As Gene's right-hand man, Ray has proved his loyalty by moving to London with the DCI.
He might now be living in a different decade, but hard-as-nails Ray is as bullish and misogynistic as ever. That said, he manages to accept Alex in a way that he couldn't take to Sam.
A real man's man, Ray likes to be at the centre of all the fighting, gambling, shooting - but will he start to reveal a softer side?
Dean's first big acting break came in the 2001 Ken Loach film, The Navigators, but TV viewers know him best as DS Ray Carling in Life On Mars, a role he reprises in Ashes To Ashes.
Dean has starred in a string of well-known TV series, including Clocking Off, No Angels, Shameless, New Street Law and Wire In The Blood, with Robson Green. He has also appeared in the BBC dramas True Dare Kiss and The Street.
Dean is a devoted supporter of Rotherham United.
Marriages, divorces, affairs and murders - get the lowdown on all your favourite Ashes To Ashes characters.
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