Flesh and Blood has reached the halfway point and viewers are loving the ITV mini-series so far. Many have praised the acting in the drama as well as the mysterious plot, but one of the stars was nearly not in the show at all. Imelda Staunton, who plays Mary, a neighbour who is key in the investigation into a death, revealed in an interview recently that her character was written in after the script was already finished.
WATCH: Imelda Staunton reveals her character was added to the script retrospectively
Appearing on Lorraine earlier in the week, the actress, who has appeared in films such as Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, explained: "[The writer] Sarah Williams was asked to write a family sort of drama but she told us last week that actually, she'd written the piece and then thought 'I need someone else' and then she brought in my character."
As well as being a last minute addition to the script, Imelda praised the writing for its clever twists and turns. The 64-year-old told Lorraine: "[It's good to have] A script that makes you go 'oh I know what's going to happen - oh no! Ok I didn't expect that.'" We'll have to keep watching to find out any twists…
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Imelda's character might have been added in retrospectively, but viewers are convinced that Mary is a central figure in the mysterious crime that threads throughout the programme. Many took to social media to share their theories on what happens, their verdict on who can be trusted, and who was involved in the incident. One person wrote: "Whatever it was - Imelda did it! #FleshAndBlood." Another agreed, writing: "I'm putting it out there early...whoever is dead, Imelda Staunton, the nosy neighbour did it!"
READ: Flesh and Blood: viewers already have a theory on the plot of ITV drama
The mini-series also centres on a family of three children coming to terms with their mother Vivien (Francesca Annis) and her new partner Mark (Stephen Rea), who they're not sure of. Playing the three children alongside Francesca and Stephen is Russell Tovey as Jake, Claudie Blakley as Helen, and Lydia Leonard as Natalie.
Flesh and Blood continues on Wednesday at 9pm on ITV.
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