Brenda Blethyn lands first major role since Vera ended – and it's world's away from iconic TV detective
The beloved actress, 78, is set to star in a
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Double Oscar-nominee Brenda Blethyn will play the older Emma Harte in the rebooted A Woman of Substance
Credit: Getty
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It's her first major role since quitting Vera
Credit: ITV
Channel 4 has signed up a Hollywood legend and a rising star for its glitzy new remake of
The Woman Of Substance charts the jaw-dropping rise of a poor Yorkshire maid who claws her way to the top - ending up the richest woman on the planet, ruling her empire from a swanky New York penthouse.
The rags-to-riches saga is being rebooted 40 years after Channel 4's first version - which starred Jenny Seagrove and still holds the crown as the
The brains behind Apple TV hit The Buccaneers, Katherine Jakeways and Roanne Bardsley, are on script duty for the new series.
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The glitzy remake is being produced by Banijay-backed The Forge, with former Channel 4 drama chief Beth Willis serving as executive producer.
Brenda said: 'I'm overjoyed to be taking on this iconic role, in the footsteps of the great Deborah Kerr.
"As a fan of Barbara Taylor-Bradford, it is an unmissable opportunity to play the fierce Emma Harte.'
Most read in Drama
While rising star Jessica Reynolds, fresh from a breakout role in indie smash Kneecap and Outlander Season 6, will play the younger Emma.
The original three-part saga starred Liam Neeson with
Vera's Brenda Blethyn confirms she's already landed her next role after quitting ITV drama
Its finale pulled in Channel 4's highest audience of 13.8 million viewers and received two Emmy nominations.
A Woman of Substance has sold an incredible 30 million copies since its release four decades ago.
Barbara Taylor Bradford
She passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday 24 November following a brief illness.
Crime dramas on ITVX
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.
Professor T:
Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
This series follows a mother's grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake's novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
Red Eye:
Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.
Charlie Redmayne, CEO of HarperCollins Publishers UK, said: 'Barbara Taylor Bradford was a truly exceptional writer whose first book, the international bestseller A Woman of Substance changed the lives of so many who read it - and still does to this day.
"She was a natural storyteller, deeply proud of her Yorkshire roots - she would regale us of her time working on the Yorkshire Evening Post with fellow reporter Keith Waterhouse and trainee photographer Peter O'Toole, the dawn of the Soho café society, and the many happy years shared with the love of her life, her husband, Bob.
"For 45 years, she was a huge part of our company and a great, great friend - we will miss her so much - but there is some solace in the knowledge that she is now, once again, alongside her beloved Bob. A life well-lived.'
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Rising star Jessica Reynolds will play the younger version of the iconic character.
Credit: Getty
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Brenda said: 'I'm overjoyed to be taking on this iconic role"
Credit: Getty
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The series is based on the best-selling book from the late Barbara Taylor Bradford
Credit: REX
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Irish Independent
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The Irish Sun
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'And unfortunately, it ruins it for people like me who it's absolutely life-changing for. 6 I've been on these injections for a year now and I've lost 7st, reveals Amy Credit: Lorna Roach 'I also get annoyed that some people call it the 'lazy way out'. 'I don't want people to think that I've sat around for the last 17 years of my life not trying to lose weight. 'I want people to know that this has been my only option to get this far.' Amy strongly believes that Mounjaro is a drug designed for those who, like her, have bodies that don't respond to traditional dieting or exercise. And despite the benefits, she even fears for those who use it when they don't need to. 'It goes for your muscles,' she says. NO QUICK FIX 'That's why there's the whole 'Ozempic face' and 'Ozempic arms' and all of that stuff. 'It's also really damaging for people with eating disorders.' She has worked with personal trainer Tash since the end of 2021 doing regular workouts to help her tone up and maintain muscle mass. She said: 'Exercising alongside Mounjaro is so important - it's very hard to work out if you are at that point of needing Mounjaro.' Amy says she has only experienced side effects when going up a dose - and minimises them by drinking plenty of water and taking electrolytes. For Amy, this is no quick fix and she believes she will need to take weight loss medication 'for life'. Now, she makes sure she follows doctor's orders by listening to what her body needs and makes sure her small meals are nutritionally dense. She said: 'If I'm not hungry I'm not going to force myself to eat. 'I do have to make sure I get protein in and that is my number one priority so I eat a lot of chicken and tuna.' I'm fitting into size 18 clothes for the first time since I was 15 or 16 – it's hard for me to believe. Although she was open about taking the medication with friends and family, she said she didn't want to open up until she felt she was educated enough to answer her followers' questions. She is keen for fans to understand the commitment of taking Mounjaro. She says: 'What people don't realise is that it does so much more than just suppress your appetite. 'It also curbs cravings and slows down your digestive system to keep you fuller for longer. 'There's no such thing as an easy way out. Even surgery is not an easy way out. 'Coming off the injections will mean my body goes back to its old ways. 'I don't want people to think that they can just go on it, lose a couple of stone, come off of it, and be chilling. 'The minute they come off, their bodies will go back to doing exactly what they did before and they're going to store fat.' 6 I get annoyed that some people call weight loss injections the 'lazy way out', says Amy Credit: Lorna Roach 6 The star now laughs at the trolls who once attacked her over her size Credit: Lorna Roach Amy's family – brother Josh, 27, who works for a think-tank, nursery manager mum Nikki, 52, and dad Jonathan, 58, a chauffeur – are thrilled at her weight loss success. 'They're so proud and so happy about it,' she says. 'They were always supportive of me their whole lives - and now they are happy to see me so happy.' The star, who has been sharing her weight loss journey with her 76,000 Instagram followers, now laughs at the trolls who once attacked her over her size. BODY BATTLE 'I used to scroll through my phone looking at negative comments calling me 'the fat girl in the corner', but now I see them arguing in the comments section about if I am on Mounjaro or not. It makes me laugh.' Despite dropping an incredible 7st, Amy's body battle is far from over. Having lost weight at such speed, she eventually hopes to have skin removal surgery once she has reached a stable weight in the next couple years. 'It's a long way down the line, but I've lost the weight sooner than I would have ever imagined in my life,' she says. 'I'm definitely having a party after I have reached my goal weight and had my loose skin removed. 'You need to celebrate these things. Otherwise, what's the point?'
