ITV Vera star reveals show future amid fears Brenda Blethyn will quit

ok.co.uk:

Vera star David Leon, who plays Joe Ashworth, has addressed the future of the ITV drama.The actor played Joe in the first four seasons of Vera, before Kenny Doughty's Aiden Healy stepped in to fill his place.

But after Doughty decided to leave the show after almost a decade in 2023, Vera's leading star Brenda Blethyn admitted she wanted to quit as well.

It seems that Leon's return might have kept Brenda on board, however, as he agreed to return for the 13th series. Brenda Blethyn told ITV: "After we filmed The Rising Tide at the end of 2022 I didn’t want to do anymore without Kenny Doughty, who had decided to leave. "But I said, ‘I’ll think about it if you can see if David Leon is available to return as Joe Ashworth.’ And so they did and here I am." It is reported that the latest series will include made up of three feature-length specials which will see Blethyn's Vera and Leon's Ashworth reunite after a more than eight years apart.] Addressing the show's future now he's back, Leon said: "Vera will continue for as long as the demand for it remains and Brenda feels like she can continue to surprise herself and be challenged by it. "She puts so much into it and it is an exhausting shoot.

In the past usually filming four feature films back to back. "The fans who come to watch filming are always amazed at the level of detail, craftsmanship and time each scene requires. "It’s a real challenge to make three or four feature-length films back to back. "It requires a level of energy and dedication that means you are just living in that bubble for several months.