Kenny Doughty Admitted How Hard It Was to Exit 'Vera,' and Why He Had to Leave

When Kenny Doughty left the ITV drama Vera in 2023 and took a break from television for a while, fans wanted to know why he decided to leave. Others questioned whether there was something going on behind the scenes that led to Kenny's exit after nine years with the series. Now, fans are still questioning why Kenny left.

In a way, Kenny was part of the OG cast of the show. He joined in Season 5, and he even stayed on for a Christmas special in 2023 after he made the choice to exit the show on his own terms. Afterward, he did publicly share why he left. He even admitted how hard it was for him to go. So, why did Kenny leave Vera? The British actor had a pretty good reason for stepping away from TV for a while.

In 2025, when Kenny returned to television to star in Channel 5's The Au Pair, it marked a turning point for him as an actor, if only because it was his first big role since he left Vera. Kenny explained to The I Paper that he left Vera to spend time with his stepfather, who, at the time, was dying from terminal cancer.

He explained to the outlet that he has only ever thought of his stepfather as his "dad" and said that he was a "glorious, delightful man." It wasn't until two years after Kenny left Vera and left television as a whole that he returned, ready to jumpstart his TV career again. And, even though fans still miss him on Vera, they likely welcome him back on their screens in any capacity.

But it was hard for Kenny to leave, even if he had a good reason to step away from Vera. Kenny told Radio Times that it was hard for him to walk away from the show, even though he had spent nine years, and agreed to that Christmas special send-off, with the cast and crew. He also revealed that he knew he was going to leave Vera before Season 12, but it became a more drawn-out goodbye when he was asked to stay longer.

"There were lots of personal and professional reasons why I wanted to move on," Kenny told the outlet. "I have loved doing Vera, 100 percent. It has been a life-changing job for so many reasons, including working with Brenda Blethyn and in the North East. I feel like an honorary Geordie. There is also a real family connection to the crew, who I'm still in touch with."

Although Kenny returned to television with The Au Pair, he didn't announce plans to return to Vera. This is probably a good idea, since it ended in 2025. Brenda Blethyn, who played the show's title character for years, revealed plans to step away after Season 14. According to Hello! Magazine, she was ready to move on after 14 years. Since the show didn't make much sense without Vera, it came to an end.