who is played by Jonathan Bailey. It's thought that Ruth will also return for the upcoming future seasons of the period drama.

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