ITV Trigger Point stars reveal gruelling reality behind series four’s biggest explosion

Speaking ahead of the new series, the cast and creative team lifted the lid on the extraordinary lengths taken to create its explosive action sequences.

One particularly dramatic scene proved especially demanding, with one cast member revealing they spent around two-and-a-half days lying on the floor while filming.

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“It was tough, it was very dusty, full of glass,” they recalled.

“I chose to, like, have my eyes open for it, because I thought that would look cooler. But, you know, my eyes are still quite itchy from that.”

Natalie Simpson explained that the show’s explosive set pieces require meticulous preparation, adding: “Whenever we do, like, the explosions or a set piece like that, it’s always really technical and choreographed.”

She continued: “I was lying on that floor for like two-and-a-half days.”

Asked whether the sequence required numerous attempts, the actor confirmed there were “loads of takes”.

Ms Simpson revealed the dusty conditions also took their toll on her, explaining she was given a mask to wear between takes.

She said: “I think I was given a mask for when I wasn’t doing the acting, but when I was blocking it through.”

Director Jenny Darnell explained that creating Trigger Point’s spectacular action involves painstakingly piecing together footage captured at different locations and times.

| ITV

The opening episode sees the team tracking a device on a lorry through London in almost real time, presenting a huge logistical challenge.

Ms Darnell said the production had to coordinate sequences filmed in the studio, on roads and at other locations, alongside drone and CCTV-style footage.

“It all needed very careful piecing together. So a lot of that is about coordination and planning,” she explained.

Continuity presented another challenge because scenes appearing moments apart on screen could actually have been filmed “days, weeks apart”.

The director admitted the team had been “lucky with the weather” as they attempted to make the different footage seamlessly match.

Writer Chris Brandon revealed the ambition for the fourth series was initially even greater, joking that the first version of the script was “probably a bit more Mad Max” before the team found something achievable without sacrificing the thrills.

Meanwhile, Ms McClure admitted playing Lana remains physically demanding, describing filming as effectively her substitute for going to the gym.

“It is long days and it is physical and it is a lot to take on,” she said.

The Line of Duty star also revealed the realities of wearing Lana’s heavy protective bomb suit during filming, including in sweltering conditions.

However, Ms McClure insisted she would not complain when comparing her experience with that of real-life explosives officers who can spend hours wearing the equipment in extreme environments.

“I can’t moan when we’re doing a 16-minute, a 60-second take or, you know, I’m in it for two or three minutes,” she said.

“It’s heavy, and it is what it is. It saves lives, or at least it saves limbs… It’s such an amazing piece of kit.”

Ms McClure described the latest production as “one of the best jobs”, saying filming series three and four back-to-back allowed the cast and crew to spend nine months working together.

And viewers can expect the ambition to continue throughout the new instalment, with Ms Darnell teasing that “each episode” will bring another major event.

Brandon added ominously: “No one’s safe. Literally not.”