'We’re really excited about getting our hands on a Line of Duty script' - did Adrian Dunbar just confirm the show's return?

Wait a second, what did Adrian Dunbar just say? Rumours about Line of Duty and AC-12 returning for season 7 have been circulating since the conclusion of season 6 back in 2021, but four years on and we'd all but given up hope.

However, Adrian Dunbar (Ted Hastings) has just dropped the biggest hint yet that the show could be returning as soon as next year - now we're sucking diesel.

The actor first hinted at a Line of Duty return back in 2022 during an appearance on Lorraine. Acknowledging the public's lukewarm reaction to the season 6 finale, Dunbar suggested there was "every possibility" of another series, which first ignited the rumour mill.

When nothing materialised and we reached 2025, it really did look like the show's writer, Jed Mercurio, had definitely put corruption-fighting trio Kate Fleming, Steve Arnott, and Ted Hastings to bed forever.

But now, Adrian Dunbar is back, adding fuel to the Line of Duty return fire once again, suggesting to The Times that "Jed is writing. We’ve talked to the BBC."

The actor went on to explain, "We’re really excited about getting our hands on a Line of Duty script, to see what happens to us."

Appearing to hint that all that was required now to confirm the return of the series was official confirmation from the BBC, Dunbar concluded, "It is down to the BBC to make an announcement, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that next year we’ll be working on a new series."

Season 6 was always slated to be the very last one, and any return of the AC-12 gang will be a true gift. The conclusion and big reveal of H was divisive, and Jed Mercurio might want to end the show with the bang the public expected.

Adrian Dunbar was also very vocal about the public perception of the show's conclusion, when Ian Buckells was revealed to be the elusive H. The star unsurprisingly defended the big unveiling of the villain, which left many disappointed.

"In terms of the story finishing, I think it was a really interesting ending, that’s what reality is like," he said, adding, "It’s usually one guy. It’s not a Mr Big, it’s just somebody along the line who decides to discard a piece of information and not make the call."

So, in that respect, I think it was a very realistic ending, but it didn’t satisfy the sensational need in the public."

Martin Compston is also keen to do another season of the show, but for slightly different reasons.

Speaking on Radio X's The Chris Moyles Show, the actor described his disappointment that the final series filmed during the pandemic and the cast were unable to socialise in their usual way.

"We filmed the last one during Covid-19, and it was a tough shoot and kind of miserable, because we were one of the first jobs back. We couldn’t even mix with each other," he explained.

Compston concluded, "So I think for us, it wouldn’t be nice to go out that way. We’d like to do one more with everybody. And that’s no reason to go back, but I think there’s definitely scope for it."