Brenda Blethyn has been on our screens since 1980, and while millions will know her for her role as DCI Vera Stanhope in ITV's smash hit Vera, she has had an illustrious career.
The 80-year-old has appeared in the likes of Chance in a Million, The Labours of Erica, Pooh's Heffalump Movie, Pride & Prejudice, Kate & Koji and Dragonfly. And the star is about to lead the cast for Channel 4's A Woman of Substance.
But how much do you know about her life away from the cameras? Keep reading to find out all about her home life in Kent with her husband, Michael Mayhew.
Brenda's home life and childhood
When she's not busy filming, Brenda divides her time between South London and Ramsgate in Kent, where she was born and raised along with her eight siblings.
Sharing an insight into her childhood, Brenda previously told Great British Life: "We were poor. But we didn't know we were poor because we were rich in lots of things. Not in material things, but in other, more important things."
© PA Images via Getty ImagesShe continued: "Mum and Dad had plenty of time for us; we had to work hard and they were quite strict, we might get reprimanded and get a clout, but in equal measure, we got lots of loving, cuddles and lots of fun and games."
Brenda's trips to Northumberland to film Vera meant spending half of the year away from her beloved cockapoo Jack.
© @BrendaBlethyn/X"Filming usually means six months away from home – and in 2022, it was the best part of ten months," the actress told The Mirror.
"My dog Jack can't be with me in the north-east for all of that time. He's alright once I've been away a while filming, but if I come home for a few days in between, he goes mad – then my husband has a merry time of it when I go again, with the dog wondering where I am!" explained Brenda.
The Pride & Prejudice star dotes on her four-legged friend and often shares adorable snaps of him on her social media page.
Brenda recently revealed that missing her family and beloved dog was a big reason behind leaving the show. "It was a lovely summer back in 2023. And I came to realise I hadn’t had a summer with my husband for 14 years," she told PA. "Naturally I missed my family. And my dog Jack, although he was with me in the North East, but I didn’t see him much because I was working all day.
"I love my Vera family, but I love my other family too," added the actress.
Brenda's husband of 15 years and love life
Since June 2010, Brenda has been married to Michael Mayhew, the former head of graphic design at the National Theatre. The couple met through work in the 1970s and tied the knot three decades later.
Sharing the secret to her long-lasting relationship, Brenda revealed that she and Michael enjoy having their own space as well as spending time together.
© Alan Davidson/Shutterstock"I genuinely think it's about having our own space," she told the Daily Mail in 2014. "We have a place on the coast in my hometown of Ramsgate in Kent, and even when we're there we sit in separate rooms, Michael with his music in one, me with my crossword in another. We have so little in common but the relationship obviously works. Michael makes me laugh like nobody else does, and I think he likes me for my honesty and my kindness."
The star recently joked that her husband would inspire her to keep running half-marathons, revealing to Woman & Replica Luxury Handbag that Michael would drive her somewhere in London and leave her there for Brenda to run home.
© Alan Davidson/ShutterstockBrenda also opened up about her decision not to have children. "Once in a blue moon I've wished I had but it's been so fleeting that it's not been a bother to me," she said, adding: "The things I wish I had done I've done, wherever possible."
Before her relationship with Michael, Brenda was married to graphic designer Alan Blethyn, whom she met when she was just 19 years old and working as a secretary for British Rail. The pair were married for nine years before Alan met somebody else and the relationship ended.
