Filming begins for Michelle Keegan's new drama called The Blame
She will be joined by Douglas Booth
Since leaving Coronation Street, Michelle Keegan has firmly established herself as a drama favourite, starring in hits such as Our Girl, Tina and Bobby, and most recently, the 2024 Netflix sensation Fool Me Once.
After giving birth to her daughter Palma earlier this year, Michelle has now returned to work, with filming starting for a brand new ITV/STV drama called The Blame.
What is The Blame about?
ITV/STV say of The Blame: 'The drama dives into secrets, suspicion and systemic corruption - all under the surface of this seemingly quiet town.
'The series begins when the body of teenage figure skater Sophie Madsen is discovered, sending shockwaves through the town of Wakestead. As DI Crane (Michelle Keegan) and DI Radley (Douglas Booth) dig deeper, what starts as a tragic death, spirals into a tangled web of lies, institutional cover-ups, and moral compromise. As the clock ticks and trust fractures, Crane must navigate both a murder investigation and the treacherous politics inside her own team.'
Who is the writer?
The Blame has been written, developed for television and executive produced by Megan Gallagher.
Megan said: “The Blame is such an important and urgent story to tell; I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to bring Charlotte Langley’s world and characters to life on screen. It’s my second collaboration with Quay Street Productions, and it’s great to be working with the team again - I’m truly in the best hands.”
ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill, will oversee production of The Blame. She added: “The Blame is a brilliant new crime thriller full of surprising twists and a compelling investigation that also cleverly tackles police corruption, exploitation and misogyny as the thriller unravels. Megan is such a wonderful and clever writer, and with Michelle Keegan in the lead and Nicola Shindler at the helm, this is going to be an unmissable drama and one I’m very proud to have on ITV.”
Is it a book?
Yes! The Blame is based on the debut novel of the same name by Charlotte Langley, which was published in 2023.
What channel is it on?
It will air on ITV1/STV1 and ITVX and STV Player.
When is it on TV?
There's no official start date for The Blame just yet, but filming has now started, with press photos showing Michelle in character.
With this in mind, it could be late 2026 before it arrives.
Is there a trailer?
There's no trailer at this time.
Who is in the cast?
Brassic and Fool Me Once actress Michelle Keegan will lead the cast, playing the lead role of DI Emma Crane. She will be joined by The Sandman actor Douglas Booth, who will play the role of DI Tom Radley.
Mr Bates vs. The Post Office star Ian Hart will play DCI Kenneth Walker. Other names that will appear in the new drama include Nathan Mensah, Nigel Boyle and Matilda Freeman.
Check out the full cast list below:
Michelle Keegan as DI Emma Crane
Douglas Booth as DI Tom Radley
Nathan Mensah as DC Lewis
Nigel Boyle as Brett Shergill, digital forensic technician
Joe Armstrong as Kyle Frasier, ice-skating coach
Matilda Freeman as Sophie Madsen
Gavin Spokes as DC Joel Stevens
Josh Bolt as DC Douglas James
Ceallach Spellman as PC Callum Drummond
How many episodes?
The Blame will be made up of six episodes.
Where is it filmed?
No exact filming locations have been revealed.
Check out Michelle Keegan's incredible TV career below:
2008–2014: Coronation Street
In what was her first ever acting role, Michelle landed the role of barmaid Tina McIntyre in long-running ITV soap Coronation Street in 2008.
Following just two auditions, Michelle was given the gig over 900 other people, with her landing some huge storylines during her six years on the show.
After 861 episodes, Michelle announced she'd made the decision to leave the Cobbles, with her character being killed off in June 2014.
2015: Ordinary Lies
In what was her first role after Corrie, Michelle starred in the first series of BBC show Ordinary Lies in 2015, playing the role of Tracy Shawcross.
The BBC drama was a six-part series written by Danny Brocklehurst, which followed JS Motors, a car dealership in Warrington, employing a number of 'ordinary' people, each with dark secrets.
Michelle appeared on the show alongside Max Beesley, Jo Joyner, Sally Lindsay and Jason Manford.
2016 and 2017: Drunk History
Michelle appeared on the first episode of the second series of Comedy Central show Drunk History in 2015. Michelle played the role of Queen Elizabeth I, alongside Jessica Knappett and Lydia Rose Bewley.
She later returned in series three, playing the role of Mary, Queen of Scots in episode two.
2016: Plebs
Starring in ITV2 comedy show Plebs, Michelle played the role of a Vestal Virgin named Ursula alongside Joel Fry's character Stylax in 2016. The episode involved Michelle's first ever on-screen sex scene.
2016-2020: Our Girl
In what was perhaps her biggest role since leaving Corrie, Michelle landed the main role of Lance Corporal Georgie Lane on BBC drama Our Girl between 2016-2020.
Appearing between series two and four, viewers fell in love with Michelle's character, with many gutted during the final ever episode in April 2020. Despite a number of rumours that the show would return for future series, the show's creator Tony Grounds said: "With the finale of series four showing Georgie ready to move on with her life, it feels like the right time for us to do the same.
"Michelle and I are keen to continue our working relationship and, who knows, maybe we'll catch up with Georgie in the future. I wanted to say a big thank you to the fans of the show, it's been a joy to write."
2017: Tina and Bobby
In 2017, Michelle landed the role of Tina Moore in ITV drama Tina and Bobby, which portrayed the relationship of footballer Bobby Moore and his wife Tina.
In the three-part drama, Michelle starred alongside Lorne MacFadyen as their characters fell in love at a young age and were forced to deal with Bobby's rise to fame as a professional footballer.
2019-Present: Brassic
Created by Joe Gilgun and Danny Brocklehurst, Michelle has starred in Sky One comedy series Brassic, playing the role of Erin Croft since 2019. The hit series, which is loved by fans, follows the lives of Vinnie and his friends in the fictional town of Hawley.
Series six of Brassic landed on Thursday 26th September 2024, with bosses confirming in January 2025 that the seventh series will be the last. In May 2025, Michelle shared an emotional statement to Instagram, confirming she's wrapped filming on the final series. All seven series are out now.
2023: Ten Pound Poms
In 2023, Michelle appeared in BBC historical drama Ten Pound Poms, playing the role of British citizen Kate Thorne who migrated to Australia following World War 2. The six-part series aired on BBC One in May 2023. Michelle appears on the drama alongside Warren Brown, Faye Marsay, Rob Collins, David Field and Stephen Curry.
In February 2024, it was announced the show had been renewed for a second series, with Michelle confirmed to return! Filming started in April 2024.
2024: Fool Me Once
In what is her most-talked about role of her career so far, Michelle starred in Netflix's adaptation of Harlan Coben's Fool Me Once in early 2024. The eight-part thriller, which landed on New Year's Day, sees Michelle play the lead role of ex-soldier Maya Stern, as she investigates the murder of her husband Joe.
Also starring Joanna Lumley, Richard Armitage and Emmett J. Scanlan, the series has broken viewing figures for Netflix, with the series receiving a huge 37.1 million views in its first week, and hitting the Top 10 in 91 countries.
Now read:
Everything you need to know about popular actress Michelle Keegan
The best TV crime dramas to binge watch right now
Michelle Keegan welcomes first child and reveals unique name