Brenda Blethyn's Vera 'return' confirmed weeks after emotional ITV exit
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Just a few weeks after her heartfelt departure from the popular drama, Brenda Blethyn is set to thrill fans by returning to Vera for a special event in Newcastle. Brenda, a BAFTA winner renowned for her stellar performance in Mike Leigh's Secrets and Lies, first graced our screens as the formidable detective DCI Stanhope in early 2011.
The pilot episode of Vera captivated millions, leading to a full series that has been one of the biggest hits on British TV for 14 years. Even the Covid pandemic couldn't halt Vera's annual appearance on our screens from 2011 to 2025, with its final episodes airing on ITV earlier this month.
The 14th series kicked off with Inside on New Year's Day, ending with the much-anticipated finale, The Dark Wives, just 24 hours prior, drawing in a massive audience. Brenda kept mum about the fate of her famous character until the very end. The final scene of Vera showed Brenda strolling contentedly along a beach, having packed up her belongings and left the police headquarters moments before.
In a press interview towards the end of last year, Brenda disclosed her decision to leave Vera after 14 years. She wanted to spend more time with her family in the south, after spending every summer since 2011 filming a new series hundreds of miles away from them, reports Chronicle Live.
While Brenda's time filming Vera appears to be over, she hasn't entirely distanced herself from the show. As fans continue to enjoy reruns on ITV, they'll have the opportunity to join the actress at Newcastle City Hall on Thursday, March 13, for an event titled 'Vera - End of an Era'.
