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In a social media post, he says he was diagnosed with tonsil cancer partway through filming Season 7 and underwent treatment for several months. 

But he says even though his doctors gave him a clean bill of health, “the team chose to go in a different direction.” 

Production company Shaftesbury said in a statement that the two parties “could not find a workable pathway forward for his return to ‘Hudson & Rex.’”

In a press release this past spring announcing the new season, broadcaster Citytv said Luke Roberts was “officially joining the cast as Detective Mark.” 

That’s detective Mark Hudson, Rex’s new crime-solving partner.

The show also had to recast the other half of its titular duo following the death of the Diesel, the dog who portrayed the German shepherd Rex, early in Season 7.

In his Instagram post, Reardon toasted Diesel.

“I miss dearly, the cast and crew that felt like family and of course my partner - Diesel - you truly had swagger buddy,” he wrote.

“Although this is not how I had hoped the 7-year journey would end — I’m very appreciative of the opportunity to play a part in building something special.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2025.

Note to readers:This is a corrected story. An earlier version misidentified character Mark Hudson’s relationship to Charlie Hudson.