Vera star leaves fans open-mouthed as he confirms return of beloved character in behind-the-scenes pic
VERA star Riley Jones has sent fans into a meltdown after sharing an behind-the-scenes snap from filming the new ITV series.
The hit drama will be back for another instalment and Brenda reprises her role as the iconic detective.
Filming officially kicked off in May in the North East as David Leon character’s Joe Ashworth also coming back.
Riley Jones, who plays DC Mark Edwards, took to his Instagram account to inform his followers how filming was going.
Riley shared a photo of him in the police office on set with leading lady Brenda Blethyn, David Leon, Jon Morrison and newcomer Rhiannon Clements, who has replaced Ibinabo Jac.
He captioned the post: “One down, two to go! #vera #itv #itvstudios #crime #crimedrama #drama #actor.”
Fans rushed to comment and share their excitement about David’s return as Joe Ashworth.
One said: “Joe is back!!! Cannot wait!”
Another wrote: “Hey, isn’t that Joe Ashworth.”
A third penned: “Wow is Joe coming back? Terrific! Your show is amazing!!! New season can’t come soon enough.”
ITV has also teased how DCI Vera Stanhope and her investigative team will be called to a country lane in the first episode as a young man is found dead.
The victim, who is a popular market trader, appears to have been hit by a car as the investigation kicks off.
The new series will consist of just three episodes, but ITV has said they will be ‘feature-length’.
Speaking about getting back into her character as Vera, award-winning actress Brenda said: “Stepping back into Vera’s shoes for the thirteenth series feels like coming home again.”
The 77-year-old added: “The support from the locals in the North East is truly heart-warming and reuniting with the talented David Leon and the rest of our exceptional team is an absolute delight.
“Together, we embark on this new chapter with a terrific script crafted by the brilliant Paul Matthew Thompson.”
One star who won’t be returning for the new series is Kenny Doughty.
He previously said he would be leaving the role of DS Aiden Healy in the Sunday night favourite after eight years.
Vera’s new series is expected to return at the start of next year on ITV1 and ITVX.