Madden set to discuss new series of Bodyguard

Bodyguard star Richard Madden has confirmed he is meeting the series creator Jed Mercurio later this month to discuss more episodes of the show.

The BBC One series, in which Madden played a protection officer guarding the home secretary, was a ratings juggernaut.

More than 10 million people tuned in to watch the final episode and the show became the most watched BBC drama of the decade.

Madden said: “I’m having a conversation with him (Mercurio) in about 10 days and we are just going to chat through some ideas.

“We never intended to make another one and I don’t know, I’m excited to see what he’s got, especially because David (Budd, his character) had quite a busy couple of months.

“So what do we do with him next? Because he probably needs a break... but him, on the beach with a pina colada, I don’t think people are going to watch that as much. Less anxiety though.”

Speaking at Bafta’s London HQ, where he is on the jury to decide the shortlist for the academy’s EE rising star award, Madden said he was yet to regain his composure after the success of the series.

He said: “It’s still strange and it keeps rolling because the show was really great over here and did so well and then it’s in America now (where it is streaming on Netflix), and it’s this rolling thing.

“It’s just thrilling that a little show that didn’t have a huge budget and just had a bunch of actors working really hard, it’s really inspiring that that has done well and not for any kind of glory, we just thought we were making a show we want to.”

Richard Madden