Line of Duty star's 'pure excitement' at return

Line of Duty actor Gregory Piper has described feeling "pure excitement" at the news that the drama series will return to television screens.

A seventh series of the absorbing BBC police thriller is due to begin filming next spring with its trio of main characters, it was revealed this week.

Piper, from Halesowen in the West Midlands, played corrupt officer Ryan Pilkington in series one, five and six and said he was a huge fan of the show and thoroughly enjoyed his time filming it.

"For just more really good TV to be hitting our screens is what I want, so I was so excited," he told BBC Radio WM.

Written by Jed Mercurio, from Staffordshire, the long-running drama - which was initially set in Birmingham - gripped viewers before its finale in 2021, when 17 million people tuned in.

Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) are set to return in the new series, which is being filmed in Belfast, and will continue their jobs tackling corruption in the police force.

Piper, whose character was killed off, said the response to the show was incredible.

"That's the one thing you want is for everyone to care about the show and it's so lovely that so many people do," he said.

"Removing any kind of involvement in the show, I am such a fan of it as well."

He said his storyline was exciting and his character "did not hold back", although he had no idea what part he would play initially and learnt as he went along.

"I'm so lucky to have these opportunities - I was 13 when I first started and thinking 'yep, that was amazing and incredible' in itself and then to be asked back for five and six was just like a dream come true."

He added: "I just had so much fun filming - getting to run about as a kid and calling it work. Running about and imagining you're deep into this crime gang, it's playing isn't it?

"How lucky am I that I got to do that as a job.

"A lot of the time I was just kind of in awe, taking it all in, watching everyone in the centre of this drama being made. It was incredible."

Piper said he now runs a drama school in Stourbridge - which he previously trained at.

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