Line of Duty's Martin Compston was desperate for crime series to finish

COVID-19 lockdown was difficult to say the least

Line of Duty facts
(Image credit: BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill/Geraint Williams)

Line of Duty first aired in 2012 and ran for 10 years until the final series hit the small screens last year, although there is speculation there will be a seventh series.

However, filming for the most recent drop was a painfully drawn out process, according to Martin Compston, who portrays DS Steve Arnott in the BBC series - due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Martin, 37, said filming for the final instalment was "intense" and "too much".

BBC commissioned the sixth series back in May 2017, and three years later, in February 2020, filming began. However, shooting for the production was halted a month later when the UK went into lockdown.

Speaking with Jesse Ware and mum Lennie on their podcast Table Manners, Martin said: "It started during the end of lockdown, I think there was two episodes in lockdown, but the build up was just too much.

"By that point we had everybody hooked which was great but by the last episode I was desperate for it to end. It was too much. It is intense.

"And when it is a returning show like that."

Martin can currently be seen in ITV crime thriller Our House, in which he plays the role of father of two Bram Lawson, who is scammed into selling his house without his wife Fiona - portrayed by Tuppence Middleton - knowing.

Martin thinks viewers will want to binge watch the series as soon as it comes out because, similar to Line of Duty, it is laden with cliffhangers.

He said: "Which is why I am so chuffed about Our House coming out... and Our House is proper cliffhangers as well. We are on four consecutive nights so it's going to be that week, people are going to go wild and then it is going to be done."

Maisie Bovingdon

Maisie is a writer and editor, covering Royal News, Showbiz, Lifestyle content, as well as Shopping Writing and E-Commerce, for print and digital publications, including Marie Claire, Hello!, Fabulous, Mail Online and Yahoo!.