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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Jasmine Allday

Martin Compston took inspiration from Dermot O'Leary for BBC Line of Duty role

Martin Compston has revealed he took inspiration from Dermot O'Leary for his famous Line Of Duty role.

The actor - who is currently starring in new ITV drama Our House alongside Tuppence Middleton - plays Steve Arnott in the popular BBC drama series alongside Vicky McClure as Kate Fleming and Adrian Dunbar as Ted Hastings.

Whilst he ditches his native Scottish accent for the role in Line Of Duty, he admitted it can be a struggle to try and perfect his English accent for the popular BBC show - and so he looked to Dermot to help him get the right voice.

Martin Compston and Vicky McClure as Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming (BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill)

"I can tell in those moments I'm really straining with certain words, and looking back I think my performance is quite flat in the first one," he said on a new episode of Jessie and Lennie Ware's Table Manners podcast.

"I was trying to get back into the accent and I started listening to people and Dermot’s a really good sounding board for the accent. I was like, 'I want a piece of that, sounds like fun.'"

Fans of the drama series are desperate to know if there will be another series, after bumbling Detective Superintendent Ian Buckells was unmasked as H - something which divided viewers.

Dermot was Martin's inspiration behind his character (ITV)

Insiders have claimed the show will return one day - but it may be years away.

"Another series is happening. This is the news millions of fans have been hoping for. A lot of stuff still needs to be agreed and it is likely to take a while. Fans will probably have to wait a few years before it airs on TV," a source explained recently.

Co-star Vicky has teased the show could come back one day too.

Asked if the show will make a spectacular return, she told The Guardian: "I don't know! I don't know, there's no word of it. I think we've all been really honest and said should that happen, we're all game.

Martin stars in new ITV drama Our House (ITV)

"I'll just stick with the guys. I think when it comes to a close, it will be a natural close for us all."

Martin also teased the show could be back, as he collected an award on behalf of the cast at the National Television Awards.

"This means so much, like we started as a wee show on Wednesday night on BBC Two and now we’re the biggest drama on TV and it’s all because of the fans," he said, "We genuinely don’t take this for granted and who knows, maybe we'll be back again."

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