Paul Kaye has landed his first role since his departure from Vera left his co-stars and ITV viewers gutted.
Paul,. the star who rose tro notoriety in the 90s and as spoof journalist Dennis Pennis, quickly became a big favourite when he joined the Vera cast as pathologist Dr Malcolm Donahue, with fans, particularly enjoying his barbed banter with Brenda Blethyn's on screen alias.
Paul's departure from Vera was confirmed by Brenda herself, before the new run had even kicked off on ITV. Dr Malcolm played a key role in the 'missing' episodes of series 11, which viewers had waited nearly a year to see, before bowing out in series 12 opener Against The Tide. And Dr Malcolm didn't leave the fold without aiming a few last jabs in Vera's direction,. firstly condemning her for "trampling all over," before bidding a final farewell to DCI Stanhope by telling her: ""Thanks, it's been fun. ...sort of!"
BAFTA and Golden Globe winner Brenda and co-star Riley Jones both spoke out on how sad they were to see Paul go, with his exit also upsetting loyal Vera viewers, some of whom even messaged Brenda on Twitter, begging her to convince him to stay.
However, as Vera's future has been shrouded in uncertainty, thanks to a rather cryptic Instagram post from Kenny Doughty, it's onto pastures new for Paul, with him being confirmed to star in Olivier Award winning play The Pillowman, alongside Lily Allen and Benidorm and League of Gentlemen star Steve Pemberton.
The Pillowman will launch at the Duke of York theatre in London's West End in June, with Smile and The Fear singer Lily playing a writer in a police state who is interrogated about the content of her short stories and their similarities to several murders occurring in the town.
*Sign up to get the latest TV and showbiz news straight to your inbox with the Chronicle TV and celebs newsletter. If you can't see the form below, click HERE
READ NEXT:
*Love Island's Kai and Sanam and Ron and Lana get 'revenge' in final as old clips surface
*Dancing on Ice result sees Nile Wilson win after three way tie on final leaderboard
*BBC's Call the Midwife 'replacement' confirmed and it's an old favourite
