Why Brenda Blethyn champions Vicky McClure in ITV's Trigger Point: 'Role would have gone to a man'

Vera star Brenda Blethyn has explained why she is proud to see "terrific" Vicky McClure lead Trigger Point. McClure stars as EXPO Lana Washington in the show, an army veteran and police bomb disposal expert in London who leads her team through terror campaigns while battling PTSD and personal trauma.

The Jed Mercurio-produced thriller is now in its fourth season, which aired earlier this year and ended with Lana and her team attempting to shut down a near-apocalyptic threat against thousands of people.

The show has seen McClure's character thrown into an array of terrifying and dangerous situations, and watching the Line of Duty star in the role has filled Blethyn with a sense of pride.

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The A Woman of Substance star hailed McClure "terrific" in the show and praised how many major dramas now centre on female leads.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Blethyn mused that 10 years prior, McClure's role would "certainly have gone to a man, no question".

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

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

She 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."

Related: Trigger Point's Vicky McClure teases Shetland star's new role in S4 of the ITV thriller

It comes after McClure addressed whether there will be a fifth season of Trigger Point following its explosive season four ending.

"Who knows?" she told Radio Times. "For me, it always boils down to the audience. They're the deciders and, my word, they've been so supportive to Trigger Point over the years."

She continued: "I try not to stress too much about [rating] figures because they're not what they used to be anymore, but we still get really good figures, so that means something."

Trigger Point seasons 1-4 are available to stream now on ITVX.

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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more. Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club. LinkedIn