| Cameron Tait | |
|---|---|
| The Bill character | |
 | |
| First appearance | "Thinking Out Loud" 30 January 2003 |
| Last appearance | "The Rapture" 22 July 2004 |
| Portrayed by | Daniel MacPherson |
| In-universe information | |
| Title | Police Constable |
| Occupation | Police officer |
| Significant other | Kerry Young |
| Children | Emily Tait |
Cameron Tait is a fictional character from the British police procedural television series The Bill, played by Daniel MacPherson. He first appeared in the eighteenth series episode "Thinking Out Loud", broadcast on 30 January 2003. Cameron was introduced as a police constable from Sydney, Australia, who joins the Metropolitan Police based at the Sun Hill station in London. MacPherson was approached by the show's producers about the role, after they saw him in a production of Godspell. He was hesitant about accepting as he did not intend to stay in the UK for long, and he was not sure the role was right for him. However, he was convinced by the changes brought in by Paul Marquess and the strong ratings the show was achieving in the UK and Australia. MacPherson was contracted for 18 months and he began filming in September 2002. With Cameron being the first Australian police officer to appear in The Bill, MacPherson worked with the scriptwriters to make him more a realistic Australian and said that he had to remove some stereotypical Australian words from his dialogue. To help him prepare for the role, MacPherson went on a ride-along with the Bondi police, and he also shaved his head.
Cameron is portrayed as loyal, happy-go-lucky, and good at his job. A reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald thought that the character's personality closely resembled that of MacPherson's. The actor said Cameron can come across as a loner, and he is only willing to give up his personality as much as he needs to, which to some of his colleagues can come across as rudeness. He was also called a dark horse and said to be hiding a lot of secrets. MacPherson believed Cameron was somewhat resentful about having to leave Australia, and the reasons for his transfer would become apparent as he settled into life at Sun Hill. MacPherson was glad of the chance to play a complex character. In his first scenes, Cameron is mistaken for a flasher and almost arrested by PC Kerry Young (Beth Cordingly). This required MacPherson to film in the nude, which he found to be a bit daunting. Cameron's secret and his reason for relocating to London was revealed in August 2003, as he reunites with his young daughter, Emily (Lily Devereux). MacPherson believed that Cameron kept Emily's existence from his colleagues as he had no intention of staying in the UK and he was worried they would judge him. He later puts his job at risk when he attempts to take Emily back to Australia.
One of the character's more notable storylines sees him burdened by guilt over the death of Sergeant Sheelagh Murphy's (Bernie Nolan) daughter, who he was babysitting. MacPherson said the incident destroys Cameron and he struggles to deal with it. The storyline allowed MacPherson to explore his character's emotional depths over a number of weeks. The plot also led to Cameron and Kerry establishing a romance, which faces several challenges, including Kerry's one-night stand with Sergeant Dale "Smithy" Smith (Alex Walkinshaw), who is later accused of date-raping her, their engagement, Kerry's rape by PC Gabriel Kent (Todd Carty), who manipulates the couple for his own benefit. In February 2004, MacPherson announced that he was leaving The Bill as he missed Australia and wanted to pursue film roles. His final appearance was broadcast on 22 July 2004, as Cameron leaves Sun Hill after a fight with Gabriel. For his performance, MacPherson received a nomination for Most Popular Newcomer at the 9th National Television Awards. One television critic believed that MacPherson had been introduced as "eye candy" for the viewers, but a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald observed that he had become an audience favourite.