The Bill’s Jeff Stewart looks worlds away from character PC Reg Hollis as he steps out in London

He is best known for his role as loveable PC Reg Hollis police drama, The Bill.

But Jeff Stewart looked almost unrecognisable on Sunday as he stepped out for a spot of shopping in north London.

The actor, 65, cut a casual figure in a brown coat teamed with a yellow sports cap as he soaked up the sunshine during the casual outing. 

He teamed his coat with a grey checked shirt and blue jeans, finishing his look off with a tote shopping bag and dark shades. 

Gone is the clean-cut look and slicked back raven locks Jeff was known for on the TV show, with the thespian now sporting, long, greying wispy hair and a silver beard.   

Jeff appeared in good spirits during his low-key outing as he wandered along the high street.  

The Scottish native looked distinctly different from his lovable character Reg, who was Sun Hill’s police federation rep.

Though he didn’t appear in the pilot episode, he featured regularly from the first regular installment onwards and appeared in a total of 872 episodes.

The star played Reg for 24 years, before the character was sadly axed in January 2008.

Speaking in 2011 about the decision, Jeff told The Sun: ‘I felt I had been badly let down.’ 

After hearing the plans from the show’s producers Jeff went back to his dressing room and still dazed by the news, attempted to take his own life. 

As he began to black out he changed his mind and rang the front desk for help.

Luckily he was found in time and was rushed from the studios in Merton, South West London to hospital.

‘I didn’t see a counsellor, it was evident I was OK and I never worried how it would affect my career.

‘I thought, “I have a choice, you can either stagnate or blossom”‘, he added.

Meanwhile, when pictures at the time emerged on the internet of him sporting a full beard, fans presumed he was still suffering with depression. 

However, Jeff defended his scruffy appearance as a way to distance himself from the clean shaven Reg with whom he had become synonymous.

He said: ‘I didn’t cut my hair for three years. It was a thought-out, deliberate choice.

‘I thought, “I have to look as different as possible”.

The Bill ran for a total of 26 years, with the popular series ending in 2010 after being axed – much to the dismay of staunch fans. 

However, earlier this month it was reported that The Bill could be set for a comeback, with three of the hit show’s biggest stars interested in making a return, more than a decade after the series ended.

It is understood that Graham Cole, Trudie Goodwin and Mark Wingett have been approached by writer Simon Sansome who has allegedly acquired the rights.

A source has also claimed that the idea for a reboot, thought to be named Sun Hill after the station where the series was based, really kicked off after the original cast reconnected in 2020.

They told The Sun: ‘Simon [Sansome] started investigating the rights and managed to acquire them. Three of the best known stars are in talks and he’s hopeful he can get them on board.

‘They’re in constant contact and the project has begun to move on quickly. There’s a couple of channels interested in bringing back what is such a well-loved story.’

The source also claimed that the show intends to have a mix of old and new cast members with the older stars returning as consultants.

They said: ‘The new, green, coppers need a helping hand after murder and suicide rates go sky-high in Sun Hill so they bring back the legends as consultants.’

Although writer Simon is heading the project, EastEnders and Holby City writer Tony McHale is understood to have seen the script and being talks about joining the team.

MailOnline has contacted Graham, Trudie and Mark’s representatives for a comment at the time.