Jed Mercurio yells at journalist over Line of Duty question: ‘It just feels like this is clickbait now’

Writer shut down question about whether the show would be returning before ending the interview

Writer Jed Mercurio shouted at a journalist who asked him whether the most recent series of Line of Duty had been its last, according to a new interview.

There’s been wide speculation as to whether the police drama series will be coming to an end for good after its sixth series finished in May.

Speaking toThe i about his new graphic novel Sleeper, Mercurio once again voiced his frustration with the idea that “everyone” hated the most recent series.

“If a person hates the show, they hate the show, I have never said anything negative about someone who doesn’t like the show, in itself,” he said.

“If someone invents something that doesn’t exist as a way of saying, ‘it’s a bad show’, then they’re lying. And they’re committing disinformation.”

However, when asked by writer Alice Jones if Line of Duty would be returning for another series, Mercurio replied: “It just feels like this is clickbait now.”

While Jones pointed out that it was a fair question for such a popular show, Mercurio apparently then yelled: “Feel free to generate some clickbait,” his manner described as “suddenly furious”.

He is then described as sarcastically commenting that he “really enjoyed” their conversation, before logging off.

The i Paper interview is not the first time Mercurio has taken aim at a journalist. In 2019, he singled out a writer who listed Line of Duty among the biggest TV disappointments of the year in a GQ interview in March, calling her “a c***”.

The Independent has contacted Mercurio’s representative for comment.