'He might be the main man': Line of Duty's Daniel Mays reveals he doesn't think James Nesbitt's character is dead and reckons show bosses are 'dangling the carrot' of his return
Daniel Mays has revealed he doesn't believe DCI Marcus Thurwell (James Nesbitt) is dead on Line on Duty.
The actor, 43, who previously played Sergeant Danny Waldron in series three, admitted he thinks H is still out there and James' character may be the 'main man'.
Speaking on Monday's episode of This Morning, Daniel said: 'I don’t think James Nesbitt’s dead. I have a theory, a sneaky suspicion that he might be the main man.'
Suspicion: Daniel Mays has revealed he doesn't believe DCI Marcus Thurwell (James Nesbitt) is dead on Line on Duty
Co-host Holly Willoughby agreed, saying: 'It makes sense. We didn’t get a close up of him dead.'
Phillip Schofield added: 'And why waste him? What was the point?'
Share this article
Daniel reckons Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has some more tricks up his sleeves and fans may have not seen the last of Danny Waldron.
He said: 'James Nesbitt is a phenomenal talent, I think Jed Mercurio is dangling the carrot, wouldn’t put him past him.'
Plot: The actor, 43, who previously played Sergeant Danny Waldron in series three, admitted he thinks H is still out there and James' character may be the 'main man'
James made a surprise appearance in the show as police officer Thurwell, who was first mentioned in series three.
Line of Duty fans were stunned back in April when it appeared James' character was killed off before he even appeared on screen - but some viewers are convinced it was a cover-up.
Towards the end of the nail-biting penultimate episode, Guardia Civil police officers stormed Marcus Thurwell's Spanish home, while the AC-12 team watched via video link.
When the law enforcement officers entered the home, they were met by two bodies, and a Spanish captain turned to the camera and identified one as 'Senor Thurwell'.
While many viewers expressed surprise that an actor of Nesbitt's calibre was denied even a scene, some were left convinced that Thurwell was in fact the Spanish AFO leading the raid on his home.
In hiding? Line of Duty fans were stunned back in April when it appeared James' character was killed off before he even appeared on screen - but some viewers are convinced it was a cover-up.
AC-12 were looking into the retired former detective chief inspector after SI Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) learned that Gail Vella - the journalist who was murdered - had been looking into the death of Lawrence Christopher while in police custody - a case Thurwell was in charge of.
It comes after James previously revealed that he lied about feeling snubbed by Jed Mercurio over not being offered a role on Line of Duty, all the while filming for the hit show.
Speaking with The Sun, James said: 'I had a lot of fun saying how Jed has snubbed me for Line Of Duty, all the while knowing our little secret.'
In February, it was reported he felt 'galled' about never being asked to appear in Line of Duty despite being from Northern Ireland and the show being filmed in Belfast.
Daniel said: 'I don’t think James Nesbitt’s dead. I have a theory, a sneaky suspicion that he might be the main man'
The Cold Feet star told the Radio Times: 'Even though Line Of Duty had been shot here for years I was never considered for it, which has always slightly galled me.'
However, James explained after the show that it was all a ploy cooked up by himself and Jed to keep fans off the trail of his role on the hit police series.
And when Jed asked him to appear on the show, he was filming Bloodlands in Belfast, creating the perfect cover story for if he was seen around the city.
Jed said: 'It was easier to keep it secret by plotting the scheme between the two of us... It worked brilliantly, because everyone thought he was genuinely annoyed.'
James added: 'I've kept it to myself for over a year and couldn't even tell my closest friends or family.'
Piecing it together: Steve Arnott connected the dots to realise James character Thurwell was connected to AC-12s earlier case involving a paedophile ring
