Vera's Kenny Doughty tipped for shock ITV return to hit drama's spin-off

Kenny Doughty is being backed for a shock return to Vera, a year on from his exit from the show and in the same week that it was announced that the hit drama is coming to an end. And the popular actor is the current favourite to lead a spin-off of the much loved drama.

Having replaced original sidekick David Leon at the start of series five, former Coronation Street star Kenny stayed on Vera for eight years, with fans gutted when, after s big hint he had left, he announced that he was walking away from his role as DS Aiden Healy, having made the difficult decision to 'hand his badge in.'

Kenny's final appearance on screen as Aiden came in Christmas special The Rising Tide, which aired to millions on Boxing Day, but given that his character wasn't killed off, the door is very much open for a potential return and after news that Vera is ending next year sparked suggestions from fans that a spin-off could be in the pipeline, it's Kenny, not returning right hand man David Leon, who bookies have as the star to front it.

READ MORE: Vera's Ann Cleeves 'sad' about fate of ITV drama as author speaks out to devastated fans

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Bookmakers Betway have DS Healy as the 7/4 favourite to be the character to take over from Brenda Blethyn's legendary DCI Stanhope, with David's Joe Ashworth second in the odds on 1/4, Jon Morrison's character Kenny Lockhart on 7/2, and Mark Edwards, the Northumberland & City Police cop many fans wanted as Vera's new sidekick, in fourth on 5/1.

Betway spokesperson Chad Yeomans, said: “With the news this week that actress Brenda Blethyn is going to leave ITV's long-running TV detective show Vera, fans have immediately begun speculating on where the show could go from here.

“Social media is rife about the possibility of a spin-off show getting the green light from execs at ITV, and we think with such consistently high rating figures they’d be mad not to!"

He added: ""We go 2/1 that a Vera spin-off will be announced by the end of Season 14 and make DS Aiden Healey the favourite to be the main character at 7/4”