Vera final series: Brenda Blethyn reveals she was rushed to hospital ahead of final episodes - when does final series air?

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Vera star Brenda Blethyn has revealed that she was rushed to hospital while filming the the ITV crime drama.

The actress, who plays the eponymous Detective Chief Inspector Vera in the hit show, is set to say goodbye to the show in upcoming episodes. But Blethyn, 78, has revealed that a medical emergency on setsent her to A&E.

Speaking to The Sun, she said: "I got Bell's palsy during one episode and my face was all... I think it happened on camera. The makeup artist started to notice it. What's wrong with Brenda's face? She's winking at everybody - I blink a lot but there was only one eye that was going."

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Blethyn, who said that incident took place “four or five years ago”, was taken to hospital and returned to set after being given the all-clear by doctors. She added: "I'm not sure what caused it, I think it was an ear infection.

“But because it was dealt with immediately within the hour of it happening by a doctor [it wasn’t as bad]. I was taken to hospital straight away."

Brenda Blethyn returns as DCI Vera Stanhop in the final ever episodes of Vera.Brenda Blethyn returns as DCI Vera Stanhop in the final ever episodes of Vera.
Brenda Blethyn returns as DCI Vera Stanhop in the final ever episodes of Vera. | Helen Williams

When is Vera’s final episodes on TV?

It comes as the show look set to air the final series after Blethyn announced her plans to quit the show and enjoy retirement. ITV has announced the air date for the final episodes.

The show will return with the first of its two-part finale on Wednesday, January 1 at 8pm on ITV1 and STV. The second and final ever episode will air the following night on Thursday, January 2 at 8pm on ITV1 and STV.

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What can we expect from the Vera finale?

Details of the finale plot have been kept under wraps by the show’s cast and crew. The official synopsis reads: "In the first episode, DCI Vera Stanhope is called to the banks of the Tyne where the body of a young man has been discovered by some anglers.

"A tangled web of a broken relationship, secret love, grudges, regret, and fraud begins to emerge – has our former inmate been served cold justice, or does his death run deeper?

"The final episode brings Vera back to a familiar place when a body is found at the foot of legendary local stones The Dark Wives – with memories of childhood in the background, Vera must work hard to uncover the mystery of why a bright young student would be violently attacked and left so far from home. This poignant episode weaves together past and present and makes for a compelling and emotional farewell."

Some fans have theorised that the beloved detective could meet her end in the finale, with multiple clues pointing towards her death. Vera’s health issues has cropped up over the course of the show’s 13-year run, with some believing that her angina condition could point towards a tragic end.

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The upcoming episodes are also set to feature Detective Inspector Joe Ashworth, who viewers will have seen return following the death of his father, with some believing that this could spell trouble for Vera. Blethyn revealed: “Joe has something going on that he doesn't want to talk about and Vera is anxious to get to the bottom of that.

"We know he came back to the area because his father was ill. He passed away which we've already seen. Joe doesn't seem to have come out of that dungeon and Vera's concerned about that."

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