Gillian Taylforth quits The Bill to be with car crash survivor daughter

Actress Gillian Taylforth has quit The Bill to spend more time with her daughter, just months after the teenager was seriously injured in a car crash.

The 52-year-old, who played Sergeant Nikki Wright on ITV1's police drama, made her decision after pondering her 'priorities' in life.

Last November, her 16-year-old daughter Jessica suffered life-threatening head injuries in a car crash. At one point, doctors were worried the teenager would be left brain damaged.

Taylforth - best known for her long-standing role as Kathy Beale in Eastenders - tells Hello! magazine: 'I’ve had a wonderful time at The Bill. But right now, I need to take a break. I want to spend more time with Jessie.

'Jessie has made a remarkable recovery. She has just finished her exams which is amazing. At one point, she suffered severe memory loss and couldn’t decipher what was being said to her in class, so she has come a long way.

'I feel I haven’t been around that much and that I need to be.

'I felt I had to get my priorities right. I was also getting very run down and exhausted. I had constant colds or sore throats and realised I was becoming stressed. I was often tired and irritable when I got home and the children noticed that.

'I’m not filming with The Bill at the moment, I’ve got a six-week break and then return to do a one-off before I officially leave. I don’t know what the storyline is - I haven’t been told yet, but the character I play isn’t been killed off so there’s a chance that I might be able to go back.'

Recovery: Gillian's daughter Jessica suffered near fatal injuries in a car crash last month