‘I had to behave myself!’: Brenda Blethyn on life after Vera as she joins Channel 4’s A Woman of Substance

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For fourteen years, Brenda Blethyn brilliantly portrayed DCI Vera Stanhope – a detective known for her disheveled appearance, biting wit, and incredible ability to solve crimes.

Brenda Blethyn has revealed that she sometimes acted assertively on the set of the popular ITV series.

The 80-year-old actress, best known for playing the strong and direct detective in the TV show Vera from its start in 2011 until its final episode last year, shared that while she was often playful and laughed a lot on the Vera set, she had to act much more seriously for her new role.

At a recent screening of her new historical drama, A Woman of Substance, Brenda explained that she had to carefully watch her actions. This was a change for her, as she’d previously been very much in charge on the set of Vera.

I tried to be on my best behavior this time, especially since I was a bit of a handful on Vera. We did have some fun, though.

This situation was new to me, and since I wasn’t in charge, I had to be careful and act appropriately.

Brenda played the famous detective on the long-running ITV crime drama for over ten years. The show lasted 14 seasons and became one of the channel’s biggest successes.

Last year, when the show finished, the actress shared that it was hard for her to let go of the role that had defined much of her career.

She said reading the script was deeply upsetting, and filming it was a very emotional experience. She later confessed it was difficult to let go of the character she’d played for so long.

Now she is returning to screens in a very different setting.

Brenda will be the lead actress in Channel 4’s new series based on Barbara Taylor Bradford’s popular novel, A Woman of Substance. The show tells the incredible life story of Emma Harte, following her journey from poverty to success.

This story covers six decades, charting Emma’s life from humble beginnings as a poor kitchen maid in Yorkshire during the early 1900s to her rise as a successful and influential business leader by the 1970s.

The historical drama features Jessica Reynolds, known for her role in House of Guinness, along with actors Emmett J. Scanlan and Will Mellor.

For Brenda, however, the project carried a deeply personal resonance.

She shared that her mother started her career as a domestic worker in a grand home in Kent, a background remarkably like that of the main character in the show.

During the film screening, she shared that her mother began her career as a maid in a large home in Kent. It was there she met her father, who worked as a chauffeur.

She had to work several jobs each day just to cover basic expenses. We didn’t have much money growing up; it was a very difficult financial situation.

My mother was a remarkable person, and I always enjoyed hearing her reminisce about the past.

She started as a kitchen helper and eventually became a personal maid, much like Emma. She used to share stories with me about her duties, like brushing her employer’s hair.

Brenda, really enjoying the story of the strong, successful woman from Yorkshire, shared that she’d purchased the original TV series and intends to watch it once their adaptation is finished airing.

A Woman of Substance airs on Channel 4 on Wednesday at 9pm.

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2026-03-09 14:48