Bucks &amp; Oxon


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-93-1000x667.jpg" alt="Tom Chambers is starring on stage as Inspector Morse" class="wp-image-200876" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-93-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-93-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-93-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-93.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom Chambers as Inspector Morse</figcaption></figure>



<p>Chances are you&#8217;ll remember Tom Chambers from <em>Holby City</em> or <em>Father Brown</em> – or dancing his way to a <em>Strictly </em>win back in 2008 with his partner Camilla Dallarup.  These days, the Buckinghamshire boy and dad-of-three is back on the road touring a new stage version of <em>Inspector Morse</em> – written by one of the original writers of the TV show and bringing the famously cerebral detective to the stage for the first time. Muddy caught up with him to gossip about life on tour, <em>Strictly</em> and the moment he was on a plane when it was hijacked. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-there-pressure-playing-such-an-iconic-character">Is there pressure playing such an iconic character? </h3>



<p>Morse is a national treasure, and the show was always on the telly when I was growing up. But I was actually quite relaxed about the part until I spoke to friends and family, and they were all like, &#8216;Big shoes to fill&#8217;. And then journalists go, &#8216;Ooh, big shoes to fill&#8217;, and that&#8217;s when I started to panic.</p>



<p>The lovely thing about Inspector Morse – and about John Thaw – is that he was very unpoliceman-like. He was very relaxed and like one of us. This is not me trying to pretend to be John Thaw, but naturally, I do have to go into a place of utter relaxation because Morse is aloof and slightly anti-establishment. Much to the disappointment of my family, these days I am closer in life to John Thaw than Brad Pitt – so you’re not coming to see a Brad Pitt version of Morse.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-people-expect-from-the-play">What can people expect from the play? </h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-90-1000x667.jpg" alt="Tom Chambers on stage playing Inspector Morse" class="wp-image-200857" style="aspect-ratio:1.4992503748125936;width:640px;height:auto" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-90-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-90-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-90-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-90.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tachia Newall as Detective Sergeant Lewis with Tom Chambers as Inspector Morse</figcaption></figure>



<p>It’s written by Alma Cullen, one of the original TV writers, so it’s written exactly like an episode of Morse – but live on stage, playing out in real time. It’s a play within a play, which throws people at first because you think you’ve come to watch Morse, but Morse is actually sitting in the audience.</p>



<p>It’s called&nbsp;<em>House of Ghosts</em>&nbsp;because the old theatre was called a playhouse, and the ghosts are really the ghosts of Morse’s past. He’s back with old university friends watching a production from his student days – and then something happens, he stops the production, and it becomes a crime scene. I won&#8217;t give any more away, you&#8217;ll have to come and see it. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-do-you-love-most-about-touring">What do you love most about touring? </h3>



<p>I genuinely love being on the road. I love my job. Going to work as Morse is like going to a spa treatment. Life is so busy, and demanding and digital – you can be &#8216;got&#8217; at all times – and then I go to work, and I have to be completely relaxed. I really enjoy that.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-re-playing-morse-in-oxford-is-it-somewhere-you-know-well">You&#8217;re playing Morse in Oxford, is it somewhere you know well?</h3>



<p>I do love Oxford. I’ve been there a few times, and I did a play there once. The vibe is great. When you get older, you realise buildings have energy from their history. I grew up in an old 1700s farmhouse, and certain walls hug you. Oxford definitely has that feeling.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-you-have-a-pre-and-post-show-ritual">Do you have a pre- and post-show ritual?</h3>



<p>I always have a lemongrass diffuser in my dressing room. Dressing rooms around the country can smell very different, sometimes a bit damp. Smell is powerful: a smell, a photograph, a taste will take you straight back to a memory. Lemongrass gets me into the Morse mindset.</p>



<p>I also play Schubert through a little Bluetooth speaker because that’s Morse. Whatever’s happened in your day – parking tickets, flat tyres, arguments — you put the diffuser on, put Schubert on, and it all disappears. The audience have paid money to see you, and they don’t want to see some bloke annoyed about a parking ticket.</p>



<p>Afterwards, the adrenaline doesn&#8217;t disappear until about 1am. If I’m at home, I sit with the dog because she’s beside herself at midnight, like: “Great, is this the start of a new day?” Then I’ll watch something for 20 minutes to zone out. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-re-known-for-being-a-bit-of-a-practical-joker-any-you-d-care-to-share">You&#8217;re known for being a bit of a practical joker – any you&#8217;d care to share? </h3>



<p>I probably shouldn&#8217;t tell you this but when you&#8217;ve done about 500 performances, you do start to entertain yourself. During <em>Top Hat</em> I put a banana down my trousers before a cheek-to-cheek dance to see what would happen. Let’s just say it caused some confusion with Summer Strallen until I said: &#8220;Don’t worry, I’m not pleased to see you. It’s a banana in my pocket&#8221;. I needed some extra energy. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-won-nbsp-strictly-nbsp-in-2008-was-it-life-changing-for-you">You won&nbsp;<em>Strictly</em>&nbsp;in 2008, was it life-changing for you?</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-91.jpg" alt="Tom Chambers with his dance partner Camilla Dallerup" class="wp-image-200859" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-91.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-91-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-91-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-91-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom and Strictly parter Camilla Dallerup who won the glitterball in 2008</figcaption></figure>



<p>I wouldn’t be talking to you now if it wasn’t for&nbsp;<em>Strictly</em>. It&#8217;s humbling that strangers vote for you when you’re just trying to do your best and entertain. Live TV is terrifying. I don’t remember doing the dances <em>at all</em>. I remember the training, the results, being backstage – but the dancing is a blur.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-obviously-everybody-s-talking-about-who-will-replace-tess-and-claudia-who-s-your-money-on">Obviously everybody’s talking about who will replace Tess and Claudia – who’s your money on?</h3>



<p>I honestly don’t know. I didn’t get to see it this year because I was doing <em>Morse</em> – we normally watch it every year with the children. And who could replace Claudia in my mind? I love Claudia. As a family we are obsessed with <em>Traitors</em>, though. People keep saying I should do the celebrity version – and I&#8217;d love to – but I&#8217;m a compulsive truth teller. I just can&#8217;t lie. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-role-do-you-feel-you-re-born-to-play">What role do you feel you’re born to play?</h3>



<p>It used to be Indiana Jones, but that’s obviously a bit too fantastical. Then, as I got older, it became Clint Eastwood – Dirty Harry. I love that Eighties calm, relaxed energy. I’m not cool and trendy and dancing-on-tables. That’s probably why I’m loving Morse so much.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-do-you-do-when-you-re-off-duty">What do you do when you’re off-duty?</h3>



<p>I love sports: padel, tennis, golf, cycling… but not cycling as in Lycra. No, thank you. Absolutely not. Budgie smuggling is not for me. I don’t think anyone should be in Lycra, personally. It’s worse than wearing tight trunks around a swimming pool on holiday. Just…no.</p>



<p>I love cold-water swimming. I live in Marlow and take a dip in the river a couple of times a week. It’s the best reset. Other than that, I’m happy mowing the lawn, sitting on a fence, having a nice cool beer and chatting to my dad.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-let-s-talk-marlow-where-s-your-favourite-place-for-a-burger-or-a-pint">Let&#8217;s talk Marlow, where&#8217;s your favourite place for a burger or a pint?</h3>



<p>Without doubt, The Butcher’s Tap – Tom Kerridge’s place. Oh my god, the burgers. Favourite pint is either there, The Chequers, or the Two Brewers on St Peter’s Street by the weir. And the best coffee in town is from a little florist called Foxglove – just outstanding coffee.  </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-for-those-who-don-t-know-the-story-can-you-tell-us-about-the-moment-the-plane-you-were-on-was-hijacked-in-2000">For those who don’t know the story, can you tell us about the moment the plane you were on was hijacked in 2000?</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-92-1000x667.jpg" alt="Tom Chambers with his wife Clare" class="wp-image-200867" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-92-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-92-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-92-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/01/Untitled-design-92.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tom and wife Clare credit: Gabrielle McMillan</figcaption></figure>



<p>I was on a flight on my own when a madman got into the cockpit and, for a couple of minutes, everyone genuinely thought we were going to die. In that moment, you think about who you’ll never see again – and Clare was the first person who came into my head. We weren’t together, we were just friends, but she was the love of my life. I remember thinking I was going to marry her. I can’t believe I’m never going to see her again. Thankfully, all was well in the end. But that moment stayed with me – and years later, she became my wife.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quick-fire-spotify-round">Quick fire Spotify round&#8230;</h3>



<ul>
<li><strong>The track you dance to: </strong>Whigfield&#8217;s <em>Saturday Night</em> every time &#8211; we dance to it in the kitchen with the kids</li>



<li><strong>The track that makes you cry: </strong><em>Prelude No.1 in C Major</em>, Bach</li>



<li><strong>The track you clean to: </strong><em>Boogie Shoes</em> on repeat (Glee cast version)</li>



<li><strong>The track you drive to: </strong><em>Beachin</em>, Piri &amp; Tommy</li>



<li><strong>The track that reminds you of a big life moment:</strong> <em>Sweet Charity: If My Friends Could See Me Now</em> (our <em>Strictly</em> showdance)</li>



<li><strong>Your must-play funeral track:</strong> <em>Sunchyme</em> – Dario G (when I was cleaning the floors at drama school as a caretaker to earn extra cash, I’d play this and daydream of a bright future).&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



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<ul>
<li><em>Don</em>&#8216;<em>t miss Tom Chambers on stage in <strong>Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts</strong> at the Oxford New Theatre from <strong>Fri 20 &#8211; Tue 24 Jan</strong>. Book tickets <a href="https://inspectormorseonstage.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a></em>.</li>
</ul>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/lifestyle/fashion/shop-claudia-winkleman-traitors-style/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">From cashmere to cloaks: Steal Claudia Winkleman’s&nbsp;Traitors&nbsp;style</a></li>



<li><a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/film-tv/new-movies-releases-january-2026/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">To the cinema! 9 new movies to brighten up your January</a></li>



<li><a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/restaurants/food-news-oxfordshire-gastropubs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Foodie goss! The new gastropubs to know and a Michelin-starred collab</a></li>
</ul>


Tom Chambers on Morse, Strictly, and the flight that changed his life

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