03 March 2024 , 22:09
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Brenda Blethyn has revealed she given some blunt feedback about her accent while playing iconic crime character Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope - she sounded too Geordie.
The 78-year-old actress hails from Ramsgate in Kent - and she still lives in the county in the south of England with her husband of 24-years, Michael Mayhew. Brenda travels to the North East of England for months at a time to film the hit ITV crime drama Vera - which has been on screens since 2011.
And while fans of the long-running TV show may be forgiven for thinking she is a natural Geordie, the star is in fact not and has merely perfected the accent for the role. Brenda says she did too good a job learning Geordie dialect and tone for her role that she was ultimately told off by show bosses and ordered to scale back her accent to make her easier to understand for a global audience.
Her TV show character, Vera Stanhope, is retired detective chief inspector of the fictional Northumberland & City Police and the star has been dedicated to making her character sound as authentic as possible. She has now revealed that bosses hinted the show - which airs internationally as far away as Australia and the Americas - might not sell well abroad if fans couldn’t grasp her accent.
She has played Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope on the ITV show since 2011 (SCU)Speaking to the Daily Mail, Brenda explained: “I don't think I have cracked it, but a lot of the locals say that I have… But I don't really think so. 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.”
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Brenda has hinted in recent months that she may be growing tired of playing Vera as the role demands so much of her time. She confessed to the Mirror last year: “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."
This month, Brenda confirmed she will be back in front of cameras to film an incredible 14th season of the ITV show - with filming set to commence incredibly soon. She fielded questions from fans on social media - with one saying they couldn’t wait to see her back in the north. The fan asked: "When will the filming of Vera begin, please? Can't wait to see you all in and around North Tyneside. Brilliant programme". Brenda answered: "End [of] April."
The exchange has thrilled fans of Vera - who helped the recent 13th season that aired over January reach almost 7 million viewers per episode. There had been concerns that the show could be nearing an end - but the news of a new season has injected fresh excitement into the fanbase.
Vera is based on a series of books written by Ann Cleeves. The 69-year-old author has already written ten stories in the series - with an eleventh novel titled The Dark Wives due for release in August this year.