The end of the road for Brenda Blethyn after 14 years of Vera.
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After 14 years and 56 feature-length episodes, Brenda Blethyn is hanging up Vera’s iconic mac and hat. Reflecting on her decision, she revealed: ‘It was a lovely summer back in 2023 when I realised I hadn’t spent a summer with my husband for 14 years. I love my Vera family, but I missed my other family too.’
Though she initially planned to finish after series 13, ITV convinced her to return for two final films to wrap up the series: ‘I said, “Oh, go on then, I’ll do a couple more episodes.” It felt special knowing these would be the last.’
Fans can expect the series to go out on a high with familiar faces like Kevin Whately, Chelsea Halfpenny, Cathy Tyson, and Derek Thompson making guest appearances. ‘Kevin and I had great scenes together. I believed he was Gary Creelan. I forgot about Lewis!’ she said.
While Brenda is not retiring, she’s keen to spend more time with family. ‘I’ve just finished a film with Paul Andrew Williams and Andrea Riseborough, but I don’t want to be away for long periods anymore. That said, never say never!’
Reflecting on her time as Vera, she said: ‘I feel proud. Vera’s a worldwide success, and I’m glad people enjoyed it. It’s been an incredible journey.’
For fans, Vera will live on in Ann Cleeves’ books and reruns of the series. Brenda signed off with gratitude: ‘Vera’s one of a kind, and the audience has been wonderful. Thank you for watching.’
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