NEW COP on the block

RHIANNON CLEMENTS on the thrill of joining DCI Vera Stanhope’s team

VERA SUNDAY, 8PM, ITV1 DRAMA

Having been a fan of Vera since watching the Northumberland- set crime drama with her family as a teenager, Rhiannon Clements was delighted to join the ranks at the start of the current series as ambitious DC Steph Duncan.

But the Blackburn-born actor, whose previous credits include Hollyoaks, Maryland and The Power of Parker, faced a baptism of fire on her first day of filming as her debut scene was opposite the ITV1 show’s leading star, Brenda Blethyn, who plays firm but fair DCI Vera Stanhope.

‘I just walked on set and got straight into it,’ recalls Rhiannon, 29, as she joins TV Times for an exclusive chat. ‘Luckily, I only had a couple of lines, and I was more excited than nervous, but it was so lovely to finally meet Brenda!’

Rhiannon quickly felt at home in her new surroundings, and the same can be said for her character, who, in this week’s Series 13 finale, Salt and Vinegar, assists Vera during a complex murder investigation after a body is found in a fish-and-chip shop’s freezer.

Here, Rhiannon shares her case notes…

So, how did the role of Steph come about for you?

I initially went for a part in the previous series of Vera and I didn’t get it, so then I decided to audition for Steph. I didn’t hear anything for a while, so I thought, ‘Just put a pin in it and move on.’ But when I got the call to say I’d landed the job, it was absolutely amazing! It was quite a quick turnaround between getting the news and starting filming so I didn’t have time to think about it and get too anxious!