Line of Duty's Dot Cottan actor reveals he originally auditioned for a different role

In addition to our Line of Duty episode four recap, one of the best ways to unpack the episode and try to figure out what's going on is Craig Parkinson's BBC Sounds podcast, Obsessed with... Line of Duty. The actor, who played bent copper Dot Cottan on the show, is just as obsessed with Jed Mercurio's detective drama as all of us.

When a fan pointed out on Twitter how Parkinson couldn't have anticipated he would be making a podcast about the show a decade after auditioning, Parkinson agreed. And, in a reveal worthy of a Line of Duty episode, he also said he actually originally auditioned to play the role of Steve Arnott.

Of course, the role eventually went to Martin Compston, though Parkinson still managed to make a long-lasting impression on the series as the late Caddy.

And though we can't imagine anyone but Compston as the waistcoat-wearing detective, it's certainly interesting to picture how AC-12 could have looked with Parkinson leading the Line of Duty cast. Especially as we wait eagerly for the next episode.

Line of Duty continues on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One. Take a look at the rest of our Drama coverage, or check out our TV Guide to see what’s on TV this week.