MANY were shocked when Barnsley-born actor Kenny Doughty made the sudden decision to quit the hit ITV drama Vera - but two years after his departure he’s opened up about the experience.

It was recently announced that after disappearing from people’s screens in 2023, Doughty will be returning to television once more in Channel 5’s The Au Pair, based on the best-selling book by Emma Rous.

Now he’s revealed that his decision to step back from the limelight and leave behind his Vera character DS Aiden Healy after eight years came from a personal place, as he chose to spend whatever time he could with his stepdad after a terminal cancer diagnosis.

“Steve was a glorious, delightful man - I was proud to refer to him as my ‘dad’, not my stepfather,” Kenny told the paper.

“He was a lecturer in agriculture when he met my mum and he taught me how to be a better man.

“It was a no-brainer, choosing to quit work and spend those last six months with him.

“We built a wooden house together by their home in Ireland and he taught me about wood, joinery and carpentry.”

Kenny had developed a close bond with Steve after his biological dad - actor Terence Beesley, known for roles in Heartbeat and Eastenders - died by suicide in 2017.

The experience also helped him adjust to the role of stepfather to Frankie, the teenage son of his wife and Shetland star Ashley Jensen.

He added: “I don’t see much difference - you’re parenting either way and you want the best for your child.

“I adore Frankie as if he was my son.”