Season six of the hit BBC series finally comes to screens this Sunday, with Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) set to face further trouble as he continues his journey into the political sphere.
Fans are delighted they will soon get another glimpse into the world of the Birmingham-based gang, over two years since they were left on an epic cliffhanger.
However, one person whose absence will be truly felt this time around is Aunt Polly, who ruled the roost of the Shelby family in the previous five seasons.
Actress Helen, who played the formidable matriarch in the series, died last year aged 52 after a private illness with cancer.
But writer Steven explained to Metro.co.uk how ‘prominent’ the sensational character was set to be, and how important it was for him to get a tribute to Aunt Polly – and Helen – just right.
He shared: ‘I mean, the loss of the human being the loss of Helen is such a tragedy and the loss of the actor and the loss of the character is nothing in comparison.
‘We have to deal with the loss of the character, and dealing with something that is not comparable to the loss of the person, but we knew that she would want the thing to continue.’
Steven went on to share: ‘So we had a form for the series, in which she was in quite prominent.
‘Then, as it became apparent that she wouldn’t be able to play the role, it incrementally got less and less, until, in the end, we knew that there could be no Polly.’
He continued: ‘I had to find a way to… all I can do is pay tribute to the character. I can’t go beyond that.
‘Hopefully, I’ve paid tribute to the character in a way that also does justice to the person.’
It’s not yet known how the character’s absence will be explained, or how a tribute will be paid in the upcoming season, but it’s sure to mean a lot to fans watching at home.
Steven added: ‘It’s important too, in terms of the drama you’ve created in this fictional world, and the love of Tommy to Polly and the love of the real people, sort of images of each other.
‘So you have to try and deal with that if you can.’
Cillian, who plays the lead gangster in the drama, has previously spoken about how Covid prevented the actress from being able to shoot her final scenes.
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, creator] managed to keep her very, very present.’
Peaky Blinders season six begins on Sunday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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MORE : Peaky Blinders Cillian Murphy reflects on Helen McCrory’s ‘unbelievably sad and difficult’ death: ‘I don’t own that grief’
MORE : Peaky Blinders season 6: From Stephen Graham to Amber Anderson – who are the new cast members?
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