Thomas Chamberlain

"When I was younger, at school, I was "easy to like". Hard to believe, really, but that's what people said - not controversial - easy to like. You never really lose that capacity; you just, well, park it somewhere safe to be used at a later date. So, when, in the future or - who knows, maybe right now - you look at me and are filled with loathing, just remember, I'm "easy to like"."

Dr Thomas Chamberlain is a major character in Silent Witness. He is a forensic pathologist, specialising in toxicology, who takes over as head of the Lyell Centre following the death of Leo Dalton. He is portrayed by Richard Lintern.

Background
Thomas was born in Pakistan He tells Nikki Alexander that at school, he was regarded as being "easy to like", implying he was popular. At university, Thomas befriended Helen Farmer, who later became a forensic scientist and remained a lifelong friend. Thomas eventually qualified as a pathologist and, at some point, married a woman named Julia, with whom he has a daughter named Rosie. He was apparently raised in the Roman Catholic religion, though he no longer actively follows the faith. Several months after the tragic death of Professor Leo Dalton, Thomas was asked to become the new head of the Lyell

Silent Witness
Thomas first appears in the Series 17 debut, Commodity. He quickly settles into his new position as head of the Lyell Centre; however, he initially receives a less-than-warm welcome from the team, due in part to a rather awkward first meeting. However, they soon get used to him and Thomas sets about keeping the Lyell Centre running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. He reveals in the second part of Fraternity that Julia left him just before he started working at the Lyell, taking Rosie with her. In Sniper's Nest, Thomas is suspicious of Julia's new boyfriend Conrad, even looking into his background and discovering he has historic drugs charges. He is also deeply concerned for Rosie's safety, due to her school being a potential target for a sniper on the loose. Thomas heads to Julia's house with Conrad's file, apparently intending to warn her off him, however, he changes his mind when he sees his ex-wife and daughter happily playing with Conrad, realising it is not his place or fair to interfere with their lives like this. In Flight, Thomas begins a relationship with DI Nina Ryman. He is on the phone with her when she is shot and is clearly concerned for her, but is able to remain objective whilst working on the case. He goes to visit her in hospital, offering her comfort when she briefly regains consciousness and is also by her side when she awakens after surgery, whereupon he is introduced to her son, Connor.

Personality
Thomas is politically astute, charismatic and a natural leader. He is a logical man, skilled both at detailed planning and thinking on his feet. He remains calm in a crisis and often serves as the voice of reason, trying to find solutions that suits everyone. Thomas is a very sociable person and makes friends easily, though he sometimes inadvertently causes offense with off-hand comments and can appear somewhat awkward in some social situations. However, he is not afraid of showing his vulnerability and is adept at building bridges and peace-making.

Trivia

 * Thomas is similar to his predecessor Leo Dalton, in that they were both married with a daughter. However, Leo's marriage was happy and his daughter was a teenager before their tragic deaths, whilst Thomas' wife is divorcing him and his daughter is in primary school.