ITV axes iconic TV drama after 14 seasons as Brenda Blethyn confirms next season will be her last

Another iconic ITV drama is being axed, after actor Brenda Blethyn confirmed that Vera, would be ending after 14 years. Inspired by the award-winning novels of Ann Cleeves, Vera has been captivating viewers on ITV with its engaging storylines since 2011.

Blethyn has revealed that she will be leaving the show after filming the 14th season this summer in a statement, adding in a post on social media, that it was “gonna be hard saying farewell.”

Fans quickly rushed to respond in the comment section, with one posting: “I'm crushed. Loved this show and am so sad to hear the news.” Whilst another added: “Sad but happy that we had the show and you for this long.”

The news of Vera ending comes as other ITV shows have faced the axe. Earlier this month, fans of Midsomer Murders were left panicked after rumours the new series had been cancelled when it disappeared from the TV schedule.

What has Brenda Blethyn said about Vera?

The 78-year-old English actor, who plays Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, has revealed that she will be stepping down from the role and that the iconic ITV series will be coming to an end.

Blethyn said: “Working on Vera has been a joy from beginning to end and I’m sad to be saying Cheerio. But I am so proud of our achievements over the last 14 years. I’ll be forever grateful to the wonderful Ann Cleeves who created Vera, and to Elaine Collins who saw fit to cast me in the role.

“The producers, dream cast and crew have been fabulous and I’m going to miss them, but I won’t forget their huge talent, the camaraderie, laughter or kindness we shared nor the friendship of the people of the North East and our fans worldwide. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

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Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld who specialises in stories around TV, Film and Health. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also share your thoughts in the comment section below.