News Digest

‘Excellent’: Harry Shearer - the voice of Mr Burns - return to 'The Simpsons’

Harry Shearer, the voice of Mr Burns and many other characters on The Simpsons, will return to the show, it has been announced. He told fans in May on Twitter that he was leaving the Fox cartoon series after 25 years to pursue other projects. It was rumoured that the 71-year-old show veteran was holding out for a deal on his contract.

Harry was offered the same deal the rest of the cast accepted, and passed. The show will go on, and we wish him well. Maggie took it hard. We do not plan to kill off characters like Burns and Flanders but will recast with the finest voice-over talent available.

Exec producer Al Jean, speaking to the The New York Times in May

Fox said on Tuesday Shearer would join fellow cast members such as Dan Castellaneta and Nancy Cartwright for the 27th and 28th seasons. Shearer also voices Mr Burns’ grovelling flunkey Smithers, Simpsons neighbour Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner and news anchor Kent Brockman.