A tense time for Vera...

The future of detective drama Vera is up in the air, says its star, Brenda Blethyn. ‘We’re talking to ITV about doing a ninth series,’ she says. ‘It may return, it may not. If you’d told me nine years ago, when we shot the pilot, that I’d still be playing the role now I wouldn’t have believed you – and I’d have run a mile!’

Taking part in BBC2 travelogue Pilgrimage: The Road To Santiago has not given Debbie McGee a passion for hiking. She admits, ‘I discovered that I don’t like walking up mountains – and I never will! It was a great experience, but never again.’

Anna Friel makes sure to leave her ITV character Marcella behind when she goes home. ‘I cling on to Marcella during filming, so I have to shake her off before I’m reunited with my 12-year-old daughter Gracie,’ says Anna. ‘I want her to snuggle up to her mum, not to a copper who never smiles.’

Filming upcoming Channel 4 comedy High & Dry in the Seychelles wasn’t all laughs. Actor Harry Peacock feared he was going to die when a freak wave swept him away. ‘We were about to board a boat when the wave struck,’ says Harry. ‘I went under and thought, “This is it,” but eventually managed to scramble to safety.’