Line Of Duty star Martin Compston has said he is looking forward to the fifth series coming to an end so he can use social media freely again.
The actor, who plays DS Steve Arnott in the gripping BBC One drama, has also said that he hopes fans are not disappointed by the series finale, teasing that there will be “a few big pay-offs”.
Compston told Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch: “I’m chuffed with the attention the show’s getting, but one of the reasons I can’t wait for it to be over is because, like, I can put out a tweet saying, ‘Just had a sausage roll on Sunday Brunch’, and I guarantee somebody will tweet me back going ‘Please no spoilers.’”
He said that he loves “all the mad theories that come in” from fans on Twitter after each episode has aired.
However, he added: “It’s a shame, because some of them are spot-on, but you can’t like it or favourite it or anything because you’d give it away, but it’s one of the joys of the show. Everyone loves being an amateur sleuth.”
The police drama will return for its hotly-anticipated special 90-minute episode on Sunday, and viewers will be eager to find out if creator Jed Mercurio finally reveals the identity of corrupt police officer H.
But with a sixth series confirmed by BBC One, the showrunner could keep viewers guessing past the finale.
Compston said, of the finale: “There will be a few big pay-offs and some things resolved.”
He added: “The show has been commissioned for another series, but who knows who’ll make it there.”
What a lovely chat with @Martin_compston! Catch him cooking later in the show 😁😁 #SundayBrunch pic.twitter.com/9l9Jj2jIOP
— Sunday Brunch (@SundayBrunchC4) May 5, 2019
The show follows the work of anti-corruption unit AC-12, led by Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), DS Steve Arnott (Compston) and DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure).
Series five saw a number of characters meet a grisly end, including the unit’s very own Pc Maneet Bindra (Maya Sondhi) in episode one.
Stephen Graham’s character John Corbett was killed off in episode four in shocking scenes which saw the undercover police officer have his throat slit by another member of the organised crime group.
Compston said: “It’s been a great ride this year, and I think we got really lucky that we started on BBC Two.
“So, by the time we got to this bigger audience we had our own style and we’ve been allowed to keep it because, with the writing, I think that’s why the show became so popular – which I didn’t expect – it’s because we don’t make excuses for the audience, we don’t pander.”
He said the show has the impact of social media to thank for its sizeable audience, which has made the current series of Line Of Duty the most-watched programme of 2019 so far.
Compston said he was “a wee bit” shocked over the success of the show since its inception in 2012.
“That was a big part of the growth of the show, the word of mouth,” he said.
“When we started, we had this really loyal fan base who stayed with us from series one, but that word of mouth on social media has played a big part.”
Last week, viewers were left reeling after Hastings was arrested on suspicion of being a corrupt police officer.
In tense scenes, the long-running character was quizzed in the now-infamous glass-walled office by Anna Maxwell Martin as Superintendent Patricia Carmichael.
The finale episode of Line Of Duty airs at 9pm on BBC One.