NCIS' Wilmer Valderrama reveals surprise season 19 return

The jury's out on whether NCIS is about to bring back Mark Harmon, but we do know for certain that one former star will be coming back for the show's 19th season.

Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Nick Torres on the series, confirmed the impending return of a fan-favourite character in a recent Instagram post, as the cast get on with filming.

"Hello everyone. I'm here on the set of NCIS, and I think I might get in trouble for this one, but I'm just gonna pan over and leave this one here," he told the camera, before revealing the mystery co-star sat next to him.

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"Oh, hi! How are you?" Meredith Eaton said, confirming in a sneaky behind-the-scenes clip that Centre for Disease Control researcher Carol Wilson is officially on the case.

As well as appearing in NCIS over the years, Meredith has also previously reprised her role in spin-off series NCIS: New Orleans.

Wilmer Valderrama's sneak peek comes after a recent episode of NCIS appeared to hint at a possible return for Mark Harmon, despite the actor departing the show as Leroy Jethro Gibbs early on in season 19.

Those tuning in to last week's episode spotted an intriguing detail: Mark Harmon's name is still included in the opening credits sequence.

mark harmon as leroy jethro gibbs in ncis

Bill Inoshita//CBS

"Hm... I don't think Gib is completely out of NCIS UNTIL they change the intro," one fan tweeted. "I know they added the new people, but have yet to remove Mark."

Of course, a return for Gibbs wouldn't be a huge surprise, given showrunner Steve Binder recently suggested his departure may not be the last we've seen of the character.

"As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show," Binder said. "Never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out."

NCIS airs on CBS in the US.