Line Of Duty s Jed Mercurio says he keeps things flexible when writing the hit show - and storylines can change depending on the stars schedules
It was revealed during Sunday night s eagerly-anticipated finale that The Fourth Man - also known as H - was Superintendent Ian Buckells
Initially portrayed as a hapless character, it was revealed that he was in fact the criminal mastermind who had formed the secret network of bent coppers
Many clues appear to have come to light since the show hit screens in 2012, including a real life note from actor Nigel Boyle, who tipped off fans in 2017
The series creator, 55, detailed how he dropped a sign the officer was bent back in 2012 after he allowed the caddy Dot Cottan to speak with Tommy Hunter alone in the back of a van.
Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio admits clue in series one hinted at who H really was Mirror 2 hrs ago
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Line of Duty fans were frantically trying to figure out who the mysterious H was before he was finally revealed on Sunday night. The gripping finale of the sixth series of the BBC cop drama drew in huge crowds as 12.8 million tuned in to discover who the mastermind criminal was.
And in underwhelming fashion, The Fourth Man was unveiled as DCI Ian Buckells, much to the surprise of most viewers.
However, the show s creator Jed Mercurio has admitted that there were actually clues throughout the hit drama leading as far back as the very first series.
Mercurio then went on to recall an important moment in the drama s fifth episode between Buckells (Nigel Boyle) and fellow bent copper Matthew Dot Cottan (Craig Parkinson), who was uncovered as the first member of the group of corrupt police officers by Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) following his death in series three.
In the series one moment, Cottan requests to speak to a newly-arrested Tommy Hunter,
another criminal within the force who has since been revealed to be one of the top brass in the OCG, an elusive organised crime syndicate. Something that Buckells, supposedly knowing why he d want to, seems wary of him doing in such a public setting.