Brenda Blethyn Opens Up About Difficult Decision to Leave Vera

Brenda Blethyn has announced her departure from the hit ITV drama Vera after 13 years, revealing the heartfelt reasons behind her decision, reported by the Daily Record. The beloved actress, who has played DI Vera Stanhope since 2011, shared her desire to spend more time with her family.

“It was a hard decision,” Brenda admitted. “Come March, when I would normally be getting ready to go back up there, I’ll probably be crying. As much as I loved all that, I’ve got a family at home and I realized I hadn’t had a summer for 14 years with my family.”

Despite her exit, Brenda couldn’t resist keeping a few sentimental items from her time on the show. “I have got the mac and hat! I think I’ve got the coat as well, the tweedy one. Although it looks like it’s been through the mill,” she joked.

Brenda’s final episodes as Vera will air on January 1 and 2 at 8 pm on ITV1, followed by a special documentary titled Vera: Farewell Pet on January 3 at 9 pm. Fans will also be able to stream all episodes on ITVX.

Last month, during an event at the BFI in London celebrating the show’s incredible success, Brenda remained tight-lipped about how the story will wrap up. When asked about Vera’s fate, she playfully replied: “No comment. I’m not going to tell you.”

However, she did drop a few hints, teasing an emotional journey for Vera and her colleague Joe Ashworth, played by David Leon. David reprised his role this season after a decade-long absence, and Brenda revealed that Joe’s storyline will take a darker turn.

“Joe has something going on that he doesn’t want to talk about, and Vera is anxious to get to the bottom of that,” Brenda said. “We know he came back to the area because his father was ill. He passed away, we’ve already seen that. Joe doesn’t seem to have come out of that dungeon and Vera’s concerned about that.”

Adding to the drama, Brenda revealed that Vera faces a major career decision as her boss considers promoting her. “Vera’s superior, the Chief Inspector, wants to promote her, and so it’s a big decision for Vera to make,” she explained.

With fans speculating about Vera’s fate—some even fearing she could die—the final episodes promise to be emotional and unmissable. After 14 years of solving crimes, Brenda Blethyn’s exit marks the end of an era for Vera fans worldwide.