Ask most British viewers to name the detective in charge of New Tricks, and Amanda Redman usually comes to mind before the plot does — she anchored the BBC One show from 2003 to 2013, then walked away from Sandra Pullman while the show was still huge. In a WhatToWatch interview about the exit, Redman said she had been talking about leaving for some time and wanted the chance to move on and do something different.

Born: 12 August 1957  ·  Left New Tricks: 2013, after series 10  ·  Replaced by: Tamzin Outhwaite  ·  Still searched today: her exit and her scar

International recognition as DS Sandra Pullman in New Tricks from 2003.

Why she left New Tricks

Left after series 10, not before it, according to BBC News, the broadcaster’s entertainment desk. She told WhatToWatch, the TV magazine site, that she had been thinking about leaving for some time.

Alun Armstrong left after series 7 because he felt the show had run its course. James Bolam’s character was written out after series 8 due to creative differences.

According to her Wikipedia biography, she was scalded by a pan of boiling soup.

The essentials below come from Redman’s Wikipedia biography, the community-edited reference page, with news reports linked where available.

Born 12 August 1957 in Brighton, East Sussex
Best-known role Sandra Pullman in New Tricks
Series she left Left after series 10 in 2013
Context of her exit BBC News reported she would leave after the tenth series; Tamzin Outhwaite replaced her.

The timeline of an exit fans still talk about

The dates below explain why Redman left and why the show kept changing around her.

12 Aug 1957 Born in Brighton.
2003 New Tricks begins on BBC One.
2013 Redman leaves after series 10. BBC News, the broadcaster’s entertainment desk, reported her departure.
July 2013 She told WhatToWatch, the TV magazine site, that she had been considering leaving for some time.

The real reason Amanda Redman left New Tricks

  • Redman left after series 10, not during filming of an earlier series.
  • She pointed to the schedule: 10 episodes took 10 months, leaving no time for other work.
  • Her agent told the Mirror that she was quitting New Tricks for another project.
  • A year after the exit, she told WhatToWatch, the TV magazine site, that she did not regret leaving and had been getting stale.
The consistent thread: Redman frames her exit as a career choice, not a feud. She wanted different work and more space.

Life and career background

The biography on Wikipedia, the community-edited reference page, gives the background: she was scalded at 18 months old by a pan of boiling soup. Hello! reported that Redman said her left arm remains badly scarred as a result. Future of Personal Health, the wellness outlet, has quoted her saying her parents taught her to be proud rather than to hide.

Why that matters: the scar is often framed as a hardship story, but Redman’s own interviews treat it as part of her history, not as a defining injury.

What she said about leaving

She had been talking about leaving for some time. She wanted the chance to move on and do something different.

WhatToWatch, quoting Amanda Redman

Digital Spy’s TV section also covered the schedule factor, with Digital Spy reporting that Redman blamed the heavy schedule and described the farewell as a very tearful goodbye.

The reason Redman’s exit is still discussed is not because New Tricks ended badly. The evidence points in a different direction: a long-running star, a gruelling schedule, and a performer who had been ready to leave for some time.

Bottom line: Amanda Redman’s New Tricks exit was not the result of an on-set feud. It was a deliberate career decision made after a decade of playing Sandra Pullman, with the demands of the schedule contributing to her decision.
Additional sources

cbtrust.org.uk, digitalspy.com, theweek.com, whattowatch.com, mirror.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org, metroreport.uk, bbc.com

Frequently asked questions

Why did Amanda Redman actually leave New Tricks?

She told WhatToWatch, the TV magazine site, that she had been thinking about leaving for some time and wanted the chance to do different work. BBC News confirmed she would leave after series 10. Digital Spy reported that she also blamed the schedule: 10 episodes took 10 months, and she described the farewell as a very tearful goodbye.

Why did Alun Armstrong leave New Tricks?

Alun Armstrong left after series 7 because he felt the show had run its course.

How did Dennis Waterman leave New Tricks?

Dennis Waterman left after series 12, with his character written out as moving on to a new job.

How did Amanda Redman get her scar?

She was scalded by a pan of boiling soup at 18 months old. Redman has said her left arm remains badly scarred as a result.

Sources

  • Amanda Redman’s Wikipedia biography — the starting point for dates, credits and biographical context.
  • BBC News on her departure — the contemporary news report saying she would leave after series 10.
  • WhatToWatch on why leaving took bravery — Redman’s own account of deciding to go.
  • Digital Spy’s TV section — contemporary coverage of the schedule factor.
  • Future of Personal Health — interview material on how she felt about her scar.