Vera: Blenda Blethyn says she'd love to reprise the role for a final episode

The 78-year-old actress only bowed out as DCI Vera Stanhope in the ITV drama last month but is willing to bring the character back for a final episode.

Brenda is quoted by the Daily Star newspaper's HotTV column as saying: "A special would be nice. It's definitely one of my favourite roles I've done. I love the character."

The actress, also well known for Kate and Koji, admits that it will hit her that the programme has ended when she won't be heading off to the north east of England to film the crime series later this year.

She said: "When we get to March and I'd normally be packing my bag to go up north to film, I will be sad. I will miss it. I had a great time doing it."

Vera was a ratings winner for ITV and Brenda thinks the programme proved so successful because her sleuth was easy for audiences to identify with.

She explained: “The writer Ann Cleeves based the characters on all those women who lost their husband, father or brother in the war. They were very capable. They didn't care if they weren't fashion icons. They just got the job done. They were good, hard-working people.”

Brenda admitted recently that she made the “hard decision” to quit Vera after 14 years to spend more time with her family.

She told Woman's Weekly magazine: “It was a hard decision because I love Vera. Come March, when I would normally be getting ready to go back up to Northumberland, I’ll probably cry.

“It’s just that I’ve been working on it for 14 years. But as much as I loved all that, I’ve got a family at home and I realised I hadn’t had a summer for all that time with my family. I won’t miss being away from home for six months of the year.”