EastEnders icon confirmed to play daughter of Vera legend Brenda Blethyn in first look at glossy new remake of beloved drama

Channel 4's new adaptation of iconic story A Woman of Substance has added another big name to its ensemble in the form of EastEnders alum Jo Joyner.

Brenda Blethyn (Vera) stars in the upcoming eight-part series, which is based on Barbara Taylor Bradford's novel of the same name, taking the main role of Emma Harte; a woman who goes on a "rags to riches" journey over an extraordinary life.

The role of Emma is shared between Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds (House of Guinness), who plays her at an earlier stage of her life. They fill the shoes of Deborah Kerr and Jenny Seagrove, who co-starred in Channel 4's prior adaptation in 1985.

RadioTimes.com can exclusively confirm that Stay Close and Ackley Bridge star Joyner will play Elizabeth Harte Ainsley in the new series; the eventual daughter of Emma, who shockingly deceives her mother in a betrayal of trust.

The incident prompts Emma to take revenge on those she considers to be traitors – and suffice it to say, Elizabeth falls firmly into that group. Here's a first look at Joyner in the role, courtesy of Channel 4:

Over the course of the series, we'll see Emma go from an impoverished, ambitious maid in 1911 to the world's richest woman several decades later, having defied expectations and shattered glass ceilings along the way.

"Her masterplan: Get to the top. Whatever it takes," teases the synopsis.

A Woman of Substance's large cast also includes Emmett J Scanlan (Mobland), Lydia Leonard (Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light), Will Mellor (Mr Bates vs the Post Office), Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable?) and Robert Wilfort (Gavin & Stacey).

You can also expect to see Leanne Best (This City Is Ours), Ewan Horrocks (The Last Kingdom), Harry Cadby (In Flight), Toby Regbo (A Discovery of Witches), Hiftu Quasem (The Witcher), Georgina Sadler (Boarders) and Niall Wright (Slow Horses) appear.

The project comes from key creatives behind Apple TV's The Buccaneers, including screenwriters Katherine Jakeways and Roanne Bardsley, plus director John Hardwick, who oversaw the first block of filming.

Rebecca Holdsworth, commissioning editor at Channel 4, said: "Attracting an ensemble cast of this quality is testament to Katherine and Roanne’s exceptional scripts. We are so excited to be bringing this fresh, sexy and bold adaptation of an iconic book to Channel 4."

A Woman of Substance is coming soon to stream and watch on Channel 4.

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