Vera star Brenda Blethyn to make grand return to screen as she lands role in Channel 4's new adaptation of A Woman of Substance

The actress, 79, is set to star in a new Channel 4 adaptation of the Barbara Taylor Bradford novel A Woman of Substance. She will appear alongside Outlander star Jessica Reynolds in the new production, as well as Mobland’s Emmett J Scanlan, Gentleman Jack star Lydia Leonard, and This City Is Our actress Leanne Best.

Speaking about joining the show, Brenda said: "I’m overjoyed to be taking on this iconic role, in the footsteps of the great Deborah Kerr. As a fan of Barbara Taylor-Bradford, it is an unmissable opportunity to play the fierce Emma Harte.”

The synopsis for A Woman of Substance, an adaptation of which previously aired on Channel 4 in 1985, reads: "1911. Emma Harte, an impoverished, ambitious maid in Yorkshire, England, goes on a dizzying journey to become the world’s richest woman, gazing down from a sprawling luxury New York penthouse. A rags-to-riches tale of women through the 20th century, Emma defies the expectations of her society, fearlessly challenging the roles she's given, smashing glass ceilings, and never, ever deviating from her master plan: Get to the top. Whatever it takes."

The new show will be Brenda’s grand return to the television screen after she wrapped up the beloved ITV crime drama Vera in the New Year. The final episode of the hit series aired on January 2.

She previously told Women’s Weekly magazine that she was sad to be leaving the detective chief inspector behind, saying: “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.”