Actress Michelle Keegan was spotted battling sub-zero temperatures this week while filming scenes for the upcoming ITV drama, The Blame, in Hertfordshire. The production continued despite the Met Office issuing an amber snow warning and an Arctic blast sending temperatures plummeting to a bitter -12C on Wednesday.
Braving the Elements on Set
The 38-year-old star, who recently welcomed a baby daughter named Palma with husband Mark Wright in March, was seen doing her best to stay warm between takes. Keegan was wrapped in a large, fleece-lined Regatta windbreaker, which she layered strategically over a leather jacket and a grey jumper.
For her scenes, where her character DI Emma Crane was seated on a park bench with a co-star, Michelle completed her on-camera ensemble with a pair of black tailored trousers and black leather heeled boots. While the former soap star had to remove the bulky outer jacket for filming, she was quick to layer up again during makeup touch-ups, demonstrating a professional resilience against the challenging weather conditions.
Inside 'The Blame': A New ITV Thriller
The new series is an adaptation of Charlotte Langley's debut novel of the same name. The plot centres on the discovery of the body of a teenage figure skater, Sophie Madsen, an event that sends shockwaves through the seemingly quiet town of Wakestead.
The official synopsis reveals that the drama will explore 'secrets, suspicion and systemic corruption' lurking beneath the town's surface. Detective Inspector Emma Crane, played by Keegan, and her partner DI Radley, portrayed by Douglas Booth, lead the investigation. As they dig deeper, the tragic death unravels into a complex web of lies, institutional cover-ups, and moral compromise, forcing Crane to navigate both the murder case and treacherous politics within her own team.
The cast features a host of familiar faces, including Nigel Boyle as forensic technician Brett Shergill and Joe Armstrong, who starred with Michelle in Fool Me Once, as an ice-skating coach named Kyle Fraiser. They are joined by Ian Hart, Nathan Mensah, Matilda Freeman, Gavin Spokes, Josh Bolt, and Ceallach Spellman.
The six-part series was commissioned by ITV's Director of Drama, Polly Hill, and is written and executively produced by Megan Gallagher, the writer behind All Her Fault and Wolf. While official cast pictures and a release date are yet to be announced, the show is expected to debut in 2026.
UK Weather Chaos During Filming
The chilly filming conditions in Hertfordshire mirrored the severe weather affecting large parts of the UK. The region experienced snow, with temperatures hovering around freezing point and only expected to reach a high of 3C in the early afternoon.
Nationally, the amber warning suggested that some areas, particularly high ground on the North York Moors, could see up to 10 inches (25cm) of snow. The warning remained in force until 9 pm, with the potential for significant travel disruption and power cuts. Five separate yellow warnings for snow and ice were also active for coasts in North East England, Cornwall, Devon, and western Wales until midnight.
