Vicky McClure’s hush-hush audition for Emmerdale has come to light, and fans are in for a shock.
The actress has been a familiar face on our screens for years, first gaining recognition as Lol Jenkins in Shane Meadows’ 2006 film, This Is England. Since then, Vicky has kept busy with a string of roles, most notably as DI Kate Fleming in BBC’s smash hit Line of Duty from 2012 to 2022.
More recently, she had viewers on the edge of their seats with her portrayal of bomb disposal expert Lana Washington in ITV’s Tipping Point.
Nottingham-born Vicky even landed a part in a 2008 film directed by pop icon Madonna, titled Filth and Wisdom, reports Belfast Live.
As one would expect, Vicky has collected numerous accolades for her television work over the years, including a BAFTA in 2011.
However, it appears Vicky’s career could have taken a different path, as she once auditioned for ITV’s Emmerdale.
In 2021, Lee Salisbury, host of the Soap from the Box podcast and director of Vicky’s soap audition, shared a screenshot of her screentest on Instagram.
It remains unclear which role Vicky auditioned for, but she has previously mentioned coming close to joining the cast of Emmerdale.
“I was very close to being in Emmerdale at one point and was very up for it. I was like, “It’s only down the road and I get to act”. That’s all I wanted to do,” she revealed on the Two Shot podcast.
The TV star added: “I knew it wasn’t really what I wanted to do. I knew it wasn’t the type of shows that I wanted to be involved in.”
Vicky expressed her immense admiration for soap actors, saying: “I have so much respect for soap actors I really do for to sustain a character for that period of time, to learn dialogue like that.”
She continued, highlighting the unpredictable nature of soap storylines: “You can go into work one day and there’s been a murder, and then all of a sudden there’s a massive explosion, and then the next day you’re having a baby.”
Emphasising the challenge, she added: “Your head must be fried. It requires real acting ability to be able to shoot at the speed that they do. I have huge respect for them.”