Michelle Keegan quits ITV drama weeks before filming

Michelle Keegan has reportedly stepped away from an upcoming TV drama just weeks before filming was set to begin.

The 39-year-old actress had been preparing to play a lead role as a barrister in a new series written by Sherlock creator Steve Thompson, with filming originally scheduled to start in November. 

Reports say Keegan has now decided to leave the project due to scheduling conflicts, as the demanding filming timeline would have kept her away from her young daughter for an extended period.

"Michelle was really keen to take on the meaty role, but the heavy filming schedule would take her away from daughter Palma for too long.

A source explained that the intense filming schedule overlapped with her work on another upcoming Netflix project, making it difficult for her to commit to both. 

The source added, “The hours were quite intense and the project was starting straight after her Netflix drama The Woods and she just couldn’t commit. She is dedicated to her acting career, but like all working mums has to prioritise being there for her family, juggling work, parenting and being present for Palma," per The Sun.

Reports suggest that actress Jodie Whittaker has since been cast in the role instead.

Fans will still be able to see Keegan in the upcoming Netflix series The Woods, based on a novel by Harlan Coben. In the show, she plays a character helping her former partner investigate a decades-old disappearance within his family.

Keegan first became widely known in 2008 after joining a long-running British soap opera, where she remained for several years before her character's storyline ended. Since then, she has built a successful acting career, appearing in several popular television series.

The upcoming thriller she's stepping away from centers on a mysterious disappearance that shakes a family, with new evidence eventually reopening the case decades later.