Vera author Ann Cleeves has hinted that Brenda Blethyn could reprise her role as Vera Stanhope for a one-off Christmas special, despite the actress's departure from the ITV drama.
Blethyn announced in 2024 she would leave the detective series after 14 series. At the time, she said: "Working on Vera has been a joy from beginning to end. I'm sad to be saying cheerio. But I am so proud of our achievements over the last 14 years," praising the "fabulous" cast and crew.
Author's Thoughts on Blethyn's Departure
Cleeves, who has written 11 main novels in the Vera Stanhope series with another due in 2027, told Saga Magazine: "I'm writing the last Vera book, but I'm not saying anything more about it, you'll have to wait. I don't think it will be televised: Brenda decided she had finished - she was in almost every scene with such long days. I think she made the right decision at the time."
Cleeves added: "If this last book was televised, would she be talked back into appearing? I think she would certainly do a one-off Christmas special or something, which would be fabulous. She would love to do it, but the studio is being dismantled now, so it would be far too expensive."
Reflections on Final Filming
Reflecting on the closing scenes broadcast in January 2025, Cleeves said: "I was on set for the last day of filming and it was very moving with lots of tears."
She continued: "Brenda and I have been friends from the start and I still see her. She joined me at a writing festival this summer and we had a great time. She's very generous and will sign books with me, which means I get a lot more people because everybody wants Brenda's signature."
Blethyn's Willingness to Return
Blethyn had earlier told Woman's Day: "In a drop of her bucket hat. Yes, if they did a special or something, of course I would. It was a wonderful job."
Following Vera's conclusion, Blethyn appeared as Emma Harte in Channel 4's A Woman of Substance, an epic drama spanning six decades about a penniless Yorkshire maid who becomes a powerful business mogul. Based on Barbara Taylor Bradford's 1979 novel, the series is said to be returning for a second series.
Blethyn told Channel 4 about her career after Vera: "Unlike Emma Harte, I am somebody with zero ambition. I've always been the same. If there's something I want that is truly only just out of my reach then I will stand on tippy toe and stretch really hard, but I've never wanted the moon and stars."
She added: "I loved Vera, and I feel like I could still ring her up and ask how she is! I just wanted some time at home. It was very nice when A Woman of Substance came along, the cast and crew were absolutely fantastic." Vera is available to watch on ITVX.
