Bodyguard starring Richard Madden confirmed for second series by BBC

THE BBC is to make a second series of hit police thriller Bodyguard starring Richard Madden.

Creator Jed Mercurio can finally crack on with a follow-up after Line of Duty’s sixth series finished in May. 

And Richard, 35 — protection officer Sgt David Budd — has recently finished filming Marvel superhero film Eternals.

A TV insider said: “The drama is the most eagerly-anticipated in the world of TV and all the stars are finally aligning.

“Mercurio has always been too preoccupied with Line of Duty to apply himself to Bodyguard II, and after the show’s success, Madden was snapped up by Hollywood.

“Now with both men available, the creative process has kicked off and the BBC are thrilled it could materialise within the next two years.”

Bodyguard became the most watched programme of 2018, with 11 million people tuning in to see the final show, and six million more watching on iPlayer.

Viewers were hooked by the relationship between Budd and Home Secretary Julia Montague, played by Keeley Hawes. Richard will soon be seen in Amazon Prime spy series, Citadel.

Writer Jed has always kept tight-lipped about a follow-up. Asked recently if he was working on Bodyguard II, he said: “I can exclusively reveal that there are no plans for me to answer that question.”

But Jed added: “I learned a lot from the success of Bodyguard. It was heartening to see how an audience would come to something that is fresh and original. 

“Bodyguard was just an original concept and people hit the ground running with it. I would love to do something in the next couple of years.”

The BBC declined to comment.