Vera's Brenda Blethyn was emotional when series wrapped as she reveals final scene

Revealing more about what that final scene was, Blethyn said: "It was very appropriate that the last day of filming was scheduled to take place in the police incident room where so much of the drama has happened.

"I think our producer Will Nicholson contrived that. (Incidentally, that is not where the final scene of the episode takes place.) You could hear a pin drop when we were filming. Then when I heard, 'That’s a wrap.' I was emotional. As, indeed, Vera would have been."

She continued: "There were a lot of people behind the cameras, and at the end I thanked everybody. I said, 'We’re all as important as one another.' I might be the one playing the title character, but it’s only an ingredient in a great big pot. And all of the ingredients are necessary.

"Everyone contributes to it. And it’s the sum of all of those parts that made Vera a success. And Vera will, of course, continue to crack crime in Ann Cleeves’s books - and there will be 56 episodes available to watch on TV repeats."

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• Vera's childhood explored in final episode, says executive producer

Blethyn added: “I was with a friend one day and we were flipping through TV channels looking for something good to watch. We hit upon a drama that I had no recollection of having watched before and I said, 'This looks good. Let’s watch this.' My friend agreed.

"So we are watching it and then suddenly the door opens and Vera walks in. 'Oh, crikey!' I thought, and immediately switched channels. I was rather embarrassed because it seemed like I’d been looking for something to watch with me in it! I don’t even know what episode it was."

With so many iconic episodes, fans will of course have a big back catalogue to go back through and rewatch, but as for the final episodes, we're set to go on quite the emotional journey with Vera.

In the very final outing, The Dark Wives, we're set to get some insight into Vera's childhood.

Executive producer Will Nicholson previously shared: "Vera’s relationship with her father Hector was quite complex and has shaped her. She had to grow up fast when her mother died.

"But through those tough times - both for Vera and her father - she loved her father. But his life was not the life that she wanted to lead. We do learn more about her childhood. I think it’s a full circle for Vera."

Vera season 14 will arrive on Wednesday 1st January at 8pm on ITV1. Previous episodes are available to watch on ITVX.

You can also purchase instalments from any series on Amazon Prime Video. You can buy the first of Ann Cleeves's Vera novels now.

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