Martin Compston just dropped a HUGE hint about a new series of Line of Duty

We need more!

Author: Alex RossPublished 15th Sep 2023

Believe it or not, it was actually way back in May 2021 when the final episode of hit crime drama Line of Duty aired, featuring THAT bombshell ending which outed Ian Buckells as H! In the two years that have followed, rumours have been rife of a seventh series of the popular show, with creator Jed Mercurio and the cast dropping a number of hints.

Although no news of a seventh series has materialised just yet, lead actor Martin Compston, who plays the role of DS Steve Arnott in the series, has perhaps just leaked the biggest hint yet!

Speaking on his podcast Restless Natives, Scottish actor Martin confessed the Line of Duty team have a group WhatsApp message, which was titled 'Line of Duty 6'.

HOWEVER, Martin has now confirmed in recent weeks creator Jed changed the name of the chat to, you guessed it, 'Line of Duty 7'.

He said: "We have got a WhatsApp group that was 'Line of Duty 6' and a while ago Jed changed the name of it to 'Line of Duty 7.'"

As if that wasn't enough to get excited about, the 39-year-old added: "What I love about it is we have never spoken about it since.

"We have had such a good run with it and a bit of you does go: 'Let's walk away on a high' but we all want to work together again because we are so close. We wouldn't do it just for the sake of it. It would have to add to the series, it would have to make the series better."

Check out the best TV crime dramas to binge right now:

Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITVX and STV Player)

Arriving in early 2024, Mr Bates vs The Post Office is a four-part series based on the real-life story of postmaster Alan Bates, who led the campaign to expose what is considered the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history. Toby Jones, Katherine Kelly, Will Mellor, and Julie Hesmondhalgh all appear.

Joan (ITVX and STV Player)

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All six episodes are now available on ITVX and STV Player.

Red Eye (ITVX and STV Player)

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Kin (BBC iPlayer)

Series one of Irish drama Kin landed on BBC iPlayer in 2023 and viewers have been hooked since! Starring Charlie Cox, Clare Dunne and Emmett J. Scanlan, the drama tells the story of a fictional Dublin family embroiled in gangland war and speaks to the enduring unbreakable bonds of blood and family. Series two is also now available on BBC iPlayer.

Vigil (BBC iPlayer)

It was the BBC's most-watched new drama of 2021, so you don't want to miss out on Vigil, starring Suranne Jones and Martin Compston. Series two was released in December 2023, with all episodes now available to binge.

Nightsleeper (BBC iPlayer)

Starring Joe Cole and Alexandra Roach, Nightsleeper is a six-part thiller Nightsleeper follows a 'hackjacked' train which is being driven through one single night from Glasgow to London. All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer now.

Love & Death (ITVX and STV Player)

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The Tourist (BBC iPlayer)

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After the Flood (ITVX and STV Player)

Landing on ITV/STV in the first few weeks of January 2024, After the Flood stars Peaky Blinders actress Sophie Rundle as PC Joanna Marshall. The six-part series follows Joanna leading an investigation after she finds an identified man dead in a lift in a underground car park after a devastating flood.

Trigger Point (ITVX and STV Player)

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Blue Lights (BBC iPlayer)

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The Wives (Channel 5)

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The Capture (BBC iPlayer)

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All episodes from both series are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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Coma (Channel 5)

Hitting our screens in March 2024, Coma is a four-part thriller which concerns a family man whose life is changed after making one split-second decision. Jason Watkins and Claire Skinner star in the series.

Deadwater Fell (All4)

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Bloodlands (BBC iPlayer)

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The Missing (BBC iPlayer)

Another hit crime drama by the talented brothers Harry and Jack Williams. The Missing first aired in 2014, with series 2 landing two years later. Despite both series following different stories, a number of characters remain the same, including Tchéky Karyo as investigator Julien Baptiste. Both series are now available on the BBC iPlayer.

Luther (BBC iPlayer)

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The Bridge (BBC iPlayer)

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The Pembrokeshire Murders (ITVX and STV Player)

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Line of Duty (BBC iPlayer)

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Love Rat (Channel 5)

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Of course, Martin isn't the only cast member to tease the potential of a seventh series, with co-stars Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar also dropping hints in the past.

Speaking in November last year, Adrian, or Superintendent Ted Hastings as he is known on the show, told Lorraine Kelly: "Yes, there is every possibility. We're all keeping our fingers crossed that we'll hear something at some point. We all want to get back together again. We'd love to go back to Belfast again.

“The last time we did it it was in lockdown, so we were all in bubbles. We couldn't get out… everything was shut. So we'd like to get back to Belfast for a bit of fun.”

DI Kate Fleming actress Vicky McClure spoke to The Guardian in 2022, where she admitted all of the cast would be up for another series.

She said at the time: "I think we've all been really honest and said should that happen, we're all game. I'll just stick with the guys. I think when it comes to a close, it will be a natural close for us all."

Meanwhile, after hitting our screens in March 2021, over 14 million people tuned in to watch series six of Line of Duty, which saw the introduction of DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald) as her Murder Investigation Team tried to crack the Gail Vella case.

The series also concluded the big 'Who is H?' question, with Ian Buckells being identified by the AC-12 team, an ending which left viewers incredibly torn with mixed reviews.

Check out Ted Hastings' best quotes from the show:

“There’s only one thing I’m interested in and that is catching bent coppers”


No official confirmation about series seven has been given, but we can keep praying!

Now read:

Adrian Dunbar shares his predictions for Line of Duty season seven

Line of Duty: What do all the technical acronyms really mean?

All of the TV shows we can’t wait to return

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