Dame Julie Walters has pulled out of Channel 4's Truelove due to ill health, she has confirmed.
The Mamma Mia actress has been replaced by Lindsay Duncan, a year after filming for the programme was halted due to Julie's ill health as she sought medical advice.
It is not clear whether this is related to her decision to withdraw from production.
A spokesperson for Clerkenwell Films said: "Last year, filming on Truelove was paused while Julie Walters sought medical advice and attention for severe back pain.
"Subsequently, Julie has decided to step back from the project to focus on her recovery and recuperation, and so will not be returning to the role of Phil.
"We wholeheartedly support her decision, and the entire cast, crew and production team wish her the very best and a speedy recovery.
"We are delighted that Lindsay Duncan will be stepping into the role of Phil. We're excited to see what she brings to this complex and captivating character when we restart filming later this year."
The role was Julie's first acting job in six years and at the time of being announced for Truelove, she admitted she once questioned whether she would act again.
In a statement, the Harry Potter star said: "I had basically withdrawn from acting and wasn’t sure that anything could tempt me back but then I read Truelove.
"I was completely bowled over by the writing - the dark humour, the love story and the thriller element set against a backdrop of what happens to us all as we approach our later years.
"I adore the character of Phil - smart, funny and hard-edge, how often does one have the chance at my tender age to play a leading lady in a TV drama?"
Dame Julie's character, Phil, was set to be an ex-police officer who was now enjoying her life in retirement after reconnecting with her childhood sweetheart at a funeral.
The actress has previously opened up about her health struggles over the years, explaining to BBC's Victoria Derbyshire that she had suffered from bowel cancer.
Having experienced some "slight discomfort" and stomach pain, Julie was referred for a CT scan which ultimately showed her diagnosis.
She was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer but kept her news a secret as she decided to pull out of the premiere for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, citing a ruptured hernia.
