Will Helen McCrory be in the final season of Peaky Blinders?

THE creator of Peaky Blinders Steven Knight originally planned for Helen McCrory’s character as Aunt Polly to be a prominent feature of the final season of the show.

Filming for the new series began in January 2021, but sadly the star passed away in April the same year leaving fans wondering if she will be appearing in the sixth and final season.

Will Helen McCrory be in series 6 of Peaky Blinders?

Sadly, Helen McCrory will not be appearing in the final episode of Peaky Blinders.

The actress, who played Aunt Polly in the gangster drama series, died of breast cancer last April aged 52.

While filming for the sixth season began in January 2021, McCrory did not feature due to her illness.

Peaky Blinders actor Cillian Murphy said that the final series of the show is a tribute to McCrory.

He revealed to Empire Magazine: “We were about to shoot and then the pandemic happened. If we had shot then, Helen would’ve been in the show, and that makes me feel sad.

“It’s a huge loss. She was the matriarch of the whole thing. As the character, but just also as her personality.”

He added: “But she’s still present in series six. Steve (Knight, the creator) managed to keep her very, very present.”

It’s currently not known how the character’s absence will be explained, or how a tribute will be paid in the final season, but it will for sure touch the hearts of those that are fans of the show.

What happened to Helen McCrory?

Helen McCrory died of breast cancer on April 16, 2021.

Her husband, actor Damian Lewis, stated that she had died “peacefully at home, and was surrounded by a wave of affection from friends and family.”

It was revealed that McCrory’s cancer was kept hidden from her friends until only days before her death.

Carrie Cracknell, who directed McCrory in a 2014 production of Medea, said that she did not want her illness overshadowing her family and professional life. 

The director told BBC’s Today programme: “Helen wanted to be very private about her illness and I understand why. When you live in the public spotlight you have to find space to protect the things that are just for you.

“Very, very few people knew, and I only did because we were planning to transfer a show to Broadway and we had to cancel that because she was undergoing treatment. We were sworn to secrecy.”

She add that McCrory faced up to cancer “with a level of bravery and humour that was completely extraordinary”.

“It was a very remarkable thing.”

When is Peaky Blinders back on BBC?

The last and final season of Peaky blinders kicks off on Sunday, February 27, 2022.

The show will air on BBC One at 9pm.

Episodes run at an hour long and there are six in total.

All previous episodes will be all be available to steam via BBC iPlayer.