Vera will be joined by an old friend in the next series of the hit ITV crime drama, it has been revealed!
ITV has confirmed that Brenda Blethyn will be returning as DCI Vera Stanhope for Vera series 13. In the same announcement, we also learned that her former right-hand man, actor and director David Leon, would be returning to play Joe Ashworth in the latest series of the show.
The casting announcement also revealed that DC Kenny Lockhart (Jon Morrison) and DC Mark Edward (Riley Jones) would be returning for the three new feature-length episodes, whilst Ibinabo Jack (DC Jacqueline Williams) won't appear in the 13th series due to theatre commitments.
News of David Leon's return to Vera comes not long after Kenny Doughty revealed he was stepping away from the show after playing DS Aidan Healey for eight years after replacing David Leon back in 2015. The star revealed the news on Instagram, where he thanked everyone who worked on the show and the viewers whom he labelled "the best fans in the world".
"The Rising Tide"— a feature-length episode based on Ann Cleeves' 11th Vera novel— will be scheduled later in 2023, and will feature the final appearance of both Ibinabo Jack and Kenny Doughty.
Talking about the cast changes, Brenda Blethyn said: "It's been such a pleasure to work alongside Kenny and Ibinabo. They've both been terrific members of the Vera team, and I'll miss them. I'm absolutely over the moon to welcome David back to the show and can’t wait to get started."
We don't have a confirmed air date for Vera series 13 just yet, though the press announcement did confirm that further info about the next series of Vera would be coming when filming gets underway in the summer. So, expect to hear more casting news and a release date later in the year!
All 12 series of Vera are available to stream right now on ITVX; don't forget to check out our recommendations for the best ITV dramas to stream on the platform, and to have a look at our TV Guide for more info on all the latest shows.
