Anna Maxwell Martin explains why she still hasn’t seen divisive Line of Duty series 6 finale as she admits friends had ‘mixed’ reaction

Line of Duty star Anna Maxwell Martin still hasn’t seen the divisive series six finale after starring as the chilling Detective Chief Superintendent Patricia Carmichael.

Fans of the Jed Mercurio thriller were torn when dopey Ian Buckells was unveiled as H, who viewers believed was the elusive puppet master pulling the strings of the OCG (Organised Crime Group).

No such thing. He was just the messenger.

For some it was a genius metaphor for incompetence being mistaken for corruption, comparing Buckells to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Anna, however, can’t share her verdict because she hasn’t actually seen the episode yet, even though it broke 21^st Century records as the most watched TV drama since a 1999 episode of a Touch of Frost.

‘I haven’t seen it,’ she told Grazia. ‘My friends were quite mixed, some of them loved the ending because they felt it was open for new stuff.

‘I liked that it was Nigel [Boyle, who played Buckells], I’ve always thought he’s hilarious. I’ve been away filming and my TV in my hotel doesn’t work.

‘I’ve still not talked to reception. I’m like, “Oh I feel bad, they’re so nice!”’

As for reprise her role as the ice queen of the police force, ‘I wouldn’t know and I would never be told,’ she said.

‘Until I was in the car and popped on the plane to Belfast [where it’s filmed], I wouldn’t know… I’m not in with the in-crowd there and I’m not sure the in-crowd even knows.’

While there is still no official confirmation of a series seven, BBC’s chief content officer Charlotte Moore said: ‘Addictive event television, Line Of Duty has kept the nation guessing for the last seven weeks, so it’s no surprise that last night’s jaw-dropping finale set a ratings record.

‘Jed Mercurio is a master of his craft, and I would like to congratulate him and the entire cast and crew for delivering such an incredible drama series. I’m looking forward to having a conversation with the team about where we go next and what the future of the series might be.’

Line of Duty is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Read Anna’s full interview in this week’s Grazia magazine available now.