Riley Jones has broken his silence on Kenny Doughty's exit from Vera, telling his now ex co-star he 'didn't know where to start' when it came to his reaction.
Kenny, who has played DS Aiden Healy in the poplar Sunday night ITV dramas for eight years, announced he was quitting Vera in an Instagram statement on Monday, writing: "After 8 years & 35 Vera films I’ve made the difficult decision of handing over DS Healy’s badge. I can confirm I am leaving Vera."
Kenny, who starred on Coronation Street before joined the Vera ranks, then went onto pay tribute to his fellow cast members and crew for helping him have an 'amazing time' on screen and behind the scenes, with his Insta post sparking a huge reaction from fans and fellow actors.
READ MORE: Vera's Kenny Doughty dropped huge Instagram 'clue' to exit weeks before announcement
And among the many people to have reached out to Kenny to address his Vera departure is North East actor Riley, who posted in the comments thread nearly 48 hours after Kenny broke the news. Offering support to his co-star, Riley, who plays DC Mark Edwards, wrote: "Where to even start. It’s been an absolute pleasure working alongside you for all these years. After 35 films your energy, enthusiasm and sense of fun on set never wavered."
Riley added: "You’re a true professional and have not only made me a better actor but a better person. Here’s to your next chapter. Can’t wait to see what you do next. Whatever it is I’m sure it’ll be awesome!"
While Kenny has now left Vera he, Riley and other co-stars like leading lady Brenda Blethyn will appear together in an already filmed new episode - The Rising TIde - after the caster reunited to film in the likes of Corbridge, Durham and Holy Island at the end of last year.
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