Line of Duty series 6: The best Ted Hastings quotes of all time

There simply would be no Line of Duty without Ted Hastings.

The charismatic commanding officer of AC-12 has been putting bent coppers away for years, upholding standards in the police force and imparting wisdom to his colleagues and viewers alike.

Brilliantly played by Adrian Dunbar, Ted is one of the most popular TV characters of recent times, and his latest case is proving one of the most challenging he’s ever faced.

The investigation into Gail Vella’s murder has been the focus of series six – which reaches its fina episode tonight – with a collection of new and old faces tasked with solving the mystery.

The series has seen Ted been joined by the likes of Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), in addition to suspicious newcomer Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald), who is being closely monitored by AC-12.

Throughout the six series, Ted has always been ready with a killer line and a number of his favourite sayings have reached iconic status among fans.

Take a look back at Ted’s finest moments with his best ever quotes. Make sure to check out our Line of Duty bingo too, which combines some of the show’s most-loved elements into one fun game.

‘Mother of God!’

One of the most commonly used Tedisms, this is usually spoken when Ted encounters a body, or makes a discovery that could impact the future of AC-12. A classic.

‘None of my people would plant evidence, they know I’d throw the book at them, followed by the book shelf.’

This gem of a line came after one of Ted’s closest allies, detective Steve Arnott, was accused of planting £50,000 to incriminate Keeley Hawes’s DI Lindsay Denton in series three.

‘Look we’ve been round the houses, Steve, round the houses and down the bloody drains.’

This brilliant quote came way back in series one, with Ted perturbed that all AC-12 had on DCI Tony Gates (Lennie James) was a laddering charge after weeks of investigation.

‘Now we’re sucking diesel!’

Enough to make any Line of Duty fan punch the air in satisfaction, hearing this line is a sure-fire sign that AC-12 are making huge headways into a case.

‘Steve’s been an AC for almost a year now and every day has felt like a lifetime.’

This bit of friendly ‘banter’ came during a dinner in series two shared between Steve, DC Georgia Trotman (Jessica Raine) and Ted’s then-wife Roisin (Andrea Irvine).

‘You’ve got a bloody nerve.’

Ted hit the smarmy DCI Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle) with this killer line in series four.

‘For years, the security in this department has been watertight… then you come along, suddenly we’re leaking like a colander.’

It’s fair to say Ted wasn’t the biggest fan of James Desford (Royce Pierreson) during the show’s fourth series, as this line goes some way to prove.

‘Things get a wee bit fuzzy for me here Sergeant. Maybe you could be a ray of sunshine and burn off the fog?’

Ted’s got a rather unusual way with words at times, especially when he said this quote while interviewing Danny Waldron (Daniel Mays) in series three.

‘God give me strength.’

Another much-used Tedism, this is one he’s used on many occasions – no series of of Line of Duty would feel right without it.

‘I was beginning to feel a wee bit like the ginger stepchild.’

This remark came during a meeting with Derek Hilton in series three, after the Chief Superintendent had been avoiding him for some time.

‘Superintendent Hastings, like the battle.’

Ted has used this line a number of times throughout the show when introducing himself to people – and it’s a not a name that’s easily forgotten.

‘Catching criminals is tough enough but catching coppers – God give me strength.’

This line from series three came with AC-12 facing their toughest case yet. Thankfully, though, Ted is always up to the task of tackling corruption in the police service.

‘Your team was pausing the game but you went and gave away a penalty.’

Ted turned on the football chat when dressing down Steve after his romantic liaison with Denton put the prosecution at risk.

‘Got you a big pint of that cats’ p*** that you fellas seem to like so much.’

Ted says this sardonic line after treating his colleague Steve to a cold, refreshing pint of lager. Cheers!

‘I think you should sit down fella, or I will handcuff you to that desk.’

This memorable moment came during an investigation in series four, with Ted showing his dominance in the AC-12 interview room.

‘Go back to the coal face, the pair of you, unless you’ve got more egg-sucking tips for your granny.’

Steve is close to his detectives Steve and Kate, but he’s not always impressed with them – as this quote directed at them shows.

‘My officers conduct themselves to the letter of the law, sir. The letter!’

If there’s anything Ted cares about, it’s upholding police standards. He certainly doesn’t care for people accusing his team of breaking regulations, either – as this quote from series four proves.

‘There’s only one thing I’m interested in and that is catching bent coppers.’

Probably the most-loved of Ted’s commonly used quotes, which most notably came during a confrontation with lawyer Gill Biggeloe in series three. Those bent coppers never stood a chance.

Meanwhile, Line of Duty series six has had viewers hooked so far, although some have been confused over the use of acronyms in the first two episodes.

One of the terms had viewers unsure of what they heard was ‘CHIS’, which stands for Covert Human Intelligence Source – an undercover agent who is recruited by the police but is not a police officer.

There are many theories surrounding the identity of corrupt copper H too, with some viewers believing that H actually refers to a building. Will the mystery be revealed by the end of series 6?

Line of Duty airs on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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