Michelle Keegan admits returning to work after motherhood felt daunting

• Michelle Keegan admitted feeling uneasy about resuming her career after welcoming her daughter.
• The actress praised The Blame production team for their family-like support during filming.
• Keegan and Douglas Booth bonded over makeup chair quizzes while filming the thriller.
  

Michelle Keegan has opened up about the emotional challenges of returning to her acting career after the birth of her first child.

During a recent appearance on an ITV showcase with Graham Norton, the 38-year-old actress admitted that stepping back onto a television set felt "quite daunting" following her maternity break.

Keegan and her husband, Mark Wright, welcomed their daughter, Palma Elizabeth Wright, on 6 March 2025, and the star intentionally stepped away from the spotlight to focus on the first year of parenthood.

However, the former Coronation Street actress found the environment on the set of her new ITV series, The Blame, to be incredibly welcoming.

"The production were so supportive and I was so looked after and it was like working with family," Keegan noted, praising the crew for easing her transition back into a full-time filming schedule.

She specifically highlighted her "organic" chemistry with co-star Douglas Booth, revealing that the pair bonded through food and frequent trivia quizzes while preparing in the makeup chair.

In the highly anticipated crime thriller, Keegan portrays DI Emma Crane, a detective investigating the murder of a teenage figure skater.

The plot takes a dramatic turn when Crane’s partner, played by Booth, becomes the prime suspect in the case. While The Blame does not yet have an official premiere date, it is expected to lead ITV’s 2026 drama slate.

This project follows Keegan’s massive global success in the Netflix series Fool Me Once, which solidified her status as one of Britain's most bankable leading ladies.