Former Line of Duty star reveals which key character he believes will die in current series

Adrian Dunbar on the set of the sixth series of Line Of Duty. Photo by: Liam McBurney/PA

Ciara O'Loughlin

March 31 2021 12:38 PM

A former Line of Duty actor has revealed which key character in the hit series he believes will get the boot at the end of its current series.

Craig Parkinson, who played cop Matthew ‘Dot’ Cotton, said he thinks something tragic is going to happen at the end of season six.

He believes the death of one of the three main characters - DI Kate Flemming, played by Vicky McClure, DI Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) and Supt Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) - will occur.

However, the actor said his bets are on Steve Arnott, who has been hooked on painkillers after being thrown down a flight of stairs and left for dead in series four.

Hosting the Obsessed with… Line of Duty podcast, Craig (45) shared this theory with listeners, however, his guest Jessie Cave had a different theory.

“Already, it’s scaring me. I feel something tragic is gonna happen to some character that we love,” Craig said.

“What the hell are we gonna do if something happens to Kate, Steve or Ted?

"Somebody is going. I’m saying Steve. Imagine if it was Ted, the whole of the UK would be in mourning, there will be a national Ted Hastings Memorial Day.”

English actress Jessie said despite only being two episodes into the new series, “little clues” have led her to believe that something will happen to Kate.

“I think that there has to be something that happens, and I think it’s going to be Kate,” she said.

“I just feel that, especially in episode two, but even in episode one, there were little clues.

"She’s much more open emotionally than I’ve ever seen her and her relationship with Jo [Davidson]. I know that she might be tricking her… I think she might be flirting and being emotionally available to Jo for a greater good.”

Discussing why he believes Steve will die and his use of painkillers, host Craig said: “You look at John Corbett’s widow’s face when she opens that glovebox with all those pills,” adding that Steph Corbett (Amy De Brúhn) was “visibly shocked” when she saw the number of pills in his car.

The popular TV show’s season premier reached 13.8 million for its sixth series, its highest one ever.

Writer Jed Mercurio has not yet confirmed if there will be a seventh series of the cop drama, but it is believed producers are keen to continue.