If you know Vicky McClure mainly as DI Kate Fleming from Line of Duty, it is easy to miss how wide-ranging her career actually is. She has moved from gritty British films to award-winning television dramas, crime thrillers, documentaries and major mainstream series. Her performance as Lol Jenkins in This Is England and its television sequels established her as a serious dramatic actress, while Trigger Point gave her another defining role as bomb-disposal expert Lana Washington.
There is also some confusion around Vicky McClure’s personal life, particularly searches for a “first husband.” The publicly documented marriage that can be reliably established is her marriage to actor, writer and producer Jonny Owen in 2023.
And if you are searching for Vicky McClure’s new series, there is a clear current answer: Trigger Point returned with a fourth series in 2026, again featuring McClure as Lana Washington. ITV confirmed the new season consists of six episodes.
Who Is Vicky McClure?
Vicky McClure is an English actress from Nottingham who has built much of her reputation around emotionally demanding and physically intense roles.
She first became closely associated with director Shane Meadows, appearing in A Room for Romeo Brass before taking the role of Lorraine “Lol” Jenkins in This Is England. Her career subsequently expanded into major television productions including Line of Duty, Broadchurch, Alex Rider, Without Sin, Insomnia and Trigger Point.
One interesting part of her career is that she did not suddenly appear as a fully established television star. She had an early connection with Nottingham’s Television Workshop and began performing from a young age. In a Channel 4 interview, McClure explained that she was introduced to the workshop after already being involved in dancing and performance.
That background helps explain something noticeable about her acting: many of her strongest performances feel grounded rather than overly theatrical.
Vicky McClure and This Is England
For many viewers, This Is England remains the role that changed Vicky McClure’s career.
The original 2006 film, directed by Shane Meadows, introduced her as Lol Jenkins. The story explored working-class life in 1980s Britain through a group of young people, with McClure’s character becoming increasingly important as the story developed.
Her performance continued in three television follow-ups:
- This Is England ’86
- This Is England ’88
- This Is England ’90
The progression matters because Lol was not simply a supporting character who appeared in a successful film. McClure was given increasingly difficult dramatic material across the television sequels.
Why This Is England mattered so much
The emotional range of Lol’s story gave McClure an opportunity to show considerably more than anger or toughness.
Her character experiences complicated relationships, trauma, vulnerability and difficult personal circumstances. That required a different type of performance from the conventional crime-drama roles that later became associated with McClure.
The recognition followed quickly. In 2011, she won the BAFTA Television Award for Leading Actress for This Is England ’86.
That award is an important piece of context when looking at her later career. Line of Duty and Trigger Point made her internationally recognisable, but This Is England ’86 demonstrated much earlier that she could carry emotionally complex television drama.
Vicky McClure Movies and TV Shows
McClure’s filmography is broader than her best-known television roles suggest.
Movies
Some notable films and film appearances include:
- A Room for Romeo Brass — 1999
- This Is England — 2006
- Filth and Wisdom — 2008
- Hummingbird — 2013
- Svengali — 2013
- Convenience — 2015
- The Nest — 2018
- Good Grief — 2023
Her earliest work with Shane Meadows is particularly significant because it predates her major television success. A Room for Romeo Brass came before This Is England, creating an early professional connection that later became central to her career.
Television
Her major television credits include:
- This Is England ’86
- This Is England ’88
- This Is England ’90
- Line of Duty
- Broadchurch
- The Replacement
- The Secret Agent
- I Am… Nicola
- Alex Rider
- Without Sin
- Trigger Point
- Insomnia
She has also worked as a presenter and producer, showing that her career is not limited to acting.
Vicky McClure in Line of Duty
For a completely different side of her acting, Line of Duty is essential viewing.
McClure played Detective Sergeant and later Detective Inspector Kate Fleming across the series. The character works within the show’s complicated world of police corruption investigations and internal affairs.
The role demanded a very different style from Lol in This Is England.
Kate Fleming is controlled, professional and investigative. Much of the drama comes from watching her process information rather than openly explaining every emotion.
This is one reason McClure became so strongly associated with crime drama. She can communicate tension through small reactions, pauses and changes in body language instead of relying on long emotional speeches.
Line of Duty ran for six series with McClure appearing throughout its main run from 2012 to 2021.
Vicky McClure in Broadchurch
Another important stop in her television career was Broadchurch.
McClure played Karen White in the first series of the ITV crime drama. Unlike Line of Duty, where her character was deeply embedded in the investigation, Broadchurch placed her within a different kind of crime-story environment.
The contrast is useful if you are exploring Vicky McClure’s television work. Her career is not simply a collection of police roles. She has repeatedly worked in dramas where personal relationships and emotional consequences are just as important as solving a crime.
Vicky McClure in Trigger Point
Trigger Point brought McClure into another demanding professional role.
She plays Lana Washington, an explosives officer working in London. The series focuses on bomb-disposal operations and terrorist threats, combining procedural drama with high-pressure situations. McClure also became an executive producer on the series.
This is an important development in her career.
She is not simply returning to another role as a detective. Lana’s job requires a different kind of physical and psychological performance, while McClure’s involvement as an executive producer gives her a role behind the scenes as well.
What makes Lana different from Kate Fleming?
The distinction is fairly straightforward:
| Role | Series | Character | Main type of drama |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lol Jenkins | This Is England | Young woman navigating difficult personal circumstances | Character drama |
| Kate Fleming | Line of Duty | Police investigator | Police thriller |
| Karen White | Broadchurch | Journalist | Crime mystery |
| Stella Tomlinson | Without Sin | Mother dealing with trauma | Psychological drama |
| Lana Washington | Trigger Point | Explosives officer | High-stakes thriller |
| Emma Averill | Insomnia | Woman confronting disturbing family issues | Psychological thriller |
Looking at these roles side by side reveals one of the less obvious features of McClure’s career: she often plays women placed under extreme pressure, but the source of that pressure changes substantially from one production to another.
What Is Vicky McClure’s New Series?
As of September 2026, the major new Vicky McClure series is the fourth series of Trigger Point.
ITV confirmed that McClure returns as Lana Washington. The fourth series contains six episodes and continues the story of the bomb-disposal team.
The new season was officially recommissioned in 2025, with ITV announcing that series four would arrive in 2026.
There is also another current television credit worth knowing about: McClure appears as herself in Britain’s Murder Map in 2026. That is different from her scripted drama work because she is presenting rather than playing a fictional character.
So if someone searches “Vicky McClure new series,” it is important to distinguish between her new scripted drama and her 2026 presenting work.
Who Is Vicky McClure’s First Husband?
This is one of the most confusing searches surrounding the actress.
Vicky McClure is married to Jonny Owen, a Welsh actor, writer and producer. The couple announced their engagement in December 2017 and married on 11 August 2023 in Nottingham.
There is no reliable evidence establishing that McClure had an earlier husband before Owen. Some online pages use the phrase “first husband,” which can create the impression that another marriage took place, but the publicly documented marriage record consistently identifies Jonny Owen as her husband.
This is a useful example of why celebrity relationship searches need to be treated carefully. A repeated search phrase is not automatically evidence that the event described by that phrase actually happened.
Who is Jonny Owen?
Jonny Owen is an actor, writer and producer from Wales. His work has included acting and documentary production, and he has worked in television and film for many years.
The couple have also maintained a connection to Nottingham, McClure’s home city.
A Less Obvious Part of Vicky McClure’s Career
One of the most interesting things about McClure’s career is how frequently she has moved between acting and production.
She was not only the lead performer in Trigger Point; she was also credited as an executive producer. She also took a producing role on projects including Without Sin.
That changes how her recent career can be understood.
Instead of viewing her simply as an actress who moves from one leading role to another, it is more accurate to see her as someone increasingly involved in shaping the projects in which she appears.
Another Unique Insight: Her Roles Often Share One Pattern
There is a subtle connection between many of McClure’s most memorable characters.
Lol, Kate Fleming and Lana Washington are very different people, but all three are characters placed in situations where they cannot simply walk away from the problem.
Lol is trapped by personal and social circumstances.
Kate is trapped inside an institution where loyalty and suspicion constantly collide.
Lana repeatedly has to confront dangerous situations because of the responsibilities attached to her profession.
That recurring pressure may help explain why McClure’s performances often feel intense even when she is not speaking much.
Another Overlooked Point: Nottingham Is Part of the Story
McClure’s Nottingham background is more than a small biographical detail.
Her connection to Nottingham’s Television Workshop helped shape her early route into acting, and she has continued to maintain links with the city. Channel 4’s earlier interview also highlighted how her performance training began there at a young age.
That gives her career a particularly local starting point compared with the image of a performer who was discovered after moving immediately into London’s television industry.
It is a useful reminder that major British television careers can develop through regional training and theatre or workshop networks long before a performer becomes nationally recognised.
How to Start Watching Vicky McClure’s Work
If you are new to her acting and want to understand her career rather than simply watch the newest programme, a sensible viewing route is:
- Start with This Is England to understand where her breakthrough character came from.
- Continue with This Is England ’86 to see the performance that won her the BAFTA.
- Watch Line of Duty for her transformation into a major crime-drama lead.
- Try Broadchurch for a different type of crime story.
- Watch Without Sin for a more psychological performance.
- Move to Trigger Point to see her in a physically demanding modern thriller.
- Watch Insomnia if you want to explore her more recent psychological-drama work.
This approach makes the changes in her acting style much easier to appreciate.
FAQ
How old is Vicky McClure?
Vicky McClure was born on 8 May 1983 in Nottingham, England. In September 2026, she is 43 years old.
Who is Vicky McClure’s husband?
Vicky McClure is married to Jonny Owen, a Welsh actor, writer and producer. They became engaged in 2017 and married in Nottingham on 11 August 2023.
Did Vicky McClure have a first husband?
There is no reliable public evidence confirming that Vicky McClure had a previous husband. Her documented marriage is to Jonny Owen, so claims about an earlier “first husband” should be treated cautiously.
What is Vicky McClure’s most famous role?
She is particularly recognised for playing Lol Jenkins in This Is England and DI Kate Fleming in Line of Duty. She is also widely associated with Lana Washington in Trigger Point.
What is Vicky McClure’s new series in 2026?
Her major new scripted television project in 2026 is the fourth series of Trigger Point, in which she returns as Lana Washington. ITV confirmed that the new season contains six episodes.
Did Vicky McClure win a BAFTA for This Is England?
Yes. She won the 2011 BAFTA Television Award for Leading Actress for her performance as Lol Jenkins in This Is England ’86.
Conclusion
Vicky McClure’s career is much broader than one famous detective role. Her breakthrough as Lol Jenkins in This Is England demonstrated her dramatic range, while Kate Fleming in Line of Duty established her as one of British television’s recognisable crime-drama performers.
Her later work has continued to change direction, from Broadchurch and Alex Rider to Without Sin, Insomnia and Trigger Point. The fourth series of Trigger Point is especially significant in 2026 because McClure returns as Lana Washington while also holding an executive-producer role.
For anyone searching for Vicky McClure’s movies and TV shows, the clearest picture comes from looking at the whole journey rather than focusing on a single character. Her career shows a steady progression from Nottingham-based early acting work to award-winning drama, major television franchises and increasing involvement behind the scenes.
