David Suchet will fufill his life-long ambition to film all of Agatha Christie’s Poirot stories when he shoots the remaining five cases in 2012.

‘I’m more than delighted to be reprising my role as Poirot. It’s been my life’s ambition to bring this amazing canon of works to completion on ITV,’ says David Suchet, who has starred in 65 Poirot films since first playing Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective in 1989.

‘Poirot is a brilliant, yet profoundly complicated character and I’ve always loved playing him. He’s considerate, with a love of elegance and precision, but he is also so maddeningly frustrating to play as he’s so vain and pedantic!

‘What endears me to him the most is his endless love of people. And for all his faults, he is one of the greatest listeners in literature. I’ve been so fortunate to play him.’

The final five stories are The Labours Of Hercules, Dead Man’s Folly, The Big Four, Elephants Can Remember, and Curtain in which Captain Hastings helps an arthritic and immobile Poirot prevent a murder as they return to the scene of their first case, Styles Court.

‘We can promise the final five Poirot films will be a fitting tribute to a much-loved literary character,’ says executive producer Michele Buck.

‘When the ending comes it’ll be very dramatic and incredibly emotional. We’ve been on a remarkable journey with Poirot.’

However, Poirot’s next outing will be over Christmas in The Clocks, in an adventure that also stars Phil Daniels as Inspector Hardcastle, Jaime Winstone, Tom Burke, Lesley Sharp, Geoffrey Palmer, Beatie Edney, and the late Anna Massey.

Nick Fiaca