Vera icon Brenda Blethyn reveals why she is so proud seeing Vicky McClure in Trigger Point

Brenda Blethyn has said she feels a surge of pride watching Vicky McClure lead ITV thriller Trigger Point, arguing that the role of EXPO Washington would once have been handed to a man.

The star, best known for her 14-year run as DCI Vera Stanhope in Vera, made the supportive comments in an interview with The Mail on Sunday (via MailOnline).

Blethyn, who currently stars in Channel 4's A Woman of Substance, said McClure was "terrific" on the show and welcomed the way major dramas are increasingly built around women.

A decade earlier, McClure's role would "certainly have gone to a man, no question," she continued.

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"I was thinking last night, when I was watching it, 'My goodness, this would've been a bloke playing this role'," she shared.

Blethyn also suggested that she too had benefitted from a gradual increase in opportunities for women on TV, which prevented Vera from being written as "Victor or Vern".

"When you think about it, who is sitting there watching television at night? Middle-aged and older women," she posited. "So why not represent them?"

The veteran actor observed that, in recent years, it is not just the volume of roles open to women that has changed, but the nature of the characters too.

Blethyn added: "What I've noticed over the years is there's less focus on glamour. That's why I loved Vera. She wasn't reliant on lipstick or a love interest."

That's certainly true of Lana Washington in Trigger Point, who has had a truly harrowing journey over four action-packed seasons, which might have reached its conclusion.

The former soldier turned Met Police explosives officer (or 'expo') is only the latest in a long line of memorable roles for McClure, including Kate Fleming in Line of Duty and Lol Jenkins in This Is England.

The Jed Mercurio-produced Trigger Point has become one of ITV's standout contemporary thrillers since its launch, with Radio Times readers recently voicing support for a fifth season.

Blethyn's comments land almost two years after Vera drew to a close.

The crime drama, adapted from Ann Cleeves's novels and set in the north-east of England, ended with a two-part 14th season at the start of 2025.

Trigger Point and Vera are available to stream on ITVX.

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Authors

David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.