Vera's Joe Ashworth to return for season 13 as series is renewed
David Leon is returning to the cast after almost a decade.
ITV has confirmed that Vera will be returning for its 13th season – with David Leon set to rejoin the cast almost a decade since he last appeared on the show.
Leon played the DS Joe Ashworth in the first four seasons of the crime drama between 2011 and 2014, and will now be back alongside Brenda Blethyn, who once again reprises her role as the title character for the new run.
Blethyn said she was "absolutely over the moon to welcome David back to the show" adding that she "can’t wait to get started".
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The new season will conist of three feature length episodes, with other returning cast members including Jon Morrison as DC Kenny Lockhart and Riley Jones as DC Mark Edwards.
But there are a couple of familiar faces who won't be back this time around: Kenny Doughty, who has played DS Aidan Healey since 2015, recently announced his departure from the drama, while DC Jacqueline ‘Jac’ Williams star Ibinabo Jack will not be returning for the 13th season due to her theatre commitments.
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Both Doughty and Jack are still due to appear in one more feature length episode, with a special based on Ann Cleeves's 10th Vera novel The Rising Tide set to be released at an as yet unannounced date later in 2023.
Commenting on the depature of the two stars, Blethyn said: "It's been such a pleasure to work alongside Kenny and Ibinabo. They've both been terrific members of the Vera team, and I'll miss them."
Meanwhile, ITV has teased that further casting news and information about the new season will be announced when filming commences in the summer.
Vera is available to watch on ITVX while seasons are also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free BritBox trial here. You can also purchase instalments from any series on Amazon Prime Video. You can buy the first of Ann Cleeves's Vera novels here.
To find out what else is on, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub.
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