Vera star Brenda Blethyn has admitted ITV bosses had some notes about her on-screen accent when she first started playing the role.
Blethyn lives in Ramsgate in Kent with her husband of 24 years, Michael Mayhew and travels to the North East of England for months at a time to film the his series since 2011.
However, when she first started playing the role, Blethyn admitted she was given some blunt feedback about her accent while playing the iconic character.
Whilst many fans may be forgiven for thinking her Geordie accent is natural, the star is in fact not a Geordie and has perfected the accent for the role.
She was ultimately told off by show bosses and ordered to scale back her accent to make it easier for a global audience to understand.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Blethyn explained: “I don’t think I have cracked it, but a lot of locals say that I have… But I don’t really think so.
Brenda Belthyn was told to tone down her Geordie accent
ITV
“It was quite broad when I started but they said, ‘No, you’ve got to tone it back a bit’ – probably because of foreign, overseas sales – and so it has mellowed somewhat.”
The ITV show was recently nominated for Best Drama and Drama Performance award during the Royal Television Society North East and Borders awards – but sadly didn’t take any of the awards home.
Despite the loss, Blethyn recently gave an update on the upcoming series after a fan asked on X: “When will the filming of Vera begin, please?
“Can’t wait to see you all in and around North Tyrneside. Brilliant programme,” leaving the actress to reply: “End [of] April.”
David Leon returned to the series 13
ITV
She has previously hinted that the latest series will be her last She has previously hinted that the latest series will be her last after admitting the role demands so much of her time.
“When we finish filming, I always say, ‘I really don’t think I can do this anymore’. Filming usually means six months away from home – and in 2022 it was the best part of 10 months.
“But then I have a rest, get my appetite back and change my mind,” she told The Daily Mirror. “After we filmed The Rising Tide at the end of 2022 I didn’t want to do anymore without Kenny Doughty, who had decided to leave.
“But I said. ‘I’ll think about it if you can see if David Leon is available to return as Joe Ashworth. And so they did and here I am.
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Vera star Brenda Blethyn was 'told off' by show bosses
ITV
“I was broken-hearted when David left after series four and equally overjoyed when I heard he was coming back as the relationship between Vera and Joe worked so well.”
The first episode of the new series last month showed DCI Vera Stanhope looking into an accident in a country lane where a young man was hit by a car. When she finds out he was a popular market trader, she goes straight to the market to learn more about him.