Line of Duty officially announced for new series
"Mother of God"
Since it first hit our screens back in 2012, Line of Duty has amassed legions of fans, with six series of the much-loved show airing in total. The gripping sixth series aired in 2021, where viewers finally found out the identity of H.
Is Line of Duty coming back?
Although series six was originally believed to be the last series of Line of Duty, rumours of a seventh have recently gathered momentum in the last few months, and now the BBC have officially confirmed the amazing news!
Sharing the news online, bosses wrote: 'Mother of God! Line of Duty is officially returning for a seventh series'
Creator, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio says: “Everyone involved in Line of Duty feels enormous gratitude to the show’s fans. We’re privileged to have had so many of you follow the ups and downs of AC-12 over six previous seasons and we couldn’t be more delighted to be returning for a seventh. Corruption in this country is supposed to have come to an end while Line of Duty was off air so I’ve been forced to use my imagination.”
Simon Heath, World Productions’ CEO and creative director says: “There have been a number of significant reunions in recent years, but few more keenly anticipated than the return of AC12. It’s a privilege to be back with Jed’s terrific new chapter of the Line of Duty story.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama adds: “Line of Duty is beloved by audiences and critics alike and its amazing ratings are a true testament to the success of Jed’s writing, the work from the brilliant team at World Productions and the entire cast and crew. I’m so pleased that after four long years Line of Duty will be back filming soon and can’t wait for BBC viewers to be back on the edge of their seats.”
What will happen in series 7?
The BBC say of the plot: 'In series seven AC-12 has been disbanded and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards. Anticorruption work has never been more difficult and in this challenging climate Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) are assigned their most sensitive case so far.
'Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, a charismatic officer winning plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime, is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator. But is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?'
When will series 7 be released?
Filming will start filming in Belfast in Spring 2026, but no official start date has been announced just yet.
Who is in the cast?
Martin Compson, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar will all return in their famous roles.
Martin Compston says: “Line of Duty has been a job of a lifetime. Not only in terms of the show's success but the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with I now call some of my closest friends. I can’t wait to pull the waistcoat on again and get the team back together.”
Vicky McClure says: “It goes without saying I’m so excited Line of Duty is back! Can’t wait to work with Jed, Martin and Adrian again. Belfast, we’ll see you soon!”
Adrian Dunbar adds: “As we count down the AC12 days of Christmas what a joy it is to know that the Three Amigos will be back filming together next year. Delighted with the news and looking forward to those mercurial twists and turns.”
Further casting will be announced in due course.
How many episodes?
Series seven will be made-up of six episodes.
How can I watch it?
Series seven will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
All six series are available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
What were the rumours about series seven?
Over the years, all cast members have spoken about a potential seventh series, with Adrian Dunbar seemingly hinting the show had been given the green light earlier this year.
Check out all of the rumours below, before the official announcement.
Jed Mercurio
In March 2021, writer Jed Mercurio told the Radio Times: "We’re in a situation where it’s not entirely clear that there will be a seventh series. We would hope there could be. But we’re having to do our planning coming out of COVID, and a whole bunch of other things around the idea that these things aren’t guaranteed at all now.
"Since probably season four, we’ve been talking to the BBC about the realistic longevity of the series. I’ve experienced broadcasters pulling the plug while we were still developing a storyline –Bodies and Cardiac Arrest both ended prematurely on the BBC. So it’s an ongoing discussion, is all I can say. A lot of it depends on the key creatives – me and the main actors – finding new stories to tell within that universe."
Jed also spoke about a seventh season of the show back in 2019 at a press screening of the fifth season: "I don’t know. We all love making the show. I think a lot depends on how people respond to it. I think that it’s great that people get very excited about it, when they get to the end of the series and they talk about what they want to know, and what they want to see next.
"But I think we recognise that it’s got a life span, so I think we’ve got to calibrate that against the audience responses. I have some thoughts (about how it’s all going to end)."
Martin Compston
Scottish actor Martin Compston, who plays the role of DI Steve Arnott on the show, has also kept us all guessing, seemingly hinting that series six could have been the last, before sparking more hopeful season seven rumours.
Previously, speaking on the Shrine of Duty podcast, Martin said: "You know, people have stuck with us for such a long time. I think there comes a point where the natural story arc that's been running all these years is coming to an end."
Although he did go on to admit the cast and crew 'genuinely' don't know about the show's future, we are hoping for the best!
Admitting he would be 'heartbroken' if it didn't happen, Martin told ES Magazine in May 2021: "Jed always takes time away from it. I think what I would say, the two things I would say, is that the idea that I would never work with all the guys again together would be heartbreaking.
"But also with everything that's just gone on this week, I think everybody, including the audience, needs a bit of time away from it. So we'll see."
But Martin later got fans talking when he gave a more promising update later in the year, while picking up the Special Recognition Award at the 2021 National Television Awards. Accepting the show's second gong of the night, following the award for Returning Drama, Martin excited fans as he said: "We genuinely don't take this for granted and who knows, maybe we'll be back again..."
In 2023, Martin gave fans another promising update, revealing that the cast of the show are in a WhatsApp group chat with Jed Mercurio. Speaking on his Restless Natives podcast which he hosts with Gordon Smart, Martin said: "Well we would love to but at the moment there's no news.
"There's absolutely no immediate plans. Jed's on strike. We're all filming different stuff. We've got a WhatsApp group that was 'Line of Duty 6' and then a while ago Jed changed the name of it to 'Line of Duty 7'. And what I love about it is, we've never spoken about it since!"
Then in an interview with Lorraine in March 2025, Martin said, when asked whether there's more Line of Duty to come: “We’re all quite busy. I’m sure we’ll get to it at some point.
“We’re also very aware of getting people’s hopes up. So unless if you hear it from me, Vick, Adi or most importantly Jed, then, you know.
“We don’t come back just for the sake of it. He only comes back when he (Jed) thinks there’s a story to tell, but I’m sure he’s got something somewhere.”
In May 2025, following the reports that series seven could begin filming next year, Martin spoke to TV Mag, saying: “We're always talking about possibilities and schedules and whatnot.
“Everybody's got stuff going on at the minute, so I think anything, unfortunately, would be a way off.“
Vicky McClure
Back in January 2022, Vicky McClure gave us all another glimmer of hope as she hinted that her and her co-stars were all keen to return for the show. Speaking to The Guardian, the actress was quizzed on whether or not we can expect a Line of Duty series seven, to which Vicky responded: "I don't know! I don't know, there's no word of it."
However, the star then offered us a promising update as she continued: "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."
In June 2022, Vicky then re-ignited the season seven rumour flame as she shared an image alongside her Line of Duty co-stars Adrian Dunbar (Superintendent Ted Hastings) and Martin Compston (DS Steve Arnott), as well as the show creator Jed Mercurio.
As the gang reunited for a catch-up, fans were quick to question whether they could be discussing a potential seventh series!
Heading to the comments, one fan asked: 'Does this mean we have series 7 in the works? Jed did say he wanted to finish on 7', with another optimistic fan commenting: 'Mates discussing a season 7 script perhaps??😃'.
Vicky then reunited with Adrian and Martin once again in October 2024, enjoying a very fun looking rickshaw ride around London. Martin shared a video to his Instagram page at the time, alongside the caption: 'AC12 oot and aboot'. (sic)
Martin's followers were quick to comment on the post, with many begging for another instalment of the hit BBC drama.
The trio then enjoyed a St Patrick's Day pint together in March 2025.
Adrian Dunbar
In November 2022, Adrian appeared on ITV Daytime show Lorraine, where he revealed he'd love to reunite with his Line of Duty co-stars.
When Lorraine Kelly asked: "Do we think perhaps if we can get you all in the same room, you might do another one?", Adrian said: "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.”
Adrian has also previously spoke of a potential seventh series, saying in August 2022: "There’s a big appetite for more Line of Duty.
"It could be three or four episodes, I don’t think there’s going to be six for some reason. It might be two 90 minutes. But it’s all entirely down to Jed what the storyline is going to be. It’s a big ask for him."
Adrian did an interview with BBC Ulster in July 2025, saying: "We're all keeping our fingers crossed, just waiting on the BBC to make an announcement.
"I know Jed's working away. And I know me and Vicky and Martin really want to do it. So hopefully next year we'll be back in Belfast and rattling around the town making a nuisance of ourselves.
"The wheels are turning on that. It's just down to the BBC to make an announcement."
Just days later, Adrian then built excitement once more, telling The Times: "We’re really excited about getting our hands on a Line of Duty script, to see what happens to us. Jed is writing. We’ve talked to the BBC.
"It is down to the BBC to make an announcement, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that next year we’ll be working on a new series. No doubt Jed will think of some interesting twists and turns.”
In early August 2025, Adrian seemed to contradict his recent comments, telling This Morning nothing has actually been confirmed yet. He said: "When it happens, yes, absolutely we'll be excited to go back."
"We actually don't know if it's going to happen. I actually called my agent this morning to see if there was any more news, but there isn't any more real definite news about it, sadly, so we're just going to have to wait.
"Everybody wants to know that it's happening, and so do we."
Christina Chong
Actress Christina Chong, who plays the recurring role of DI Nicola Rogerson in the series, also seemingly confirmed that a seventh series will happen, whilst speaking to the press at the Saturn Awards in early 2025.
According to the Mail Online, Christina said: "So I have been asked about a season, is it seven? Yeah. Potentially Nicola Rogerson will be back for season 7."
Now the news is official, Line of Duty is returning for a seventh series!
Now read:
Line of Duty: What do all the technical acronyms really mean?
Line of Duty: Everything you need to know about the police drama
Who was in the cast of Line of Duty?