Category Archives: Line of Duty

Vicky McClure Put On The Spot Over Viral Boris Johnson Video And Her Response Was Classic Line Of Duty

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The actor, who plays DI Kate Fleming in the hit BBC cop drama, appeared on The Graham Norton Show on Friday when conversation turned to the video from campaign group Led By Donkeys, which went viral earlier this week.

In this altered clip, Superintendent Hastings, DI Fleming and DI Arnott put the prime minister on the spot over the parties held in Downing Street during Covid restrictions, accusing him of thinking he’s “above the law” and telling him “the party’s over”.

There had been speculation Vicky and co-stars Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston had contributed extra lines to make the clip appear more realistic.

Addressing the video on his chat show, Graham said to Vicky: “You’ve been viral all week with the Line of Duty spoof where you’re interrogating Boris Johnson. Did you know that was coming out?”

“I can’t confirm or deny anything,” Vicky replied with a smirk.

As Graham said it had “gone gangbusters” and was “everywhere”, Vicky said: “Yes, I’ve watched it,” before nodding and laughing.

Led By Donkeys, who are known for their powerful online campaigns against the government, had previously said that they too could “neither confirm nor deny” if the Line Of Duty trio were involved in the making of the clip.

And Vicky’s refusal to offer a definitive answer on the matter is definitely putting us in mind of a particular scene from the show:

The ‘bring your own booze’ party held at No. 10 in April 2020 is currently the subject of an investigation – along with a host of other alleged gatherings at Downing Street – by civil servant Sue Gray.

Johnson has previously admitted attending the April 2020 party, but told the House Of Commons he believed he was attending a work event.

The Metropolitan Police have so far refused to investigate the allegations of parties in Downing Street, explaining they will only look into the claims if Sue Gray finds criminal evidence in her inquiry.

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Line Of Duty’s Daniel Mays Shares ‘Sneaking Suspicion’ About James Nesbitt’s Character

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Warning! This article contains Line Of Duty spoilers of the highest order. 

Line Of Duty star Daniel Mays has shared his “sneaking suspicion” that all might not be what it seems with Marcus Thurwell’s storyline. 

Fans of the hit BBC cop drama will remember the character – portrayed by James Nesbitt – was killed off in the penultimate episode of the most recent series, despite viewers having ever only seen him in photographs on the show.

Thurwell was found dead as Spanish police carried out a raid on his home in the hunt for the so-called “fourth man”, who was later revealed to be DSU Ian Buckells. 

However, many speculated at the time that Thurwell might actually be dead, despite a line of dialogue during a scene at AC-12 confirming his fate in the finale. 

BBC

James Nestbitt only appeared in photographs as Marcus Thurwell

Daniel, who played series three antagonist Sergeant Danny Waldron, admitted he is one of those who believes the theory. 

During an appearance on This Morning on Monday, Daniel told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: “I don’t think James Nesbitt is dead, I don’t know this, but I have a sneaking suspicion he might be the main man.”

Holly agreed: “It makes sense, otherwise you’re like, what was that scene when he was dead on the bed?”

Daniel said: “We didn’t get a close up did we of his bush.”

“And why waste him? What was the point?” Phillip said. 

BBC

Sergeant Danny Waldron (centre) was the subject of AC-12’s third investigation

Daniel said, however, that he wouldn’t be surprised if writer and creator Jed Mercurio was trying to trick fans, given Daniel’s own character met a grisly end very early on into series three. 

He said: “James Nesbitt is a phenomenal talent but maybe it’s just Jed Mercurio dangling the carrot, who knows. I wouldn’t put it past him. He killed me off didn’t he, he could do anything.”

S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock

Daniel Mays spoke to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning

While “H”, aka “the fourth man”, was revealed in the final episode of series six, many fans are convinced there’s more to the storyline – including Adrian Dunbar, who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings. 

A number of questions still remain about Chief Constable Philip Osborne, who previously worked on a team with Thurwell. 

Jed Mercurio previously revealed there’s potential to explore Osborne and possible links to organised crime should Line Of Duty return for a seventh series. 

BBC

Owen Teale as Chief Constable Philip Osborne (right)

Speaking to Den Of Geek, he said: ”[Osborne]’s someone who retains high office who is an outright liar and has been involved in corruption in the past in terms of the Karim Ali case and the Lawrence Christopher case.

“Clearly there would be potential there if we wanted to explore it, but it’s too early to say whether we ever would.”

Actor Owen Teale, who plays Osborne, also issued a plea to Jed to write more episodes so he can “sort out” his character. 

The entire Line Of Duty boxset is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV. 

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Line Of Duty’s Owen Teale Issues Plea To Creator Jed Mercurio Over Unanswered Osborne Questions

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Warning! This article contains Line Of Duty spoilers of the highest order. 

Line Of Duty star Owen Teale has called on creator Jed Mercurio to write more episodes so he can “sort out” his character Chief Constable Philip Osborne. 

A number of questions still remain about the Central Police boss, despite him not being unmasked as the so-called “fourth man” in last month’s divisive series finale. 

While DSU Ian Buckells was unveiled as the “bent copper” acting as the OCG’s fixer, Owen is also convinced there is more to be explored with Osborne. 

BBC

Owen Teale as Chief Constable Philip Osborne

Speaking to Wales Online, he said: “They say the whole story is finished, I’m not sure if it is you know.

“There’s a hell of a lot of people in shops and in the street [saying], ‘No no [Ian Buckells is] not H. There’s no way he had that power over AC-12 over six series, it’s because he’s the fall guy. Your character is number one!’”

He continued: “I agree with them and I want to know if Jed Mercurio is going to do something about it. Sort out Osbourne!”

Osborne was introduced back in series one, when he was the leader of the Counter Terrorism Unit that DI Steve Arnott was working on at the time, and instructed his officers to lie about what happened in the killing of Karim Ali. 

In series six, it was also revealed that Osborne was previously on the same team as corrupt officers Ian Buckells and Marcus Thurwell on the Lawrence Christopher murder case, suggesting he was also involved in the obstruction into the investigation.

There are also questions as to whether he colluded in the murder of journalist Gail Vella, who had established police failings and OCG links to the Lawrence Christopher investigation prior to her death. 

At the end of the series, fans learned that “close colleagues” of the Chief Constable had been appointed to senior positions in anti-corruption, following his cuts to the departments.

BBC

A number of questions about Osborne remain unanswered

Jed Mercurio previously revealed there’s potential to explore Osborne, should Line Of Duty return for a seventh series. 

Speaking to Den Of Geek, he said: ”[Osborne]’s someone who retains high office who is an outright liar and has been involved in corruption in the past in terms of the Karim Ali case and the Lawrence Christopher case.

“Clearly there would be potential there if we wanted to explore it, but it’s too early to say whether we ever would.”

The entire Line Of Duty boxset is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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Line Of Duty Fans Want ‘Justice For Chloe’ After Divisive Finale Episode

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Mother of god – be warned that this article contains Line Of Duty spoilers of the highest order.

While the Line Of Duty finale may have got something of a mixed reaction online, one thing fans can agree on is that there’s an unsung hero of AC-12 who isn’t getting the praise she deserves.

We are, of course, talking about DC Chloe Bishop.

After series six of the BBC police drama concluded on Sunday night, fans pointed out that in the short time she’s been at AC-12, Chloe succeeded in cracking a case the force had been working on for the past few series.

BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill

Shalom Brune-Franklin plays DC Chloe Bishop in Line Of Duty

Many also highlighted the fact that Shalom Brune-Franklin’s character didn’t even get an invite to the pub after all her hard work, with some even sharing the hashtag #JusticeForChloe after watching the episode…

Shalom Brune-Franklin was one of Line Of Duty’s new additions when the sixth series finally returned to our screens earlier this year.

Before joining the AC-12 gang, Shalom could be seen in the military drama Our Girl and made a brief appearance in the Marvel film Thor: Ragnarok.

One of the most controversial aspects of the Line Of Duty finale was the revelation that DSU Ian Buckells was the “fourth man” behind “H” all along.

Steffan Hill/BBC/World Productions

Nigel Boyle has played Buckells in three series of Line Of Duty

Addressing fans’ disappointment the morning after the episode aired, actor Nigel Boyle said: “There’s always going to be some element of disappointment. You can’t have every series with a big shoot out and ‘urgent exit required’. Sometimes a subtler message is more important.”

He added: “If your expectations are somewhere, you’re setting yourself up sometimes for disappointment.

“That’s not to say that all the fans are doing that – [but] everyone’s got their own ideas and theories about how something’s going to pan out, and if everyone does that then someone’s not going to be happy somewhere along the line.” 

All six series of Line Of Duty are now available to stream on the BBC iPlayer.

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Line Of Duty’s Shalom Brune-Franklin Reveals How She Auditioned Without Knowing What She Was Trying Out For

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Line Of Duty star Shalom Brune-Franklin has revealed how she had no idea what show she was auditioning for when she first tried out for the BBC cop drama. 

The actor, who plays AC-12 newcomer DC Chloe Bishop, admitted she “freaked out” after turning up at the audition and seeing a script that revealed the show she would be reading for. 

In an interview with The Times (£), Shalom explained: “Things have working titles so you don’t always know what they are and the script said LOD6.

BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill

Shalom Brune-Franklin plays DC Chloe Bishop in Line Of Duty

“When I opened it, the first line Chloe had was an AC-12 interview. I was absolutely freaking out. There was so much to learn.”

Shalom revealed she first auditioned for the part of DC Bishop at the start of February 2020, and there was around a week before she got the job, with filming starting shortly afterwards. 

Of joining the established cast, she said: “I turned up to the read-through and there were all these mega British actors that I’ve loved and adored for so long.

“Adrian [Dunbar, aka Superintendent Hastings] is hilarious. Vicky [McClure, DI Fleming] is amazing and very funny. Martin [Compston, DI Arnott] was my rock — he would say, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got the whole day to film this, and if you mess up we’ll go back to the beginning and start again. But you’ll be fine.’

“I honestly could not speak more highly of them all.”

BBC/World Productions

Shalom in action in the hit BBC show

During the interview, Shalom described her character as “a good egg”, appearing to shoot down fan theories Bishop might be corrupt. 

Asked if there is more to her, Shalom replied with a laugh: “I don’t know.” 

BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill

Shalom with co-stars Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar 

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Line Of Duty Series 6 Finale Trailer Reveals Answers Are ‘Definitely’ Coming And We’ve Got Goosebumps

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If you were worried the Line Of Duty finale might leave things up in the air, rest assured that answers are “definitely” coming. 

The BBC has released a new trailer for the final episode, which suggests the identity of ‘the fourth man’ – otherwise known as ‘H’ – will be revealed. 

The 30 second clip teases that “every investigation has led to this”, as it lines up key suspects DCS Patrica Carmichael, Chief Constable Philip Osborne, Superintendent Ted Hastings, DI Kate Fleming and ex-officer Marcus Thurwell. 

BBC

The identity of ‘the fourth man’ will be revealed

It also previews other dramatic events in store, including another armed face-off AC-12 have with members of the OCG as they look to secure the suspect. 

BBC

Arnott and Fleming have an armed shoot-out with OCG members

DCI Jo Davidson also faces an uncertain future, following her imprisonment in Sunday’s episode. 

The former MIT boss – who was revealed to be in league with organised crime due to her family connection to Tommy Hunter – is seen being transferred in a van with a corrupt prison officer, suggesting she could await the same fate as her birth father. Hunter was killed in series two after bent officers staged an ambush on his police convoy to stop him revealing their identities as he entered witness protection. 

BBC

Does Davidson await the same fate as her birth father, Tommy Hunter?

There is also another ominous misspelling of the word “definite”, which has been a known trait of ‘H’, and indeed of Ted Hastings…

BBC

We know that ‘H’ cannot spell “definite” 

The internet is already flooded with theories ahead of Sunday night’s finale, as many fans believe Marcus Thurwell is actually alive, after the character was found dead at his Spanish villa – and some of then claim to have the proof. 

Suspicions have also been raised about DCS Carmichael, as some viewers spotted what they believe might be a clue that confirms she’s ‘H’. 

Line Of Duty concludes on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.  

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Line Of Duty Sparks More Than 300 Complaints Over Hastings’ ‘Oddball’ Comment

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The BBC received more than 300 complaints over a scene in a recent episode of Line Of Duty, in which a character with Down’s syndrome was referred to as “the local oddball”.

In the first episode of the current series of the police drama, Superintendent Ted Hastings was heard questioning whether Terry Boyle, a disabled character, could have been involved in a murder.

During the scene, Adrian Dunbar’s character said: “[Carl]’s much more likely to be the gunman than the local oddball, that’s for sure.”

This comment was called out by many viewers at the time, particularly as the episode aired on World Down Syndrome Day, with a BBC spokesperson insisting that Hastings’ remark was not in reference to Terry Boyle’s disability.

BBC

Adrian Dunbar’s character made the remark during the series premiere last month

It’s now been reported (via Metro) that 323 complained to the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) about the scene in question.

Responding to these complaints, a post on the ECU’s website said: “Superintendent Ted Hastings’ comments were not in reference to the character Terry Boyle’s disability – Ted Hastings had never met Terry Boyle.

“Hastings was looking only at the evidence against Boyle, namely the press cuttings of Gail Vella found in his flat.”

BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill

Tommy Jessop portrays Terry Boyle in Line Of Duty

They added: “The word ‘oddball’ means an eccentric person and has no meaning or connotation of disability and Hastings was referring to the stalker/obsessed fan theory of Gail Vella’s murder.”

Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio previously tweeted on the subject: “‘Oddball’ has no connotation for learning difficulties. It describes a loner, an eccentric.”

Line Of Duty continues on Sunday night at 9pm on BBC One.

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Line Of Duty: Martin Compston Has A Serious Warning About Episode 5 Of Series 6

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If you thought Line Of Duty was going to let up after the shocking developments of the last episode, think again. 

Martin Compston has issued a warning to fans about the next instalment, which suggests it’s going to be even more dramatic than the last. 

The actor, who plays DI Steve Arnott in the hit BBC cop show, has said fans will “need therapy” by the end of Sunday night. 

Martin took to Instagram to share a picture of waistcoat-lover Arnott running in full police gear, adding the caption: “Episode 5 kicks off as stores re-open and there’s a sale on waistcoats.

“In all seriousness though if you thought Ep 4 ended on a cliffhanger, you’ll need therapy by the end of Ep5 (sic).”

Spoiler pictures from the episode have suggested Arnott will be attending a raid with MIT boss DCI Joanne Davidson.

BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill

A still taken from Sunday night’s episode

Last Sunday night’s episode saw the return of some other faces from Line Of Duty’s complicated past when slimy solicitor Jimmy Lakewell was revealed to have spoken to journalist Gail Vella about police corruption prior to her murder.

Screen Grab/BBC/World Productions

DCS Carmichael also returns to Line Of Duty in episode five

Bosses have hinted she could be about to take control after Hastings was forced into retirement, following Chief Constable Philip Osborne’s plan to cut numbers in Central Police’s anti-corruption units.

Meanwhile, the show’s creator Jed Mercurio has praised the “outstanding detective work” by some of the show’s viewers after a scene featuring a previously unannounced actor was accidentally leaked.

Their character will also be making their debut during Sunday night’s episode. 

Line Of Duty continues on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One. 

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Prime Suspect Creator Lynda La Plante Is No Fan Of ‘Preposterous’ Line Of Duty

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Line Of Duty is undoubtedly the biggest thing on TV right now, but one person who isn’t tuning in is Prime Suspect creator Lynda La Plante. 

The telly writer has called the hit BBC drama and others like it “preposterous”. 

Lynda, who won three Baftas for her work on Prime Suspect, admitted she doesn’t watch Line Of Duty or hit ITV series Unforgotten, which stars Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

ANTHONY HARVEY via Getty Images

Lynda La Plante 

In an interview with The Independent, she said: “I find the dramatic licence preposterous. So I’m not interested.

“I watch a lot of true crime because for me that is far more informative.” 

However, she stated she was a fan of BBC cop drama Happy Valley, which starred Sarah Lancashire. 

Lynda’s Prime Suspect – starring Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison – first debuted in 1991, running until 2006. 

While Lynda is no fan of Line Of Duty, the show has had its second highest ratings ever for its new series. 

The opening episode has now been watched by over 13 million people – a figure only beaten by the series five finale, which saw 13.67m tune in. 

BBC

Line Of Duty stars Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar

Martin Compston, who plays DI Steve Arnott, has teased that the upcoming fourth episode is “one of the best ever” and has the potential to be considered a “classic” among fans, describing it as “the big one” on Twitter on Saturday. 

While all major spoilers are under lock and key, the BBC has shared a cryptic synopsis of the episode, which reveals there will be some “major breakthroughs” as AC-12 continue their investigation into Operation Lighthouse. 

DCI Jo Davidson, played by Kelly Macdonald, also faces “increasing pressure from all sides” while AC-12 are also stunned by the results of a forensic report from PC Farida Jatri’s house.

Line Of Duty continues on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.  

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Line Of Duty’s Martin Compston Promises Episode 4 Is ‘One Of The Best Ever’

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Line Of Duty star Martin Compston has teased that there is high drama ahead in the upcoming episode, revealing it is “one of the best ever”. 

The actor, who plays DI Steve Arnott, said episode four of the current series has the potential to be considered a “classic” among fans, describing it as “the big one”. 

Posting a picture of Arnott aiming a gun in a tense-looking situation, he wrote on Twitter on Saturday morning: “Tomorrow’s the big one episode 4! On paper one of the best @jed_mercurio has ever written, if we deliver what was there potential to be a classic.

“Like to give a shout out to the young team Shalom and @gregorypiper98 who give outstanding performances in the midst of the madness.”

HuffPost UK has seen the episode, and while we are not allowed to share details about what happens, we’d definitely agree with Martin’s assessment. We’ll be here to bring you all the latest analysis after the show airs on Sunday night too. 

While all major spoilers are under lock and key, the BBC has shared a cryptic synopsis of the episode, which reveals there will be some “major breakthroughs” as AC-12 continue their investigation into Operation Lighthouse. 

It reads: “DCI Jo Davidson faces increasing pressure from all sides as AC-12 make major breakthroughs in the investigation.

“Hastings acknowledges that the disciplinary action against him put Kate and Steve in a difficult position, and a forensic report from Farida’s house results in a shock for AC-12.”

BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill

DCI Jo Davidson faces increasing pressure from all sides

Last Sunday’s episode saw corrupt police officer and OCG member Ryan Pilkington make an attempt on suspect Terry Boyle’s life by derailing a police escort and causing the car to crash into a lake. 

Boyle has been framed by the OCG as the main suspect in the murder of journalist Gail Vella, who was investigating police corruption prior to her death. 

BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill

PC Ryan Pilkington caused a car crash in an attempt to murder suspect Terry Boyle

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