Brenda Blethyn's Vera 'return' confirmed just weeks after show finale

A few weeks after her emotional departure from the popular drama, Brenda Blethyn is set to thrill fans by "returning" to Vera for a special event in Newcastle.

Brenda, a BAFTA winner due to her acclaimed performance in Mike Leigh's Secrets and Lies, first appeared as the formidable detective DCI Stanhope at the beginning of 2011.

The pilot episode of the show captivated millions of viewers, leading to a full series of Vera, which has since become one of the biggest dramas on British TV for 14 years.

Even Covid couldn't prevent Vera from being broadcast every single year from 2011 to 2025, with its final episodes airing on ITV earlier this month.

After the first episode of series 14 on New Year's Day, the much-loved programme concluded with the finale, The Dark Wives, attracting a large audience.

Despite keeping quiet about the fate of her famous character, the final scene of Vera showed Brenda happily strolling along a beach, having been seen moments before packing up her belongings and leaving police HQ.

In a press interview towards the end of last year, Brenda disclosed that she had decided to leave Vera after 14 years in order to spend more time with her family in the south after filming a new series hundreds of miles away from them every summer since 2011, reports Chronicle Live.

While Brenda's time filming Vera appears to be over, she hasn't entirely abandoned the show.

As fans enjoy reruns on ITV, they can join the actress at Newcastle City Hall on Thursday, March 13, for 'Vera - End of an Era'. This special event will feature Brenda and Vera author Ann Cleeves discussing the final series and reminiscing about their favourite scenes.

TV presenter Steph McGovern will interview them on stage, and some special guests will join them.

The evening is being promoted as 'an unmissable chance' for fans to say a heartfelt goodbye to a beloved show and celebrate one of crime fiction's most iconic detectives.

Vera - End of an Era will - will commence in Newcastle City Hall on Thursday, March 13.