Line of Duty's Anna Maxwell Martin reveals she was asked to do I'm A Celebrity: "It would be good TV"
Patricia Carmichael is tough enough to scare any jungle critter away.
Line of Duty star Anna Maxwell Martin has revealed she was once invited to be part of ITV's long-running extreme reality series I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
The BAFTA-winning actor has had a stellar year in 2021, first appearing as no-nonsense DCS Patricia Carmichael in Line of Duty series six and later reprising the role of Julia Johnson in acclaimed sitcom Motherland.
She isn't losing any momentum either with two top secret projects lined up for towards the end of the year, prompting Grazia to jokingly suggest that she could take on the challenge of I'm A Celebrity 2021.
As it turns out, she was indeed approached for the show at one point in time but opted not to take part as she felt jungle life would not be for her.
"I was asked to the jungle; I would love the challenges, but I wouldn’t like the boredom," she revealed.
I'm A Celeb contestants often find themselves with little to do outside of their daily challenges but life is much nicer for their accompanying family members and supporters put up in luxurious accommodation – a prospect that proved very appealing to Martin's daughters.
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She recalled: "They were like, 'Oh my God, we’re going to be in the Versace hotel for five weeks!'"
Alas, it was not to be, but Martin would be a fascinating personality to have on I'm A Celeb, given that she claims her biggest phobias are far more mundane than the creepy-crawlies of the jungle: Sandwiches and mayonnaise.
"If they threw me in a coffin with those... it would be good TV," added Martin.
I'm A Celebrity is expected to return towards the end of the year, although there's no word yet over whether it will head back out to Australia or once again opt for a UK-based edition.
As for the future of Line of Duty, Martin said she would "never be told" in advance about plans for the crime drama, while Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio recently said it was "too soon" to say whether the show would return.
Line of Duty and Motherland are available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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.