Brenda Blethyn, known for her portrayal of Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, has parted ways with the role, but she’s apparently had no shortage of job offers
Actress Brenda Blethyn has opened up about “dealing with some personal things” while giving fans an insight into her career plans going forward. Best known for her iconic portrayal of Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope in ITV’s —a role she held for 14 years before making her final bow last year — the in-demand star has found herself with offers.
It may come as some surprise to the 80-year-old actress, who initially didn’t think her phone “would ever ring” again. However, that clearly wasn’t the case, as she noted it has been “off the hook.”
Since parting ways with Vera, Brenda has kept busy. She appeared in Paul Andrew Williams’ 2025 film Dragonfly and is currently gracing screens in Channel 4’s A Woman of Substance, adapted from Barbara Taylor Bradford’s 1979 novel.
Opening up to Hello! magazine, Brenda confessed: “I didn’t think the phone would ever ring, but it’s been ringing off the hook. I didn’t know this was going to happen.”
In terms of the future, Brenda admitted that there is currently no work in the pipeline, although she has turned “some things down,” citing “personal things.” She elaborated further, telling the publication: “There’s no work planned, but I’ve been turning some things down. I’m dealing with some personal things at the moment, with family.”
Nevertheless, Brenda has one ambition firmly in her sights—reprising her role for a second series of A Woman of Substance, enthusing: “I want to know what happens next!”
This follows Brenda’s revelation earlier this year that her “idea of a holiday” would be visiting a cherished seaside port town in Kent, which she regards as her “happy place.”
She disclosed to Prima magazine: “My work takes me away from home all the time, so my idea of a holiday is going home. Ramsgate is my happy place. My mum and dad were here for a long time, so I’ve always had some connection with the town.”
Discussing A Woman of Substance last week, in which she appears alongside Jessica Reynolds, Emmett J. Scanlan, Harry Cadby, and Will Mellor, Brenda described how she has a personal link to the story.
The series follows Emma Harte, who starts out as a kitchen maid before rising to become a department store magnate.
Brenda explained the link on a recent episode of Lorraine: “Funnily enough, one of the reasons I was very interested in taking part was my mum started as a skivvy in a big rich house down in Kent around about the same time, maybe a few years after. That’s where she met my dad, who was the chauffeur. My dad was born in 1894; it’s just reminiscent of that, and I used to love hearing their stories.”