Brenda Blethyn, known for her portrayal of Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope, has recently bid farewell to the hit series ‘Vera’ with a heartfelt goodbye to her fans.
The star left viewers heartbroken as she stepped away from the iconic role earlier this year, confessing: “Working on Vera has been a joy from beginning to end and I’m sad to be saying Cheerio. But I am so proud of our achievements over the last fourteen years.”
Expressing immense gratitude, she shared: “I’ll be forever grateful to the wonderful Ann Cleeves who created Vera, and to Elaine Collins who saw fit to cast me in the role. The Producers, dream cast and crew have been fabulous and I’m going to miss them.”
Her message continued: “I won’t forget their huge talent, the camaraderie, laughter or kindness we shared nor the friendship of the people of the north east and our fans worldwide. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
As the public heard of Brenda’s exit, calls for a sequel or prequel echoed through the fan base, yet no official confirmation has emerged regarding the future of the beloved detective series.
Don’t miss…
Vera became a hit on the channel (Image: ITV)
Meanwhile, Brenda has set her sights on new challenges within the acting sphere. Despite admitting age as a factor in leaving ‘Vera’, Brenda conveyed her ongoing passion for performance, revealing: “I’m getting on a bit, so I had to stop doing Vera. But I’m still acting I’ve just finished a film. I’d be tempted to do a soap, but nobody has asked me,” during an interview with the Daily Star, where she professed her love for British soaps including and .
“I like them both for different reasons they both have merit. The actors on all the soaps work so hard. I don’t know how they do it.”
Brenda recently wrapped up filming the concluding series, expressing her emotions on Twitter: “Travelling home after finishing filming of Series 14 of VERA. Tired and emotional.”
Brenda Blethyn plays DCI Vera Stanhope (Image: ITV)
Devoted viewers replied to the tweet to share their appreciation for the series; one fan commented: “Looking forward to series 14 but I am really going to miss Vera.”
Another shared their heartfelt sentiments: “Vera is that rare and special series that I can watch over and over again and still enjoy it every time. I’m looking forward to watching the new series but so sad it’s the last. Hats off to you and the whole cast.”
A third admirer reflected the collective mood: “Oh wow, the end of an era. Looking forward to the final series but tinged with sadness.”
One particularly appreciative comment read: “Thank you for the care with which you translated Vera from the books to the screen. It has also been a great tourism boost for the North East.”