Vicky McClure, a well-known actress who has graced our screens for years, once auditioned for Emmerdale, a revelation that will surely surprise her fans.
McClure first gained recognition for her role as Lol Jenkins in the 2006 film This Is England by Shane Meadows. Since then, she has been consistently active in the industry, most notably portraying DI Kate Fleming in BBC's hit series Line of Duty from 2012 to 2022.
More recently, she captivated audiences with her performance as bomb disposal expert Lana Washington in ITV's Tipping Point.
The Nottingham-born actress also had a part in a 2008 film directed by pop icon Madonna, titled Filth and Wisdom. Over the years, McClure has received numerous accolades for her television work, including a BAFTA in 2011.
However, her career could have taken a different path, as she once auditioned for a role in ITV's Emmerdale. In 2021, Lee Salisbury, host of the Soap from the Box podcast and director of McClure's soap audition, shared a screenshot of her screentest on Instagram.
It remains unclear which role McClure auditioned for, but she has previously mentioned almost joining the cast of Emmerdale. Speaking on the Two Shot podcast, she said: "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.", reports Belfast Live.
Despite this, she admitted: "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 admiration for the talents of soap opera actors, highlighting the challenges they face in their roles.
She said: "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 elaborated on the unpredictable nature of storylines, stating: "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 skill required, 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."
