Line of Duty season six finale becomes the BBC's highest overnight rated show as 12.8 million tune in

*Warning: spoilers ahead for Line of Duty season six*

The Line of Duty season six finale finally revealed the identity of the corrupt copper known as H, and the anticipation led to the long-running drama recording the BBC's highest ever overnight rating.

A cool 12.8 million viewers tuned in to watch DSU Ian Buckells (played by Nigel Boyle) being unmasked as "The Fourth Man" who had eluded AC-12 for so long.

The copper had been hiding in plain sight, and while the reveal has proved divisive among some viewers, the episode still raked in a 56.2 per cent share of the overnight viewership.

With such record-breaking numbers, you would think that the future of the drama would be secured – although we're still waiting for confirmation.

Charlotte Moore, BBC’s Chief Content Officer, said of a possible seventh season: "Addictive event television, Line of Duty has kept the nation guessing for the last seven weeks, so it’s no surprise that last night’s jaw dropping finale set a ratings record.

"Jed Mercurio is a master of his craft, and I would like to congratulate him and the entire cast and crew for delivering such an incredible drama series.

"I’m looking forward to having a conversation with the team about where we go next and what the future of the series might be."

Line of Duty Series 1-6 is available on BBC iPlayer now, and we have all the latest news on Line of Duty season 7. Check out the rest of our Drama coverage, or take a look at our TV guide to find out what else is on.