A TV star looked completely unrecognisable when he enjoyed a stroll around London on Tuesday wearing a striking yellow hat and bold coat. 

The actor, 69, who appeared on a prime-time hit show looked worlds away from the role that made him famous. 

Wearing an eye-catching hounds tooth patterned winter coat and his large yellow trilby, the TV star flew under the radar as he made his way through the capital. 

He famously played a much loved character called PC Reg Hollis from The Bill.

Underneath his large winter coat, the actor wore a pair of brown cheque trousers, a green knitted jumper, tan boots and a pair of thick-rimmed black glᴀsses. 

He stuffed one hand in his pocket and carried a book in the other and even fans of the show would no doubt have struggled to recognise him following his transformation. 

TV star, 69, looked unrecognisable 16 years after leaving hit show when he was pictured enjoying a stroll around London on Tuesday wearing a striking yellow hat 

Wearing an eye-catching hounds tooth patterned winter coat and a large yellow trilby hat, the TV star flew under the radar as he made his way through the capital

That’s right, it’s actor Jeff Stewart

Since leaving The Bill, Jeff, who was known for his clean cut appearance on the hit show, sported a very large bushy grey beard and a head of curly hair. 

But he now seems to have changed his look, opting for a shaved face and shorter hair. 

Earlier this year fans were shocked after seeing snaps of the actor showing off his quirky sense of style with a chequered wool coat and a bright yellow T-shirt.

The actor starred in The Bill for more than twenty years, first appearing alongside Graham Cole’s PC Tony Stamp and Mark Wingett’s character DC Jim Carver in 1984. 

He eventually left the show in 2008 to star in ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man Running before starring in Tomorrow in 2010 and Under Jakob’s Ladder in 2011 where he picked up Best Actor at the Manhattan Film Festival.

He also starred in several films including How To Become A Criminal Mastermind and Longtails before taking on the role of Skipper in The Road Dance in 2022. 

The Scottish actor told The Sun in 2011: ‘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.

That’s right, it’s Jeff Stewart! The actor is a far cry from much loved character PC Reg Hollis from The Bill 

He stuffed one hand in his pocket and carried a book in the other and even fans of the show would no doubt ave struggled to recognise him following his transformation

The actor starred in The Bill for more than twenty years, first appearing alongside Graham Cole’s PC Tony Stamp and Mark Wingett’s character DC Jim Carver in 1984

He was eventually killed off in 2008 and speaking about the the producer’s decision he said: ‘I felt I had been badly let down’ and revealed he tried 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 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.

THE CAST OF THE BILL: WHAT THEY DID NEXT

Graham Cole – Tony Stamp

Stalwart star Graham played PC Stamp for over 20 years.

He was written out the year before the show was axed, when he became a driving instructor instead.

He was written out because The Bill was being regenerated with a younger cast. This, however, led to its downfall.

Graham did return to acting, however, and was seen in the likes of Law & Order: UK, Doctors and Holby City.

He was also awarded an OBE for his continuing work with charities.

Mark Wingett – Jim Carver 

Mark appeared as Carver 720 of The Bill’s 2425 episodes of The Bill.

He was already a known actor, featuring in the likes of Quadrophenia and The Professionals.

He had a two-year hiatus from The Bill but returned for the final episodes when the show ended in 2010.

He has since cropped up in the likes of Doctors and Hollyoaks and appeared in 2015’s big screen adaptation of Far From The Madding Crowd, opposite Carey Mulligan, Juno Temple and Michael Sheen.

Chris Ellison – Frank Burnside 

Chris played the volatile Burnside for 15 years on The Bill and proved so popular that he got a spin-off in 2000.

тιтled Burnside, it saw him work for the National Crime Squad.

It only ran for one season, and aired six episodes.

He has since appeared in EastEnders, an audio play for Doctor Who, as a contestant on Pointless Celebrities and found himself on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015 alongside Janice Dickinson, Jenna Jameson and Daniel Baldwin.

Jeff Stewart – Reg Hollis

Jeff is best known for his role as PC Reg Hollis in The Bill. The actor played the much-loved character for 24 years before the character was axed in 2008

Jeff ‘felt badly let down’ by the shock axing and later tried to take his own life.

But he overcame his mental health problems and has continued to act in roles in Crossroads, Doctor Who and Hi-De-Hi! He also appeared in killer crocodile sequel Lake Placid: The Final Chapter. 

Trudie Goodwin – June Ackland 

Ackland was the longest -standing female character on The Bill with Trudie fronting the role for 24 years from its 1983 pilot to 2007.

The character left the series when her relationship with Jim Carver came to an end. 

From 2011 to 2015, she starred in Emmerdale as Georgia.

She also made headlines when it was revealed her daughter is the pop star La Roux.

 

Eric Richard – Bob Cryer

Appearing in 670 of The Bill’s episodes, Eric eventually said goodbye to the cop drama in 2004.

He appeared in Holby City afterwards and even cropped up in 2017’s Christopher Nolan epic Dunkirk, which starred the likes of Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy.

 Off-screen, he suffered personal tragedy when his grandson Charlie was revealed to have been the youngest victim of the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004.

Diane Parish – Eva Sharpe 

Diane played DC Eva Sharpe – the extrovert, out-spoken constable who was beloved by many and irritated by some.

She left The Bill after a short stint and joined the cast of EastEnders in 2006, where she has been a mainstay ever since, playing tough cookie Denise Fox.

She took time off the soap after having a baby but returned 18 months later.

She won the Royal Television Society award for Best Actress in 2001.

Roberta Taylor – Gina Gold

The character of Gold featured between 2002 and 2008, deciding to resign from the force after another character was held hostage. Before landing a role on The Bill, Roberta Taylor had roles on shows such as Inspector Morse, Minder, and The Knock, to name a few.

Prior to this, she was a regular face on EastEnders, playing Irene Raymond from 1997–2000. She went on to appear in Father Brown and Casualty, and cropped up in Luther last year.