Line of Duty star Vicky McClure has been friends with her hunky new co-star Perry Fitzpatrick since she was 11.
The actor has joined the cast of the BBC cop show for the sixth series, playing DS Chris Lomax, and he's found himself starring opposite his childhood pal Vicki, 37.
The pair have known each other since they were kids as they grew up in the same area, and they've even worked together on acting projects before.
Vicki and Perry appeared in West End show Equus together and they played husband and wife in 2019 Channel 4 show I Am Nicola.
The actor has ruled out any real life romance between the pair - insisting they've never even dating during their 20 years of friendship - and admitted it would be weird if their characters get together onscreen.
He told The Sun: "Me and Vicki, we’ve been best mates for 20-odd years and, no, we’ve never gone out with each other.
"We're so close, we're more like brother and sister and our families know each other, so I think it would be weird if we did.
"We know each other so well, we've been friends since we were 11 and we trust each other so much. And her partner, Jonny Owen is great, we’re good friends too."
Perry credits his work with Vicki on improvisational drama I Am Nicola with helping him land the role opposite her in Line of Duty.
He went on: "Vicky felt like she needed an actor she could trust for [I Am Nicola], and I think I was her first suggestion precisely because so much trust was needed.
"We were so close on that. And that drama got the attention of [Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio], so that was kind of my first, unofficial audition for it.
That got me on to his radar. But he made me audition for the part like everyone else."
The hit BBC drama has returned for a sixth series with anti-corruption unit AC-12 back on the case hunting for bent coppers.
This series features guest star Kelly Macdonald who has joined the team in their fight against the shady underworld of villainous H, who was exposed last series as not one but several high-ranking corrupt police officers.
Line of Duty returns on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.
