Shetland series 11: How and why does Alison O'Donnell's Tosh leave the BBC One crime drama?
Strap in for a "wild ride"
Shetland series 11 lands on BBC One this November, and fans will be tuning in knowing that it’s Alison O’Donnell’s last appearance as DS Alison ‘Tosh’ McIntosh – but how does she leave and does she die?
The Scottish actress and mother of two announced she was leaving the series back in June. And, although we know it’s only natural for her to move on, we are (not so) quietly gutted.
Tosh has been a pivotal character in the detective drama since the very first series in 2013. Teaming up with Douglas Henshall’s DI Jimmy Perez in series 1, she soon became a firm favourite. There’s no doubt these were the glory years of Shetland.
In 2023’s series 8, Ashley Jensen arrived as DI Ruth Calder to replace Henshall’s Perez, who moved on to pastures new. But now it is time for Alison O’Donnell to move on too, but how and why does Tosh leave Shetland? Here’s everything we know so far…
***Warning: spoilers from Shetland series 11 episode 1 ahead***
Why is Alison O’Donnell leaving Shetland?
Shetland’s original cast member Alison O’Donnell announced she’s leaving the BBC One crime drama after 13 years on the show. The character was created for the TV series, and does not feature in the Ann Cleeves books.
Her time will be coming to an end after Shetland series 11, which starts on BBC One on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 9pm.
At the time of the announcement, Alison O’Donnell said: “Playing Tosh has been the greatest gift an actor could hope for. To be able to stay with the character, to allow her to grow in depth and maturity, and to be consistently rewarded and challenged by the writing and stories, has been such a rich and special experience.
“And to have had the support and loyalty of our wonderful audience has meant so much. I feel so incredibly lucky to have worked with so many hugely talented people both on and off screen.”
Understandably, Alison wishes to explore other acting opportunities. Tosh remains her only other significant TV role, having previously performed mostly in local theatre.
She said: “I grew up in this job. It has shaped me as an actor, and as a collaborator. It’s in my bones and in my heart. As are the isles themselves, which have become like a second home to me, and to my family.
“It’s not going to be easy to leave it all behind, but I am excited for the future, for new adventures, and to take everything I have learned and loved in Shetland forward with me, to whatever may come next.”
How does Tosh leave Shetland?
Alison’s final storyline is part of the “thrilling new six-part” series 11 of Shetland. It “centres around an historic murder which will forever change the lives of all those connected in the present day”.
BBC One has not yet revealed exactly how Tosh does leave Shetland, or if they’ll kill her off. But there have been some clues from the cast and crew…
We do know that Billy McCabe (Lewis Howden) has a crucial part to play in Tosh’s exit scenes. At the end of the last series, Tosh discovered her mentor and old friend Billy had accepted bribes from his former Sergeant.
Billy took Tosh’s advice and came clean, but their relationship is now fraught. As this new series begins, Billy is “living with the consequences of his actions and doing everything in his power to avoid Tosh”. Billy’s place in the department has shifted “quite dramatically” and it has knocked everything – and especially Tosh – off kilter.
Now demoted from Sergeant to PC, part of his penance is to avoid seeing Tosh, whom he feels he let down the most. But as this series unfolds, Billy’s “connection to Tosh proves vital and he is able to make amends for his own wrongdoing”.
How does Tosh leave Shetland and does she die?
BBC One has not yet revealed exactly how and why Tosh leaves Shetland. But we do know that the character is involved in some gruelling scenes before her exit… The trailer (see below) hints at danger for the fan favourite. Viewers see her trapped and calling for help.
The end of episode 1 put the fan favourite in grave danger. In series 11, Ruth and Tosh investigate the deaths of GP Raymond Linden, and construction worker Ivan Dudka. Could a serial killer be on the loose in Shetland?
As part of her investigation, Tosh visited an abandoned bunker in “the middle of nowhere”. It was possibly the last known place that Ivan was alive. Kudos to her detective skills, because she did find the dead body of Ivan in the building. But not before an unknown person had locked her in an underground tank with the dead body…
Crucially, no one knew where Tosh was going, and she has no signal in the tank. Will there be enough oxygen to keep her alive? And how long can she survive without food and water if she isn’t found?
‘Expect a wild ride’
Talking about her exit storyline, actress Alison O’Donnell told fans to expect a “wild ride”. She said: “These were some of the most challenging scenes I’ve ever shot for the show. All I can say is there was a huge amount of work involved – the building of special sets, an incredible stunt artist, and some extremely deep emotional digging. I think it’s a memorable exit.”
Describing her last scenes, she said: “On my final day, a lot of crew came dressed as Tosh. They were all wearing fair isle jumpers and had their hair up in a bun. It was so fun and thoughtful. Our producer Angus [Sharpe] made a speech after we wrapped my final scene. But sadly I can’t really remember what he said because I was crying, it just came over me. It just felt so overwhelming. I think it’s going to take me years to fully process it.”
