Michelle Keegan has admitted she “struggled” while filming scenes for her new ITV drama, revealing co-star Douglas Booth would step in to help when she found herself battling with her lines.
The actress stars as police officer Emma in new thriller The Blame, marking the first time she has taken on the role of a detective during her television career.
Speaking at a Q&A attended by GB News, Ms Keegan opened up about working alongside Mr Booth and revealed that their off-screen friendship helped when filming became challenging.
The pair play police colleagues Emma and Tom, whose close working relationship sits at the heart of the drama.
The new ITV drama explores misogyny and malpractice within the police
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ITV
Discussing the chemistry they developed on set, Ms Keegan explained that the cast quickly bonded and would spend time completing quizzes together between takes.
However, she admitted Mr Booth proved particularly valuable when she struggled with the demanding police dialogue.
She said: “If I was struggling one day, which happened a few times, with my lines, because it’s very police terminology and you have to get it spot on every single time, he would always have my back, always.”
The actress added that she felt “really comfortable” working alongside Mr Booth and credited him with helping her remain calm when she stumbled over her dialogue.
Michelle Keegan admitted she ‘struggled’ with some of her lines while filming the new ITV drama
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GETTY
“Even if I fluff a few lines, he would make me feel very, very calm about it, and I wouldn’t spiral, like Emma would spiral,” she explained.
“I never spiralled, and that was because of Doug. So yeah, he was very good like that.”
Mr Booth agreed that the support went both ways, responding: “Same for me.”
Ms Keegan also revealed that her father previously served in the police force and rose to the rank of inspector, meaning she regularly turned to him for guidance.
Ms Keegan plays police officer Emma in the new ITV thriller
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ITV THE BLAME
“I used to go to him and go, ‘Dad, what do you think about this?'” she said.
Ms Keegan particularly sought his advice when preparing for meeting scenes, asking how a senior officer would speak to colleagues and what their body language would look like.
“I used to go to him quite a lot, actually,” she added.
The actress also watched the police documentary series 24 Hours in Police Custody as part of her research, admitting she became “quite addicted” to the programme.
The production additionally employed a female police adviser named Lisa, who Ms Keegan said was particularly useful during interview scenes and helped ensure details such as body language were authentic.
The former Coronation Street star said the adviser would be quick to flag anything inaccurate, recalling: “She was like, ‘I’d never do that.'”
She added: “You want to get it right.”
The new drama tackles themes of misogyny and malpractice within the police, with Ms Keegan’s character portrayed as a strong woman navigating a heavily male-dominated environment.
The former Coronation Street star opened up about the challenges she faced while filming her new ITV drama
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GETTY
Explaining what initially attracted her to Emma, the actress said: “She’s a very strong female in a male-dominated environment, and I feel like she holds her own. She’s one of those girls that will take no nonsense.”
Ms Keegan said she was excited to portray the character because she believes there are “not enough” women like Emma represented on screen.
The show’s team also drew on real-world examples while exploring misogyny within policing, including messages sent between serving officers.
Executive producer Nicola Shindler explained that the production wanted to retain the authenticity of those messages rather than inventing fictional examples.
The actress revealed Douglas Booth would step in to help her during difficult scenes
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ITV
Ms Keegan said the drama could encourage viewers to recognise troubling behaviour in their own workplaces and feel more comfortable speaking out.
She explained: “We want to start a conversation at the end of it.”
The actress added that she hopes viewers will both recognise problematic behaviour and feel empowered to challenge situations that make them uncomfortable.
Despite its weighty subject matter, Mr Booth stressed that the drama remains a thriller at heart and is intended first and foremost to entertain viewers.
He said: “There are themes that are really important and heavy and matter, but at the same time… it’s not about hitting people over the head with it.”
Ms Keegan agreed, joking that her co-star had taken the words “right out of my mouth.”