ITV Vera's Rhiannon Clements takes on new role weeks before new series filming set to start

Rhiannon Clements has taken on a very different new role to her character in Vera, weeks before filming is set to begin on the hit drama's new series.

Prior to joining the ranks of Northumberland & City Police as newcomer Steph Duncan for series 13, Rhiannon was best known to British TV viewers for playing villain Summer Ranger in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks. Appearing on screen for the first time in Vera back in January, after a casting shake-up on the ITV show also brought the return of original sidekick David Leon, Rhiannon quickly established herself as a firm favourite with die hard fans, some of whom predicted she could end up being the 'future' of the drama.

Having been very excited to land the part of Steph, declaring she was 'off her chops grateful,' the last time Rhiannon posted about Vera on social media was back in September when filming wrapped on the last series. Sharing photos of herself on set, she wrote: "That’s a wrap on Vera S13 and DC Duncan. Already missing Steph’s comfy functional treads and threads, the beautiful North East and the incredible cast and crew of this wonderful show, who welcomed me into the Vera family and have worked tirelessly the last few months to make something v special. Can’t wait for you to see Vera Series 13 - it’s going to be ‘belta’!"

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Fast forward to now and Rhiannon has been posting about her new venture, in National Theatre's Underdog: The Other Other Bronte, which opened in London at the end of last month. The actress took a break from rehearsals of the show to attend the TV Choice awards with the rest of the Vera cast, ahead of it having its opening on March 29.

And it was some photos of her with her boyfriend and her brother after press night that Rhiannon posted on Instagram, captioning them: 'Press night of Underdog: The Other Other Brontë. Sharing it with my love and my big bro was summat real special"

It was let slip by Rhiannon's Vera co-star and leading lady, Brenda Blethyn, that production would commence on Vera series 14 at the end of this month, after the BAFTA winner was put on the spot by fans on X, with call outs for local extras also appearing on social media.