Vera star Brenda Blethyn's one reason why she agreed to new series of ITV drama

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Vera star Brenda Blethyn has revealed she nearly didn't agree to star in a new series of the ITV drama. The 77-year-old actress who plays DCI Vera Stanhope in the ITV show was shocked to discover that Kenny Doughty was stepping down from his role as DS Aiden Healy.

The actor's final episode was the Christmas special before it was explained in the most recent series that the detective had decided to head Down Under for a new work opportunity.Left with no second in command, Vera's old DS - now DCI - Joe Ashworth, played by David Leon, stepped in to fill his role with his arrival causing quite a stir when it was revealed exactly why he had returned.Bringing trouble to her door, Vera was furious to have him back but now actress Brenda has admitted she wouldn't have come back for a new series without David by her side, the Mirror reports.She explained: "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. Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. "I was broken-hearted when David left after series four and equally overjoyed when I heard he was coming back as the relationship between Vera and Joe worked so well.

They have all of that early history together."I wouldn’t have continued if David had not agreed to come back. I just didn’t want to start another board game with somebody else when I know I’m not going to do many more.