Vera's Brenda Blethyn relives 'heartbreak' of co-star quitting hit ITV drama

Brenda Blethyn has relived the 'heartbreak' she felt when one of her Vera co-stars decided to quit the hit drama, as well as the conversations that were had to bring them back into the fold years later.

As fans wait to find out just when the 14th and final series of Vera will air on ITV, Brenda was the star attraction in front of a packed audience at a special celebration event at London's British Film Institute on Tuesday evening. The event, aptly named Vera - End of an Era, attracted an audience of fans, press and Vera cast and crew to the famous venue on the South Bank and among the actors in the auditorium was David Leon, who was Brenda's on screen sidekick for the first four series of Vera; having appeared alongside her for the first time in 2011's pilot episode Hidden Depths.

After four years as Joe Ashworth, David made the decision to walk away from the role and the show in 2015, with him being replaced by Kenny Dough; as the Geordie star went onto win an award at the prestigious Tribeca film festival for one of his movies. And, while Brenda soon forged a great on screen and off screen relationship with second right hand man Kenny, she is still happy to admit she was heartbroken over David's sudden departure.

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Sat on stage at the BFI, metres away from David and co-stars Riley Jones and Sara Kameela Impey, in the crowd in front of her, Brenda spoke of how she was 'heartbroken' when David left Vera, before then being pressed by the evening's host Emma Kennedy on who her favourite sidekick was - David or Kenny, to which she responded, while looking directly at him: "Why, David of course!"

After Kenny announced he was leaving Vera in spring 2023, David, who has been backed by fans to lead a Vera spin-off, made a shock return to the drama for its 13th series and, just how that came about, Brenda explained: "When Kenny left I said to the team 'There's no way we can have a third sidekick....I wonder if David Leon would come back?' And then he did!"