Bodyguard creator reveals he almost KILLED David Budd in the final episode of the series
Jed Mercurio wanted to prove to viewers that anything is possible
BODYGUARD creator Jed Mercurio has revealed that he almost killed off David Budd in the hit series' final episode.
The finale saw David, played by Richard Madden, get strapped into a bomb vest and forced to walk through the streets of London by gangsters working for crime boss Luke Aitkens.
Speaking to , Jed confessed that David almost didn't survive - and that he was tempted to kill the central character off to prove to viewers that anything could happen after he killed off the show's other focal character, Julia Montague, played by Keeley Hawes.
He shared: "It [killing him off] was something that we very definitely played with as being a possibility.
"I think once you do the unexpected and you take the viewers to a position of discomfort about being able to rely on characters surviving, then it does completely affect the way in which the drama is viewed.
"That real sense of jeopardy is something that we worked really hard to create."
However, Jed ultimately decided that he couldn't end the popular series on such a negative note.
He continued: "I felt that for this TV show, it was probably too nihilistic to go that route."
The comments come just days after actor Richard revealed that he will be meeting with Jed in the coming weeks to discuss the possibility of a second series of the popular BBC One drama.
Speaking to , Richard, 32, said that he may well be returning to our screens as PC David Budd.
He shared: "I'm going to meet Jed in a couple of weeks, to have a chat and see what's in his brilliant brain.
"So, I'm like, what can happen next? You know, with David.
"Because he had a hell of a couple months there. Where do you go with this guy?"
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Bodyguard first hit our screens in August this year and quickly became the most-watched drama since records began in 2002.
The BBC show drew in an audience of 17.1 million across 28 days - the largest audience recorded for a TV show that wasn't a sporting or national event since 2010.
The series followed troubled bodyguard and police officer David and his relationship with Home Secretary Julia.
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