It's been a year since ITV viewers bid a fond farewell to Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope and, despite nearing her 80th birthday, actress Brenda Blethyn has no plans to slow down.
Brenda first established herself as one of the UK's most beloved TV detectives in the Northumberland-based series in 2011 and helmed the show for nearly 15 years before hanging up her bucket hat.
She's also known for her fantastic turn as Mrs Bennet in the 2005 film Pride & Prejudice, Cynthia in Secrets & Lies (1996) and Grace in Saving Grace (2000).
Brenda's one regret
Speaking to Prima magazine before her milestone birthday, Brenda reflected on her career and explained the one thing she wishes she'd done differently.
"I regret that I didn't speak up more, for fear of being ridiculed," she said. "I suppose I'm someone with imposter syndrome. I'm not as bad as I was, but I certainly had it when I was younger, and I wish I'd kicked that into touch."
Despite her impressive roles since leaving Vera, Brenda still regards her former character very fondly and said she takes every opportunity to nip back to Newcastle, where the show was filmed.
"I don't mind still talking about Vera because I'm rather proud of her," she admitted. "I had to do the show for so long – it was 15 years if you count back to the pilot. She's like an old friend."
At the end of her tenure on the detective drama, Brenda won a well-deserved Outstanding Contribution award at the TV Choice Awards.
Brenda's life after Vera
While the 79-year-old departed Vera in January 2025, she has since gone on to star as pensioner Elsie opposite Andrea Riseborough in Dragonfly. She's also set to feature in two upcoming productions: Emma Harte in Channel 4's A Woman of Substance and an unnamed role in Fools opposite Karen Gillan and Patsy Ferran.
Reflecting on her working life, Brenda said she feels lucky to have been working for so long. "In fact, when I was 65, I was thinking, 'Do I retire now? Maybe that's what I'm supposed to do?' And then Vera came along," she said.
"Now I'm nearly 80 and I'm not thinking about retiring at all – though perhaps I will cut back a bit and spend more time at home," she added.