Michelle Keegan is heading back to our screens for the first time since becoming a mum, leading the cast of ITV’s brand-new crime thriller The Blame.
The actress, 38, welcomed her daughter Palma with husband Mark Wright in March, and now she’s swapping nappies for a badge as she takes on the role of DI Emma Crane.
It marks her first TV role since Netflix’s hit series Fool Me Once in 2024, where she played Maya Stern.
Based on Charlotte Langley’s novel, The Blame promises high-stakes drama, a tangled murder mystery, and plenty of twists. Michelle will star alongside Line of Duty’s Nigel Boyle, who plays forensic technician Brett Shergill, and Black Mirror’s Joe Armstrong, stepping into the role of ice-skating coach Kyle Fraiser.
The cast also features Ian Hart, Nathan Mensah, Matilda Freeman, Gavin Spokes, Josh Bolt, and Ceallach Spellman. Filming begins soon in London and surrounding areas, with ITV teasing an edge-of-your-seat storyline.
The series synopsis reads: ‘The series begins when the body of teenage figure skater Sophie Madsen is discovered, sending shockwaves through the town of Wakestead. As DI Crane and DI Radley 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.’
ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill, called the show ‘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.'
She added: ‘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.’
Writer and executive producer Megan Gallagher 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.’
Executive producers Nicola Schindler and Richard Fee praised Gallagher’s ‘compelling series taking viewers on a twisty journey to discover what really happened through the lens of a contemporary police station brimming with secrets, corruption, and betrayal.'
They added: ‘We are also thrilled at the brilliant cast led by Michelle and Douglas, who will keep viewers on the edge of their seats, wondering who to trust at a time when the themes explored in The Blame are more relevant than ever.’
Alongside this new role, Michelle is still appearing as Kate Thorne in Ten Pound Poms and Erin Croft in Brassic, but The Blame will mark her highly anticipated return to television since embracing life as a first-time mum.
